Obviously pure speculation etc. but thought I should post it anyway. Quote "Leeds old boy and new Crusaders coach Iestyn Harris tells me he doesn’t think Danny McGuire will be fit until the summer, and reckons Brent Webb is going to be used as a make-shift standoff."'" www.code13rugbyleague.com/2010/1 ... -go-round/

Obviously pure speculation etc. but thought I should post it anyway. Quote "Leeds old boy and new Crusaders coach Iestyn Harris tells me he doesn’t think Danny McGuire will be fit until the summer, and reckons Brent Webb is going to be used as a make-shift standoff."'" www.code13rugbyleague.com/2010/1 ... -go-round/

Nothing new really, weren't expecting him back until May I think. if Webb is used at standoff it gives BJB an ideal opportunity to show what he can do and try to secure a starting spot.

What's the story here?

I've always thought we've been told "at least May", suggesting it would be Summer anyway.

Moving Webb to 6 & BJB to 1 seems obvious. Sinfield is great cover at 6 but if it's longer term I'd rather see Sinnie be allowed to get into his groove at Loose. Good practice for BJB too! Especially with Webby still on the pitch for support.

Are there any decent / promising halves in the juniors who we could make use of too?

The key word here is "fit". I think he'll be [iplaying[/i before summer (June, July), but he won't be fully fit for some considerable time after that. I would be happy if he gets to fullish fitness by the end of August. You could say Iestyn is actually being optamistic here.

It's why they've moved the date of the Cats game back ...

9th = Unfit

10th = Available

It depends when you think summer starts.

According to the RFL the Super League is a summer sport now - so I guess that means summer starts 12th Feburary

why all this enthusiam for webb playing stand off? To my knowledge he's never played there for any length of time. From what I remember our best games last season were when Sinfield was playing at half-back. And what about us signing Jarred Sammut, was that just wild speculation?

I cannot say I have seen much of Webb at stand off and I quite like sinfield at stand off but I don't have a great deal of a problem
with webby at 6
as for samuratt I believe heatherington has said all the cap space has been used up

The simple answer to your question....

Cover for the cover.

Whilst Sinfield would clearly be better at 6 than Webb in the short term, we'd have a second rower (JJB, Ablett, Clarkson) at Loose for half the season. Whereas if Webb plays 6, we have a specialist, SL experienced Full Back (BJB) to cover him.


Signing a temporary replacement for an injured player is a ridiculous notion IMO for countless reasons.

What about Ali ,kirkie, huarki and Pitts? Are they not in the backrow equation? Keith didn't look out of place in the pack either. With Watkins a year older we have plenty of options

Clarkson is a loose.

HTH.

So is Ablett.

Was



Think he's settled into 2nd row now.

In general most pack places are pretty flexable nowadays particulary in the back 3 no real specialist positions other than hooker who is more like a hb

What's Webb's level of fitness? I'm not convinced he's been right for some time.

Has Webb ever played at 6 for us? Perhaps the Cas game from a couple of years ago where we played all our kids?

Webb has started 105 - 1st grade games for Leeds.

103 - Full-Back
2 - Scrum Half



The Castleford game (28th June 200icon_cool.gif was one of the two he's started at scrum-half (stand-off was Danny Allan) and the other match was V Blackpool (7th May 2010) where Webb helped himself to a handful of tries.

Blackpool this year he played either 6 or 7 but the premise is the same.

He scored 5 tries. Granted the opposition was beyond weak but at least he was in the right place at the right time to score them. You can only play who's put in front of you and he did his job pretty well.

He only played half back for about 20 minutes didn't he? someone got injured I think, but can't remember team, which meant he went back to fullback.

Thanks TVOC and RR...so where does the notion he can or should play 6 for us for half of next season come from?

He's superman, he can play anywhere.

appart from prop he ain't ugly enough!

4) McShane with Buderus playing 80 (or getting spelled for a forward and letting the half backs in at Dummy Half)
5) Buderus has played Half Back on an occasion or two IIRC (never for Leeds), with McShane at Hooker.
6) One of the U20s. Not sure who's our resident 6 if I'm honest, but nobody has set me on fire watching them last season.

Some of those are just me covering all the bases (like suggesting Buderus for example) but IMO I think it boils down to option 1 or 2.

Two key questions...
Who would you rather see at Full Back for half the season? Webb or BJB
Who would you rather see at Loose for half the season? Sinfield or Clarkson

My argument for having Webb at 6, isn't as much about Webb's qualities as a 6. It's more about having Sinfield at 6, would mean we'd have Clarkson at Loose for half the season. As good as the kid is, he isn't a ball playing Loose in the same way Sinfield is so the whole dynamic of the team could suffer. Putting Webb at 6, means we'd have BJB at Full Back, which I would feel much more comfortable with.

It's all opinion, and now you know mine!

I think those who are opting for Webb at Stand Off myself included.
See him as a similar type poacher to Danny Mags and would be in the right place at the right time.
He also has a good cut out pass to the wings should it be needed.
He would not organise the team round the park same as Mags that role would be down to Sinfield still playing at LF.
We have an able deputy in BJB at Full Back and Smith who could swap with BJB if needs be.
Whilst Sinny has done a job at Stand Off I feel we lack the fire power and poaching instincts of a Danny Mags type player in the halves.
My worry is if we lose one of our wingers we will be forced to play Watkins there which leaves us short on the bench IMO.