Id love a backline of (if all fit)

BJB
Hardaker, Wilson, Watkins, Hall
McGuire, Burrow

this season, not going to happen though is it?

No not gonna happen. Quitle like the back line with the exception of burrow.

Disagree there, Burrow is one of the only players to be on top in the last three games, Watkins is another.

Sorry mate i should of added coaching "approach" i'm not calling for Brian Mc's head (yet).
I just think he should be picking on form like he did when the season started i.e gave Watkins and Bjb the start moved Delaney and Smithy ended up on the bench.
Of the course the injury situation has to be considerd but i would honestly prefer a couple of the u20's playing than Senior and Hauraki at the moment just to get a reaction an show if yer pants yer out etc.

Don't get me started!!

I'm trying to have a little break from criticising him but you're just setting me up aren't you

Webb at SO; McGuire at SH and Smith on the bench and I would wholeheartedly agree with you. Still think Hall might make a good centre (Chisholm looks promising enough to potentially be his replacement winger)

Burrow continues to be great on spirit, tackling ability / defence...but on attack he reminds me of the best shirkers at work who were always able to convince the boss of their worth by continually looking busy.....but were actually never doing anything genuinely productive.



Is there really nobody in the acadamey who could 'step up' and be given their opportunity ?

Watkins should be given a run at left centre, and a proper run at that. He may gain more confidence playing on the wing, but not experience. Lets be honest, unless a whole heap of players start playing to their best, this season is heading for mediocrity at best. We'll get a boost if/when Peacock/McGuire return, but if the rest of the team waits for them to change things we'll win nowt.

If you look at the table it is quite believeable that we can still be in contention. If you look at the performance, particulary defence we look nowhere near. Hopefully both will be back soon, but the other players need to start raising their game and performing

Not that I disagree with the proposition in the thread but interesting that our saviour at left centre is the same young player being roundly slated just a few weeks earlier.

Not for flip flopping are these Rhinos fans. No, not at all.

Errors or not he was groomed to be a LC when he joined our acadamy and i think he's seen as the no4 in waiting so i personally reckon the time is right to make that change.
Like many other players young or old he'll make mistakes but surely now is the time to give the kid an extended run in his perceived rightful position.

Agreed. Watkins is going ok on the wing but if we see him as left centre nows the time to be letting him play there

I don't disagree but then again I wasn't one of the posters a few weeks ago sticking the boot into young Watkins.

How old is Watkins. He's been in and around the 1st team for 4 years I think. ok, last year was a write off, but he should really be given the chance to sink or swim in his correct position

About 20 at a guess, he has been arround first team a few years, but think from early age.

Watkins has shown up pretty well when played on the wing. Would it be fair to say all his best games have been on the wing throughout his career to date?

Perhaps, just perhaps mind, that position suits him best for now.

Even his ball security is finally improving out there, presumably he's finally been told to keep hold of it by Coach McDermott.

Not by me! Id never slate him down. Ive LOVED the kid ever since I saw him rip Wests Toyota Cup team to pieces a few years back (playing at 4 funnily enough)



He's the most exciting player to come out of our academy since McGuire. He may even be the best.

I disagree with leaving him on the wing. It's got to be worth a proper look at him at centre on his preferred side of the field. That means a decent run, with the ability to put him back on the wing if it doesn't work out.

If he doesn't get a run this season, when the heck will he? Next season from the start with no other experienced option? I'd say this is exactly the time to be trying him out there, whilst we have Senior as an (increasingly dodgy) option. If it doesn't look like he'll ever be anything but a winger, then we have time to look at options for next year.

He turned 20 last month.

This is his 1st full season playing 5 in '08, 13 in '09, 6 last year and every game so far this year.

A lot of the "knock" on Watkins is his supposed defensive frailties. In that regard, is he really any worse than the current version of Senior, prone to doing his own fair share of ball-watching and lacking in mobility?

Exactly.

Those that are saying with the loss of BJB, Hardaker and Smith what option do we have but to retain Senior in the threequarters ? What message does that convey to the likes of Wilson and Chisholm ? Senior at the moment is not even a better option than a mannequin dummy.

I repeat the mantra if you're good enough you're old enough.....bring on the kids this season. We need to start blooming the future team NOW for a good start to the 2012 season.

Chisholm is not the answer, he's got awful hands!

Nothing a bit of fairly liquid can not help with.

He said you had awful ears by the way.

I would certainly give Watkins a run at left centre. On this season form he will be much better than Senior on attack and on defensive cannot be worse. He has extra pace and has to be better the Senior under the high ball.

I still think Senior like Delaney can do a better job for us in the pack than the likes of Pitts and Kirke (once he reverts to 2nd row) because as forwards they will have more pace and a better chance of busting tackles.

Still dubious on playing Senior in the pack. Delaney yes but senior i am unsure

Interesting you should say that about busting tackles, because one other thing besides Seniors defence that has peed me off this year is his effort in the collission. Even the smallest of players he appears to completely lack busting the tackle.

As a comparison tackle busts for Senior in 2010 were 50, in 2009 60, in 2008 59. I know he has only had 9 outings so far this year, but he has made 9 tackle busts. He is going to have to go some to get anywhere near those previous years figures. Infact even if Leeds really do turn the tide It would be a worthwhile bet to say Senior will be lucky to break 30 this season.

On misssed tackles aswell as a comparison. In 2010 Senior missed 29 tackles, in 2009 he missed 22 tackles, and in 2008 he missed 14 tackles. Again after only 9 outings this year he has missed 11 tackles already. Going back to the same little bet, you wouldn't be far off if you guessed he would end up with 35 misses by end of season.

People try and not put a lot on stats, fair enough, but the above clearly demonstrates a rapidly declining Keith Senior.

Interestingly Kallum Watkins already has 28 tackle busts this year.