James McDonnel extension 2025 : Fri Jan 12, 2024 6:17 pm  

https://www.therhinos.co.uk/article/197 ... ith-rhinos Good business, developing into one of the best Second rowers in country

https://www.therhinos.co.uk/article/197 ... ith-rhinos Good business, developing into one of the best Second rowers in country

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Fri Jan 12, 2024 6:23 pm  

Good player, who has more than earned an extension. My only concern is how we fit all these players in the back row.

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Fri Jan 12, 2024 6:51 pm  

The one year makes sense. If he has another good year we should be trying to get him on 2-3 years.

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Fri Jan 12, 2024 6:55 pm  

Excellent news. Close to player of the season for me last year. A massive asset to the club.

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Fri Jan 12, 2024 7:37 pm  

He is a very similar profile to Bentley, I suspect this will be a case of one gets retained beyond 2025 but maybe not both.

Very good news we have him for a couple of years. There would be a number of other clubs interested in him it probably says we’re in a semi-healthy place that he’s willing to stay at Leeds a couple more years without guarantee of starting.

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Fri Jan 12, 2024 8:51 pm  

I think It could be martin whos let go. Not due to performance but to free up a quota spot in the front row.

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Fri Jan 12, 2024 9:34 pm  

Seth wrote:

I think It could be martin whos let go. Not due to performance but to free up a quota spot in the front row.

Martin is due next year - we also have Gannon and one or two academy prospects coming through, something has to give.

McDonnell and Bentley could play in the same side maybe but we’re going to have to rationalise that back row.

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Fri Jan 12, 2024 10:26 pm  

Think I read something other day about a new team in NRL might want Martin ?.
He will be nearly 32 by end of next season and Donaldson shouldn't be needed when we have McDonnell, Bentley,Gannon etc.

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Sat Jan 13, 2024 5:22 pm  

Emagdnim13 wrote:

Think I read something other day about a new team in NRL might want Martin ?.
He will be nearly 32 by end of next season and Donaldson shouldn't be needed when we have McDonnell, Bentley,Gannon etc.

There’s a train of the thought that the next impending NRL franchise will be PNG based and if that’s the case they’ll target people like Martin, Ipape, Lam etc.

I actually think Martin would be a big loss, but understand that quotas are at a premium.

Re: James McDonnel extension 2025 : Sat Jan 13, 2024 6:21 pm  

Barrie’s Glass Eye wrote:

There’s a train of the thought that the next impending NRL franchise will be PNG based and if that’s the case they’ll target people like Martin, Ipape, Lam etc.

I actually think Martin would be a big loss, but understand that quotas are at a premium.

I'll caveat this all with should this materialise. He'd be a massive loss all round, work ethic, availability, kicking, nouse and ability. We couldn't, and perhaps shouldn't, compete with the lure of a PNG based franchise, certainly not at this stage in his career. As far as I'm concerned it'd be a thanks and the very best of luck. It would free a quota spot, so perhaps, in that rarest of moments in professional sports, it'd be a case of everyone wins.