By MATTHEW SHAW and AARON BOWER (from League Express)
The potential departure of Junior Vaivai from Hull Kingston Rovers is the hidden catalyst for several transfers across Super League, including Robert Lui from Salford to Leeds, to fall into place.
This website exclusively broke the news of Lui’s imminent switch across the Pennines from Salford to the Rhinos on Saturday, with the deal set to go ahead if all goes to plan, with the Red Devils set to receive a five-figure cash fee for the Australian halfback.
League Express understands that the deal is so far advanced that Lui has already held detailed talks with the Rhinos’ hierarchy about his transfer.
But Leeds need a quota spot to facilitate Lui’s arrival, with his switch part of a domino effect of transfers across the competition that will only happen if Vaivai leaves the Robins in the coming days.
His one-month loan deal ended at York over the weekend, and the Robins are trying to negotiate an exit for the 29-year-old and are hopeful they can do that.
That has left Toulouse as the club left standing. They have tabled a deal for Vaivai and are waiting to see whether he can come to terms on a severance package. If successful, he will join the French club immediately.
Should that happen, the Robins will then themselves have the quota space to sign Leeds hooker Matt Parcell, with the deal to take him across the M62, and Shaun Lunt the other way, all-but agreed. Like Lui and Leeds, quota spots are all that is stopping the completion of that move.
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