Thats pretty much my view too. If there was some great young wing prospect in the academy putting pressure on Donald then I may be tempted to let him leave, but as there isn't what would be the point of letting Donald go only to have to bring in a winger to replace him, which to get similar quality would have to be from the NRL.

Not a fan?

whatever anyone thinks of Scott Donald he has left a legacy the try he scored in the 2007 GF has gone down in leeds rl folklore

When Scotty departs at the end of the season I for one will wish him well on his future, but will pass on the misty eyed eulogies from the usual suspects.

Apart from the tail end of 2007 and a crackin 2008 he has performed below par and therein lies the rub.Too many matches when he has shown no appetite for the game and the only thing you could be sure off, was there would be a hell of a gap on his side of the field.

Maybe he simply lacks confidence, and could have a great season outside an excellent centre, but still I have doubts, not about his genuine ability, but about his mind set when the whistle blows.

Looking at 2006 I thought there were times he looked all at sea in attack and defence but I think that's because he really struggled to adapt to the right flank. I was also slightly suspiscious of his fitness in the early weeks.

That said I wouldn't say I doubted his appetite for the game - I don't think there was ever any lack of bottle or an unwillingness to work for the team.

So is it decided? Scotty is to be this seasons scapegoat?

Have you actually read any of the thread?

Call me old-fashioned but I'd far rather watch a winger who can score tries like the 2007 GF than a Vainakolo type any day of the week. With a real centre he should do much better this year.

But why are you basing your assessment of him being poor on clean breaks only?

It's fekwittery of the highest order.

A prerequisite of reading the thread would be an ability to read so probably not.

All those who slate the likes of Donald don't have a clue.

We could always go back to the likes of John Basnett and Richard Pratt.

Donald for me has been awesome for Leeds. scoring plenty of tries as good as I have ever seen. As brisi pointed out donalds try in the 07 gf is as good a try as you will ever see. he's Been a star for Leeds and I would be more than happy to see him stay longer!

By "competent to well" you mean dream team type stuff?

please go back and read me 1st post, at no point have i ever mentioned that i think he is poor!

it seems your constructing fiction to prove your point

i said that in his 1st season he didnt break the line and run the length of the field much and then went on to congratulate him on year by year improvements and that i expect great things from him with delaney inside him

its all there just read it! if you find anything ive said on here anti-donald then please enlighten me

PEACE!

I don't think selection in the Superleague dream team and a season that starts competently and finishes well are mutually exclusive. Kevin Penny was the other winger selected that year IIRC.

I remember plenty on here touching themselves over Penny when he scored that try at HQ that year.

There you go being selective again.

Why limit it to your first post?

Bewildered posted this



Within his post he indicated he thought Donald was poor in his first season as highlighted above.

You agreed.





It would seem not as it's all there in black and white.



I've highlighted it in the quoted text. You agreed donald was poor in his first year then went on to give reasoning as to why.

HTH

he wrote alot of things in that statement, i was actually agreeing with the latter part of his post but you were not to know that, and I now see why you thought otherwise.

PEACE!

while les was good the fact he had a top class centre in hape inside helped him a great deal

I'd say Vainikolo didn't really need a good centre to carve out chances (although that's always useful) he just needed the ball in his hand.

Donald is all about finishing the chances created by others.

I think that "awesome" is somewhat overstating the case.
He's been good, but I for one would like to see a local lad (Watkins, BJB or another academy product such as Ryan Hall was) take up his slot if the coaching team believe that they are ready to do that.
I sense from what I've read that Donald himself, or his partner, are now thinking of this being his last season. In which case he'll want (& need) to go out with a bang to ensure that he gets offered a contact back home in Oz. So we'll win allround.
A good season from him & a local replacement ready to step into his boots in 2011.

Its' great that the fans prefer the local lad to get the shirt ahead of an overseas player.

Unless, of course, its' Ashley Gibson or Matt Diskin.

Does this apply to coaches as well? The love for Darryl Powell on here compared to Tony Smith and Brian Mclennan has always been overwhelming.

FWIW, I think BJB has always looked a class full back in his 1st team appearances but a poor winger.

Watkins has had some good games on the wing but I'd hope to see him more in the left centre this year.

Gibson had several opportunities over several seasons. Not all Academy products will go on to secure a permanent spot in the Leeds squad, just the outstanding ones. Gibson (post knee reconstruction) wasn't outstanding and understandably he chose to move on to find an opportunity elsewhere rather than being a bit part player at Leeds. Hopefully he will do a good job for Salford in the lower reaches of Super League.

A fully fit Danny Buderus would walk into any side in SL including Leeds', where Matt Diskin will perform admirably either in tandem or as eighty minute cover should Buderus be unavailable.

I expect Leeds to make the best use of all the players they have on their register without giving preferential treatment to any individual, irrespective of their origin/background.



As you say FWIW, which wouldn't be a great deal based on such limited gametime in the position.

Would you care to mention the games you saw Jones-Bishop being 'a poor winger' in his 1st grade career?

He's alright at rugby I suppose, I just wanted to use the term 'bell-end'.

Its a very underused term especially with so many bell ends about nowadays

All of them.

He's looked very ordinary in the two or three 1st team games he's played on the wing.

he's looked exceptional at full back.