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Revealed: Super League star still getting paid by former club

The likes of Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves, Hull FC and Hull KR have completed major signings for 2024 but one of the busiest clubs has been Hull KR.

They have signed former Castleford Tigers target AJ Wallace from Bradford Bulls, Tyrone may from Catalans Dragons, NRL star Peta Hiku and of course former England international Oliver Gildart.

However, in a surprising twist, Gildart joined the Robins’ Challenge Cup Final opponents for the rest of this year after leaving the Dolphins in the NRL.

He was unable to play against them at Wembley but will be a key member of the Leigh squad for the run in as he replaces the injured Ricky Leutele.

What you might not know is that Gildart is still getting paid by a former club.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the centre is still being paid $50,000 by the Wests Tigers despite having now played for three different clubs since leaving last year.

This shows the mess their salary cap is in.

Recently, Leigh owner Derek Beaumont explained how he pulled off the signing of Gildart.

“The biggest thing in any club is recruitment; and in doing that, you know, who you coach has an influence on who the agents and the players are going to be coached by,” he said on The Bench.

“And then your facilities obviously are important. I think we’re okay on that element; and then it’s the culture that you have and the fun that you create.

“The best advert for your recruitment are the players you’ve got at your club. So Oliver Gildart, okay Hull wanted to bring him early. He wasn’t keen on changing where he was at. But probably they don’t go back. There’s a lot happening this year. He’s committed to it and beyond that.

“Then we’ve gone into him when we’ve lost Ricky Leutele and because of where we are and the possible opportunities of playoffs, finals and you know, we’re going to Wembley so he’ll be part of it. It’s appealing and the form of the entertainment, the flavour of it.”

Beaumont also spoke about the impact of the club’s rebrand as the Leigh Leopards:

I”t’s an interesting one though because people know, as much as it’s gone wild, it’s great how you can wear any little part of it it associates you with it.

“It doesn’t have to replica or anything with a Leigh badge on it, doesn’t matter if it’s leopard print, so then you find other fans thinking ‘damn you can’t wear that because they’ll think I’m a Leigh fan’. And the things that you see, we’re in 15 meters of going on a cruise the other week, we saw a leopard print towel, bag, things that you put around your neck on the plane, one of those, you know, obviously bikinis.

“I think it was only me walking around in leopard print swimmers I do confess.”

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