Leeds Rhinos' resistance to offer Zak Hardaker more than a one-year deal was the key stumbling block in their attempts to re-sign the star. Hardaker has signed with Leigh after the newly-promoted club completed an impressive move for the former Man of Steel.
Hardaker's future has been a talking point for several months. The 31-year-old has made no secret of his desire to stay at the club but Rhinos' salary cap situation has been well-documented. As a result, he has now departed.
It's thought that tentative talks with Hardaker's representatives started several months back, with Hardaker himself admitting there had been conversations going back as far as August. However, rather than a deal being tabled, it is thought that the club's salary cap situation was made clear.
