If all the squad are fit I would line up for the first match as follows:

BJB (classy with great pace so just pips Hardaker who has a great physical game but it comes with a few flaws)
Brisco
Watkins
Moon
Hall
Mags
Sinfield
Kylie
Burrow
JP
Delaney
Ablett
JJB (if not fit then Ward who if not fit then Bailey)

Bailey (If JJB & Ward not fit then Kirke)
Singleton
Ward (if not fit then Achurch)
Sutcliffe

This line up would have great pace with plenty of creative players. I have feeling that Leeds will play a more offloading game this year and if so we want heads up players with good hands in the side.

IMO Burrow as one of our fastest and most effective attackers has to play 80 minutes. So if he starts at 9 I see no place for Aiton who would be a waste of a bench slot. Burrow will then interchange with Sinfield as he did last season and for England in the World Cup. If Burrow were to get injured Sinfield would go to 9 and Sutcliffe or Ward (if fit would go into the halves. To play 2 hookers only works IMO if both are outstanding players.

aiton. with burrow coming on after 25 ish. aiton can fill in at loose or second row just like terry newton did when lee jackson came on

www.hullkr.tv/?v=1123

www.hullkr.tv/?v=1123

I think based on McDermott's history the team will line up:

Hardaker
Briscoe Watkins Moon Hall
Sinfield McGuire
Leuluai Burrow Peacock
Delaney Ablett
Bailey

Aiton Singleton Achurch Clarkson

I can see BJB starting over Hardaker too. McDermott isn't overly keen on Hardaker and if Hardaker is to leave then it is best to develop BJB at full back.

Hardaker FB. BJB and Briscoe on the wings and Alton to start Burrow on the bench. The rest picks itself.
Won't happen as Hall will keep his place and Burrow will start.

So after last season on reflection you wouldn't play a specialized hooker at all in the 17?

I wouldn't draw too many comparisons with the World Cup use of both Sinfield and Burrow in the England side, blink and you miss it.

Sex sells people

Whats Ryan Hall done to lose his place?

I think that what must be really heavy conditions underfoot will stifle our much better & faster backs.
I worry that their massive pack & bench could overpower our lighter but more mobile pack.
As ever the kicking game will be vital.

Not much.
Based on the trial game Hall was the weaker of the three. And three into two dont go
.
I think any two from three will do a job I just fancy the two I have chosen for now.
Maybe Hall might improve his game when he is more than 20 metres from the line then.

When you say "specialized hooker" do you really mean traditional type hooker? Burrow has been our starting hooker for some time now and even when another hooker is on the bench Burrow remains on the field, unless injured, moving into the half backs. He has consistently produced the goods despite doing it in a different way. Last season he along with JP was most influencial especially when the others in the side were badly out of form. This was reflected in the voting for player of the season.

IMO it would be crazy not to play one of our best attackers for 80 minutes. Therefore if all are fit Aiton would have to take the place on the bench of either Bailey/Ward/Sutcliffe/Singleton all better players and more adaptable IMO



Sinfield was outstanding for England and has just retained the captaincy. Burrow was selected as reserve hooker on the bench ahead of the others.

Would make sense then to move their big men around and not play them down the middle to their strengths. Burrow is one of our few kickers so better on the field for the full 80

www.hullkr.co.uk/uploads/documen ... y-Fans.pdf

www.hullkr.co.uk/uploads/documen ... y-Fans.pdf

By 'specialized hooker' I mean a hooker playing hooker rather than a half back. The clue is on Rob Burrows back.

I'm not picking at Burrow he can be destructive, but IMO he's better used at scrum half with cameo scoots from the dummy half area. Also we need a stronger tackler within the team. Think of the number of tackles Diskin/Buderus used to contribute. We missed that last year.

You want him out there for 80 minutes but sometimes quality is more than quantity. It's hardly a novel idea the concept of Burrow being introduced against tired legs.

How many minutes did Burrow play for England in the entire World Cup?

I'm not sure McGuire gets in by default anymore. Burrow is our most potent weapon.

For our 6,7,9,13 spine we have 6 players, in Sinfield, Burrow, McGuire, Aiton, Sutcliffe and Ward. At least 1 of those will have to miss out of a 17 for a balanced squad

Burrow offers quality and can play 80 minutes. Leeds have plenty of tacklers in the pack and have shown a strong defence in the main so this is not the problem. It is our attack that mustn't be weakened. You would have an argument if Buderus were still with us. Therefore I say again if all are fit Aiton would have to take the place on the bench of either Bailey/Ward/Sutcliffe/Singleton all better players and more adaptable IMO. Who would you drop to play Aiton?




Irrelevant. Leeds do not have Roby

Like I said Aiton has not shown (yet) that he should play in front of the others named. So IMO it is a weaker and less flexible bench if we were to play Aiton as a 2nd hooker. Sinfield provides the cover and can swop in the game to allow Burrow some time at 7.

We paid money to sign Aiton, and we'll be paying him a fair wedge. So he'll be starting.

Sutcliffe & Ward are the future, but given past performances Sinfield & McGuire get benefit of the doubt, the burden's on the youngsters to force their way into the side.

Assuming we're all fit for the match:

1. Zak Hardaker
20. Tom Briscoe
3. Kallum Watkins
4. Joel Moon
5. Ryan Hall
13. Kevin Sinfield (C)
6. Danny McGuire
21. Brad Singleton
9. Paul Aiton
10. Jamie Peacock
11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan
15. Brett Delaney
12. Carl Ablett

7. Rob Burrow
8. Kylie Leuluai
16. Ryan Bailey
17. Ian Kirke

Kirke(ribs) and Jjb(calf tear) are out for a while yet.

JC-You've selected Bjb over Hardaker and put in brackets that ZH has a "few flaws" what about Bjb's flaws??
Also you mention RB's form last year "which reflected in the poy voting" yet his best performances were at 7 and with short spells at 9??

Just because he can play 80 minutes doesn't mean he should or he's more effective doing so.

For me Aiton wouldn't start on the bench he'd start at '9'. Think its worth a shot trying. Not a stretch of any imagination. He has been bought and paid for. With Burrow on the bench then selecting Sutcliffe on the bench over Ward isn't match sharp yet.

As for the 'irrelevant' remark, its heavily relevant. You remarked how Burrow was used well for England, so I asked how much time in the World Cup he played.

As for Bailey I hope he is selected as bench prop rather than the silly '13'.

BAsed on that (and assuming Ward is not yet fit) I'd line up:

HArdaker
Hall
Moon
Watkins
Briscoe
McGuire
Sinfield
Peacock
Aiton
Singleton
Delaney
Ablett
Sutcliffe

Leuluai
Bailey
Burrow
Achurch

With JJB out, Clarksons been heavily active and put in some decent performances pre-season, he'd pinch a spot from Achurch at present for me.

Forgot about JJB & Kirke. Yates is deffo out, presume Ward is still not fit either?

In which case

1. Zak Hardaker
20. Tom Briscoe
3. Kallum Watkins
4. Joel Moon
5. Ryan Hall
13. Kevin Sinfield
6. Danny McGuire
21. Brad Singleton
9. Paul Aiton
10. Jamie Peacock
15. Brett Delaney
12. Carl Ablett
18. Chris Clarkson

7. Rob Burrow
8. Kylie Leuluai
16. Ryan Bailey
19. Mitch Achurch

I'd swap Bailey and Clarkson. I like Bailey at 13.