I just never understand why oppossition fans, christ even some of our own, seriously undervalue what Ablett does for us. There is some good backrowers in this competition, and as I mentioned Westwood is a seriously good one, as will be Ellis, but Ablett is a match for anyone, and outstanding player.

Riiigghhtt. So, if Hull's support is so loyal, how come there's an 8 page thread over on your board bemoaning the drop off in support since 2006?

Only saying like fickle as f@@k

Opposing fans' views of our players ceased to amaze as soon as it dawned on me how many harbour a near psychotic belief that there's no quality whatsoever in the 5xGF winning team.

I don't recall too many of our own slating Ablett but neither does he seem to get the praise he deserves. TBH I'm not convinced that swapping him for Westwood would pay off. Benny's good, but who knows what he'd be like if removed from his comfort zone at Wire. Ellis, on the other hand, has proved he can move between good sides and maintain form so I expect he'll go well at Hull. And best of luck to him.

I think some are missing the point that it is JJB, Ablett, Delaney as a unit that are the best currently in SL and a big reason for Leeds's success so far this year. So in a team game like RL having Ellis without 2 other top backrowers will not achieve the same performance that the Leeds 3 are achieving. IMO of the 3 it is Delaney that is the most underated.

Every team has at least one player that is vastly underrated by opposition supporters because the player doesn't grab the head lines or produce eye catching moments. You have to watch them closely to see the impact they make and watch them every week not just see them 4 or 5 times a year when on tv where Eddie and Stevo just big up the usual suspects and not others. Us Leeds fans are just as guilty of under rating players from rival teams as well.

And we wonder why oppossition fans are mocking?

Delaney is making more metres, more carries and more tackles more busts and more marker tackles than Ablett so far this season. Given that we agree that Ablett is a top player why can't you see the value of Delaney when he is putting in even greater performances than the superb Ablett each week?

Opposituon fans can be excused from being ignorant of these facts but what is your excuse?

Because you are seriously obssessed by pish poor stats, and don't seem to be able to form an opinion on a player without them.

Delaney is an absolute perfect example of why you don't judget a player by stats alone. To suggest he is contributing anything close to Ablett as key to this team just because of stats, is quite frankly laughable.

Here's a key stat for you that is not on the super league site. How many passes has Ablett made that has resulted in line breaks for a team mate, and how many has Delaney made?

Ablett is vastly underrated. When Ellis left many on here said that Ablett was his internal replacement. I think thats true, although he may not have reached the heights Ellis did, he has achieved at lot, at the same time as juggling 3 positions. He's also a niggly fekker which pleases me

I agree - most underrated player in our squad and arguably the most underrated in SL. Opposition (and some of our own) fans seem to have a skewed opinion based on the fact that he's a solid/dependable centre. For some reason they then seem to think that means he can't be an outstanding player in his actual position.

It's also worth noting that he's 4 years younger than either Westwood or Ellis.

Agree

Cracking player, seems to get under the oppos skin too

Complety agree, always been one of my favourite players and always liked the look of him as a player since his academy days. He is vastly underated by opposition fans, which isn't important, the peoPle who matter rate him and he has been rewarded with several winners medals and England squad call ups.

With regard to Delaney I personally think he is having a good year in the second row and plays like someone I like to watch. Plays hard tackles hard, makes meters and doesn't take backward step. That said I prefer ablett but he does offer our team something.

Your predudice is getting in the way of your judgement. You are quite wrong as I do form opinions based on my own judgement which is often expressed before the stats are available and I have seen with my own eyes Delaney making better metres than the other forwards including the props. I have seen with my own eyes Delaney making a JJB like number of tackles and busts each game including several important 1 on 1 tackles in the WCC. Because I have backed up my judgement with stats and you cannot, you then seek to disparage those stats. The statistics record performance and show clear trends and workrates.

What is laughable is to suggest Delaney is not "contributing anything close to Ablett as key to this team" when he is our top performing forward by most measures.

Ablett maybe underrated by some but certainly not by me and I believe most knowledgable Leeds fans have rated Ablett very highly for many years now. Delaney was not rated by many as a centre (including me) but since moving into the back row has been outstanding. I do not see the point in trying to suggest one is better than the other as I have said it is their impact as a unit (together with JJB) that is most impressive.

Yes Ablett is more creative and yes Delaney has a better go forward and workrate but both are making equally important contributions for Leeds I suggest.

Would agree both offer something different and that makes for a good balance in the team.

Great player Ellis but not at any price would sooner spend on young players, would have been nice but not that bothered really !!!

re: the pension comment a rhinos fan makes it a couple of pages back and similarly BrisbaneRhino (I think) realises what this thread has become.

If you didn't get him due to money then fine but to then say he wouldnt improve a back row of abblet, delaney and clarkson is daft. JJB is good granted but the others arent fit to lace his boots.

This thread has got a bit silly. People seem to reading 1 thing, and interpretting it as another.

I can't reacll anyone saying that the individuals of JJB, Delaney & Ablett are better, but that people are not dismayed at not signing Ellis because the 2nd row unit is strong and doesn't need improving.

My opinion is that whilst Ellis would doubtless improve the second row, I would wager that he'd be on twice the money of Delaney (the most likely to be replaced), and wouldn't come close to having twice the impact.

You live in Barnsley and support Hull - one of these would be excusable but one has to have been through choice.

Making bad choices is unavoidable - not learning form them is stupidity.

You were doing so well till you wrote this.
Do you actually watch Delaney with the ball in hand?
It's a standing joke amongst us that he makes more yards running backwards than he does forwards.



Seriously he's found his niche in the forwards, is he better than Ellis, no.
But he's now become a valuable Rhinos squad member who rarely makes mistakes or gives away daft penalties.

IMO Ablett is as good a Loose Forward as there is in Superleague and will only get better over the coming years and is the match of Ellis.

When Peacock signed for us at the age of 27 he was a great addition to an already great team.Gaz 31 still a great player Signing for Hull is nothing like JP signing for the club he wanted to play for his home city club

Delanney is a good player doing a good job Ablett is an outstanding player who does an outstanding job. Ablett is as good a back row forward as there is in SL - one of the reasons Sinfield has been able to move to six is because of the quality Ablett offers at 13.

I used those words but didn't mean he was just coming to wind down to retirement. I meant it is likely to be his last big money move so fair play to him for that. He's got to take care of his future. Having said that I hope they get their moneys worth out of him. Like most Leeds fans are suggesting it would have been good to get him on our terms but I wouldn't want us throwing silly money at what will be a 31-year old at the start of a 3 year contract. It's the opposition fans thinking they've pulled a fast one over us that makes me laugh. We had similar ramblings about Westermans move from Cas and who can forget how Huddersfield stitched us up over Gregg McNally?

Entirely agree (and with Gotcha) on this issue. (yuk)

Juan can't quote all the stats he likes but Delany is nowhere near as good a player and nowhere near as vital to Leeds as Ablett, IMO

That isn't a slight on Delaney's efforts, which have been excellent, but merely reflects how well I think Ablett has been playing.