Tricky one. Haven't seen Minicheddars play for a few years, is he still any good? Williams looks a decent player. I'd doubt whether we really need any recruitment in those positions, but I think you should always be open to the occasional new signing in any position if real top class is available at the right price, and their character fits the club's ethos.

Since I can't say whether these lads are currently real top class, I can't sy whether they're available at the right price and I can't say whether thry're the right personalties for Leeds, it's a bit tricky to assess their worth.

Besides which, these sorts of rumours never come to much anyway.

I'd take Minni for sure. Yes, he's not in his prime anymore, but he's still playing to a very high standard and would be a top top super league player. If Brett Hodgson can look good in super league, Minni certainly can.
Yes we've got some promising youngsters, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't sign good players who come available and would improve the team.
Minni looks after himself well and is in good shape - and coincidently, I wouldn't mind his brother following him over either.

You wouldn't sign the wolfman?!

Always liked Minnichiello, but he'll be 33 next year. Williams on the other hand is young and a monster.
With Hall and Williams' power on the wings outside the raw pace of Watkins and Hardaker I reckon we could have the most potent back line in Superleague.

Minichiello is class but i would give fb to bjb
bring in williams and let smith go

Leeds don't need to sign a winger, therefore signing Williams is an unnecessary over-indulgence.

Leeds probably do need to sign a full back but Minichiello is getting on a bit. Could do a job for a couple of seasons and fill an obvious vacancy. Didn't play a lot between 2006 and 2009 due a series of injuries.

I'd be inclined to avoid signing either of them but if pushed to sign one would go for Minichiello as the full back position needs addressing, plus he can also fill in as a utility winger.

Leeds need to solve their impending front row problems ahead of any other area of the team. The props are finished and the hooker position appears problematic and far from solved unless anyone believes McShane or Hood might be the answer? I don't.

A centre might also be a useful acquisition given the brittleness and unreliability of Tampon Watkins.

I think it must be obvious that we need a footballer at fullback. Hodgson, Tomkins, Wellens are all talented footballers. BJB doesn't fit that criteria. Why not play McGuire there?

Tempted to agree about the props but I think they've got another end-of-year swan song in them that will enable us to mount a serious challenge from 5th or thereabouts.
I hope you're wrong about at least one of the hookers, given the length of their contracts.

Given the £££££ involved and what's already here no i wouldn't.
Lets not forget he's just coming back from a serious neck injury ,would'nt come cheap either and i think Chisolm is the next quality Winger at our squad which leaves the likes of Bjb ,Smith ,Watson and the versatillity of Watkins and Hardaker to cover Wing/FB.
Even IF Smith departs i don't think Williams would be worth the £££££.

Has anyone seen much NRL this season? Do either of them look up to much?

Dont say I never mentioned RE Williams long ago..

Williams has looked quality for Manly this season IMO, and will be a great signing for us to replace Webb, with BJB to FB.

When's Gareth Ellis signing for us?

Frosties, which rumour is stronger- Mini or Williams? Both are playing really well so far in NRL with no signs of injuries reoccuring.

I will stick to my consistent view point. Don't see the point in signing overseas wingers.

Fullbacks, Stand offs, Centres, Scrum halfs, Hookers, Props, Back Rowers, and Loose, yes, but not the wing.

If you have those positions doing their job, i.e. creating opportunites, then in the majority of cases your winger is going to look good anyway.

So many distinctly average wingers over time have looked the bees knees in teams where the others are doing their jobs.

Leuluai is gone and retired at the end of this season isn't he? Peacock's effectiveness is already on the slide therefore expect his performances to slide further over the next two years. The front row is definitely the area in most need of replacement in the short to medium term.


I'll gladly be proved wrong but I haven't seen anything in either of the two which suggests to me they are anything above ordinary. It's a key position to nail. It's surely only a matter of time before some of the other top clubs in SL work out a plan to comfortably deal with the telegraphed Burrow Scoot-Scoot Duck-Duck alternative?

As soon as Lesley Vainikolo's dad says he can. Or something. Ooh, is that a cake....

On the other hand, a winger who can turn half chances into tries (and potentially match winning ones at that) can be worth their weight in gold. Bradford Bulls didn't do too badly off the back of having two quality overseas wingers, did they?

I give you Leeds defeat to Melbourne (?) in the WCC where Kallum Watkins replaced an injured Scott Donald on the wing and failed to take two half chances offered to him in the corner as a perfect example of the difference a quality winger can make.

I think they'd be pointless signings. Minichello will is 33 and well past his best, and Webb is 31 and past his best. We have 2 or 3 young FBs that need to be given a run at some point. We can't expect players like BJB (in particular) and Watson to become good enough if they don't get game time in that position.

With all due respect, Melbourne were always in coasting control in that game and played within themselves without much requirement to exert themselves more than necessary. Had Watkins scored, I'm of the opinion it would have been met with a response as they appeared to have another gear or two up their sleeves if needed.

But Leeds have the players elsewhere to make the opportunities, that's what I was saying.



Quoting an example of one match, wouldn't justify paying big bucks on a long term contract. Either way, you seem to be missing the fact hat Watkins actually wasn't a winger anyway, but a stop gap due to an injury.

Maybe so, but we'll never know because the inexperienced, out of position youngster Leeds had in that right wing position failed to take the half chances that were on offer.

Admittedly I don't see much NRL, but when I have seen Minichello he has looked pretty good, and still has good pace. He would have a good influence on our young backline as well.

On the other hand people are writing off BJB without us really seeing him have a good run at full back, let him get some confidence there and he could look a completely different player.

Even if the players in more central positions make opportunities, you still need a good winger out there to finish them. If you don't have them at your club already, then you either bring one in from another club in the UK or alternatively (as Leeds did with Scott Donald, and as Bradford did with Lesley Vainikolo) you look overseas.

I don't think anyone would argue that those two, or Joel Monaghan at Warrington, or Pat Richards at Wigan, haven't represented value for money.

I'm well aware that Watkins was playing out of position, but it still doesn't diminish the point I was making - which is that a good winger who can make something out of nothing, which Watkins at that time wasn't due to his inexperience and unfamiliarity with the position - can be the difference between winning and losing games.

Tries win matches, some wingers are better at scoring them than others. Stands to reason then that over the course of a season better wingers equals more wins.

This is actually true of pretty much every position. If you have better players you win more matches. Ergo if you can get a better player for any given position than the one you have (at the right price and not at the expense of team spirit) you should probably do it.

Minichiello is still a good player. He could 'coach' the team well from the back. He's won all there is to win in Australia.

Dunno if I dare say this but here goes .... it would be a similar signing to Buderus in the fact that he's a class player who has just about had his day, but still has a huge amount to offer, especially to younger players. If indeed BJB is the fullback of the future, Webb and Minichiello as mentors isnt bad going is it?