He's become a player that's widely ridiculed but, I still think there's a quality player there. He's only 25.

He's stagnated at Warrington because he's been forced into a supporting role behind Briers, and then he's struggled to stay fit. But, I think if he was allowed to be the main organiser, like he was at Salford. I think he'd fulfil his potential.

People can ridicule him all they want, not quite sure they have an argument to do that. He has played us off the park this season, and probably an improvement on what we have, so your point is very valid

Well he's had long enough since Briers retired at the end of 2013 (and missed a chunk of that season too) to really step up and control the team. Might've have done it on the odd occasion like the games against us but it's quite easier when the Wire team were better all across the park than us those days. That on the Warrington board quite a lot wouldn't be bothered if he left (some actually hoping he does) is telling.

For me having Briers there benefitted him, not hindered him and I don't think he can be the main organiser.

Hmmm "he's played well against us lets sign him" approach?
No thanks he's not consistent enough imo and i wouldn't want Fage either although i think he's Catalans bound.

I'm not saying sign him. I'm just saying he is better than what we have, and has played them off the park, so can't see the reason to put him down.

What's happened to the Brierly signing rumour ?

Don't know, but I have never said we are signing Brierley anyway. Would like us to though.

Agreed.
Is the Cronk rumour just Agent talk?

If we sign a half back he should be a proven kicker which sort of rules out Cronk and Fages.

Widdop or James Maloney?

I still have no idea why we'd want a halfback for next year anyway. Sutcliffe deserves to be starting 6, McGuire will be 7 and Burrow/Lilley as backup. If things don't work out too well then the following year maybe, but halfback would be miles behind a quality prop for next year.

Behind Danny Brough there is an extensive list of average & mediocre British scrum halves, Mylers is in that camp. No better than McGuire, so not worth the fee unless next year is McGuire's last.

IMO you need a combination in the halves that can offer a kicking, passing and running threat. It's why Sutcliffe/McGuire or Sinfield/McGuire works better than Sinfield/Sutcliffe for example.

So if this is going to be Sutcliffe's side to lead in the long term, then IMO Leeds need to pair him with a half-back who offers a running threat. That isn't someone like Cronk.

Indeed.

Not sure about that. Sutcliffe is a running threat, that's his games. He doesn't have the kicking threat or the organisational side. Neither does McGuire either though, his game is also running. Neither can Burrow give you it either, his too is running threat.

I am with you that I am not convinced Sutcliffe/Sinfield would work, however I do think Sutcliffe needs to play with Sinfield to learn quicker to see if he is ready to have that spot himself next year. I do think Sutchliffe would be great with a Cronk like player.

I agree, all we need is for GH to get some sponsors arranged and Cronk to want to come to the UK, wishful thinking of course?

Agreed. Pack looks tired against determined opponents like Wire, Stevie Ward needs some youthful help in the back row and on the interchange we need some beef. Some quality there would make us very difficult to beat by anyone.

It is laughable that we can talk about a half back who is all of twenty years old and make broad statements about the overall strengths of his game. It takes years of experience to get anywhere near the highest levels of half back play. I've said it before and I'll say it again, look at any opt the best half backs over the last thirty years and none of them had an all round game until they were well into their twenties.
I would suggest that the kick Sutcliffe put in against St Helens suggests that he has the raw ability to develop a kicking game. His running game isn't that shabby right now and, unlike the players of Luke Robinson's ilk, he can pass.
Game management skills is unlikely, if not impossible, to be found in a player who has just turned twenty. Give the boy a chance.

Your actually saying nothing difference to anyone else there. People are talking about the here and now, and the fit. Nobody is saying he won't get other skills later in life. But he aint going to get them over night.

He'll never acquire those skills unless he is given the structure and opportunity to learn. Short term gain is wasteful. How much of a better player would McGuire be, if he had been given organisational responsibilities many years earlier?

McGuire may have been better but we'd probably have won less. The assorted combinations of Sinfield/Burrow/McGuire are what worked for us in the past. We were in the very unusual situation of having three halfbacks of a similar age come into the team, a situation we're unlikely to see again for some time - if ever given the change in the role of the losse forward.

But I do agree that the only way to get a halfback to develop game management and leadership is to give them the chance to try, and make mistakes along the way. They'll never learn if they are always accompanied by a more experienced player who calls the shots every tackle.

But you are not looking at that scenario here, Sinfield is gone in a few months. What you should be looking at is the one expected to fill the role, learning off him to take on that role. If he isn't playing with him how is he going to do that?

You can only recruit class players when they become available which is a rarity. Gone are the days when English rugby league could tempt NRL or Union stars with just the cheque book.

So if the likes of Cronk become available and the marquee rules make it a real possibility then a club like Leeds have to take the opportunity to sign him very seriously. Although Cronk would not replace Sinfield in the place kicking department he would more than replace him in the other important areas of: on-field leadership, organisation, creativity and tactical kicking including a long kicking game for field position that would spare a lot of sweat and metres from our forwards and could be like signing another metre making forward. He was a strong defensive game too and a can put up a great up and under. He could also provide a masterclass for Sutcliffe to develop his game alongside.

Now this does not mean we ignore a forward signing too. IMO JP is so unique that finding an exact replacement is nigh on impossible. However I do believe that in Cuthbertson we have found a prop that can and is fulfilling the same role albeit in a different style. He makes the same number of metres, and the same number of tackles, similar game time and most importantly even more offloads.

So IMO we should be looking to sign a replacement for the role that Kylie has provided ie: physical impact on attack and defense which could be from the bench and could be provided by an aggressive back-row alternative too in the Paul Gallen style.

Totally agree with you both on the Cronk situation and an adddional quality forward. With Sinfield, Peacock and Kylie going we must be well under the salary cap plus the new marquee allowance means we have funds available. Hope GH sees it this way too?

I think we are asking too much of Cuthbertson at the moment. He looks to be running on empty too often. I'd like to see someone else take a bit of the load off his shoulders.

I also think an Ali type second rower rather than a Gallen type would leave defenses guessing more and also we wouldn't lose that offloading when cuthbertson is spelled.

In a perfect, ideal, almost certainly impossible world I'd love us to sign Graham and Matulino.we probably won't get them but players in their mold would fantastic