Let's not forget we have Ward, Golloway, Singleton and Ferres to come back into the pack, that will certainly improve our chances towards the business end of the season

don't rush back

I didn't say we lost because of our halfs. I said swap Patton and we would have won. He was the reason for their dominance. Our kicking game was paramount to us not being capable. A good kicking game is important in that sort of game, and we don't have a player capable of performing that. I think Moon has being a bit of a shining light to be honest, but in a different way.

I agree on Briscoe. I have often being accused of favouring him, but this year he has being woeful. His efforts in defence and kicks are simply not good enough.

Overall I thought we did better than expected. However, its ok saying we would have lost by a bigger margin last season, but Warrington would also have lost by a big margin last year to last years Warrington. They were not that good last night, and were aided by a poor ref and our own dumbness.

the thing is, as poor as Briscoe has been, he's still a step up from handley

Is he? I'm not sure he can retain his place after that performance.

I think so yes. and he was poor. tom johnstone should be the next winger but GH would rather sign an inferior freebie

To be fair to Briscoe, no matter how well he can play, he'll always be a short winger, and last night he was up against the tallest winger in the league, couple that with Warrington's kicking game and I'm surprised he didn't do worse to be honest. My main issue with him is that he just looks disinterested. He is slow to react, and he doesn't run the ball into contact like he used to.
With Handley injured, we don't really have any alternative at the moment, we just have to hope he starts to perform better. Also improving our kick pressure would certainly help him as well.
On a positive note, I don't think many wingers in the league could've scored his try yesterday.

Stats from the game. www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... port/13190 Some huge defensive efforts there. Garbutt's stats look impressive, but I thought he struggled early in the game defensively, and think he works better coming off the bench.

Stats from the game. www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... port/13190 Some huge defensive efforts there. Garbutt's stats look impressive, but I thought he struggled early in the game defensively, and think he works better coming off the bench.

The money required to sign Johnstone will/would be better spent elsewhere imo.
In terms of incomings a HB & a destructive fwd have to be a priority along with a new Coaching staff.
Wrt other SC space should there be some (should be imo) then that should be used to secure the next few young players with potential i.e Holroyd Trout A.Sutcliffe Corey Johnson et al.

Agree mark.the squad is crying out for a HB of real quality, really needs to be made the priority for next season.

Cooper Cronk. He's leaving Melbourne...

It was a priority at the end of the 2015 season

I wish you were our chairman, we'd go out and buy everyone !!

To live with his wife in sydney

not sure then as McGuire was firing on all cylinders and Sutcliffe was to be given a chance.
not sign one at the end of 2016 was bordering on negligence though

The half back issue has become a problem more to the fact of Sutcliffe failing to develop his game than poor recruitment IMO. I think the plan was for Sutcliffe to partner McGuire for a couple of seasons, and then have Lilley come in for McGuire, a combination of injuries and poor performances has meant that the coaches look to have given up on Sutcliffe as a half, and are now trying to mould him into a back rower. Add in Lilley's relatively slow development, and Ward's injuries and evolution into a back row now we've been left with a massive hole that we'll have to try and fill from outside the club. I think we will see at least one half signed in the off season, and with the rumours of us signing Moss from KR, I can see Golding being given a bit of time in the halves also.
The fact is, the coaches did have a succession plan in place, it just hasn't worked, obviously they have to shoulder some of the blame for that, but the players have to also take their share of the blame for not taking the chances they've been given

would we? well I've said a half back and johnstone but if you think that's everybody crack on

a team should be mainly home grown/academy players sprinkled with quality players brought in. just my opinion mind but it worked for a few years

I dont think Lilley's progression has been slow, he is still very very young, especially for a half. I mean Patton played well last night but is still in and out of the Wire side and is nearly two years older.

I also think that whoever we brought through had an impossible job. Sinfield at 18 or 19 couldnt have replaced the Sinfield who retired,

My view is that id rather go with Mcguire, Sutcliffe, Lilley, et al unless we can get a real top quality player for the next 5 years or so. Sure if we can get Widdop go for it, If GH decides to release the purse strings and have some fun and make a play for Johnson im never going to turn down the opportunity to see him in a leeds shirt. If we are talking about a fringe NRL player or someone out for a last hurrah id rather take the risk with what we have.

fair points but kylie and Donald were fringe NRL players and they weren't bad

Well it was obvious to me that when Sinfield our main game manager, goal kicker and captain retired at the end of 2015 that we needed an experienced quality replacement immediately. With JP retiring at the same time this underlined the need for on field leadership. To me Sutcliffe never looked like he possessed the necessary skills or potential to provide the team with the organiser they needed for the start of the 2016 season. We needed Mags to continue doing what he does well and not expect him to suddenly become an organiser.

So the recruitment is now a season a day a half overdue.

This is pretty much spot on. Again people confuse succession with youngsters in comparison to what we did previously. Yes Sinfield as good as he was as a youngster wouldn't just change the way we are now, but that is the point that wasn't how it worked. But more importantly we are trying to do it with players who are nothing close to the level of ability Sinfield had at that age.

Sinfield came in with experience around him, experience that could play well. Again we are trying with experience not playing so great. We have the succession wrong.

Leeds lacked composure and kicking game in the halves most of the way through most of our grand final winning seasons. We were beaten by a Warrington side who were due a win and I think beat us in the middle. We were a man down, one try off them (with a dubious one allowed for them) and still a few players out with injuries or suspensions. If we can improve the kicking game (out of hand and goal kicks) we'll be right up there and we might see Golding taking over from McGuire in which case it'll be a full back we need.

It also took us 7 years from Sinfield making his debut for us to win anything but a solitary challenge cup. Sinfield was a first team regular for 5 years before we won the grand final and LLS in 04.

People portray the process of introducing the golden generation as simple, quick and painless but it was far from it. It was a period of 5 or 6 years with plenty of doubt and disappointment.

Also Sinfield is a ridiculous standard to hold the youngsters to.

We went 32 years without winning the title, mainly because they had the wrong policy's full stop. The change in policy to sign the best youngsters, develop them, and introduce them early to grow together, took us from chumps to champions. That couldn't happen over night. But regardless it was the right way, and since copied by others, including the current champions.

in early 2015 when sinfield was injured Sutcliffe was outstanding at 6. he deserved a shot. had we signed someone the same people would have moaned about youngsters not given a chance