Wouldn't be fully against that.
Frontline hooker.
And in Westerman, a LF who can provide the extra distributor that we'd need with Sinfield gone (not comparing the two, but more like a need for a second pivot). Also as a back row option, freeing up Keinhorst, Ablett as centre cover.
Just need the backup hooker role nailing down, or do you think Lilley is capable?
How close are Golding and Handley to being genuine first team options, between them covering 1-5.

I do wonder if Achurch's departure and Westerman signing are linked.
In Mullally, Baldwinson, Minchella, Walters and Mulhern, we're pretty well covered for prop/2nd row outside of the usual suspects. Achurch going could be absorbed, and free up wages for Westerman.

I presume that will be Burrow, who has shown himself more than capable the last three weeks.

Is Cameron Smith expected to be in the first team squad next year?

(Obviously I don't mean the one that would more than solve our hooker issue)

I'd hope that Lilley is given the chance to develop into the backup hooker.

The only must have signing for next year is hooker. If Achurch leaves then maybe a second row, but its nowhere near as important.

Lilley potentially is a quality 7 and imo when we sign another 9 that's where i personally want to see him given game time and a chance to take that shirt he has all the attributes long and short kicking game ,reads the game well can play off the cuff and has good hands.
If the Brierley signing is confirmed i have no problems with seeing Lilley-Brierley-Sutcliffe pivot combo.

As the squad stands only a hooker is required.

Burrow / Lilley to cover 7 & 9

I don't want them to sign Walloon or whatever his name is. I'd rather not have someone who got close to a drugs ring in brought in to the team at this point of transition.

Looking at things purely on paper we don't have enough cover at halfback and we need an out and out hooker.

It's alright saying burrow, but he's 33 can we really rely on him as our first choice week in week out hooker, and what if there's an injury to a halfback? Potentially burrow slots in at halfback with lilley at hooker. But then we have no real cover at halfback or hooker beyond that.

We need to sign an out and out hooker that lilley can sub for that frees burrow up to play/cover halfback and hooker/coming off the bench as impact with mcguire and sutcliffe as the starting halves.

I can't say I am massively impressed with the names mentioned as hooker. Seem a big step down from what we had and who we were linked with (Clark).

That said this last month Burrow has been great. And I cannot say I had heard much of Garbutt Before he signed and he has turned out pretty good

We don't really need a star. Just someone with a great attitude, big defender who can distrubute well to our key players. We don't need a cam smith, just a mickey mac.

Next year is the beginging of a huge decline for the rhinos.... For starters garbutt is nowhere near a replacement for jp, very error prone, Galloway is a west tigers reject at best. Lilley has played a handful of games and isn't ready to be first choice back up for a champion side. Mullallay is dreadful, not a leeds player. Can't believe we r letting go of Robbie ward, never been given a chance. If we don't sign a quality hooker we will struggle

Garbutt's very error prone? He's made 4 errors from 158 carries in 14 games.

Agree we don't need a star, just never heard of them other than one going to court for dealing coke!!! But as I also said wasn't blown away by garbutt signing but he has been a cracking signing

Where have u got that rubbish from? 2 crucial missed tackles vs cas leading to try's? Knock on in grand final and against saints, for me he isn't good enough

A few points. Garbutt so far has been a cracking player. Galloway is more than just a reject. Mullally not sure myself but a project. Robbie Ward clearly hasn't cut the mustard. From what I've seen of him not too distraught he's gone.

The main point is you don't replace players like peacock and Sinny like for like unless your really lucky. You hopefully build a squad where a few players can pick up the slack left by these players departing

Balancing the salary cap is an art and hetherington has done it better than any others over last 10 years. Last close season we released both bailey and kirke to make space for a prop. Chased Mossop hard but he chose wigan. Mid season we signed garbbutt. 26 years old with only 12 nrl games. We were not buying a new peacock. He has been key in giving us more grunt in particular as Kylie's powers have waned (we now know why). He is still improving but overall has been critical in getting the treble. See him as a kirke/ bailey replacement and you might feel a bit better.

Agree with the others about a new hooker being key.burrow is a truly great player but is not equipped to play in the middle on defence for long or even modest spells, which is why he is often out at left or right centre. Losing the amazing peacock and all his work will put more work on other forwards which mean a tackling hooker is critical.

It is amazing!! Already the doubters have started to moan. Garbutt has been a bluddy revelation IMO. Without his contributions up front I doubt we would have achieved the treble. I am glad we lost the chase for Mossop; instead we got somebody MUCH better

Without a doubt we DO need a hooker and better cover at halfback, but as others have said, somebody of the calibre of Aiton is all we need. A Cameron Smith (Aussie version) would be fantastic, but not strictly required.
We shouldn't forget Handley...if he is used in the threequarters then maybe Moon could become the extra cover at SO?!?

Basically I would be happy with a 'reasonable' hooker - who can defend in the middle - and Westerman as a bonus. Any more than that would indeed be a dream I think.

Totally agree Nantwich. If we got Westerman and a good hooker it would be great. Also agree that moon is a potential halfback cover - played as a stand off earlier in career.

Thank god you have no say in it then.

Garbutt was the shot the team needed mid season. Would we have done this with Yates as back up prop? I think not!!

Just seen the greatest achievement from a Leeds team and already some numpty is saying someone who came half way round the work mid season isn't good enough. WUM

Has Peacock been error free? I think not.... (Not wanting to diminish Peacocks contributions, but you cannot simply use errors by Garbutt to compare him to JP and not also include JPs errors/missed tackles)

Undoubtedly, Peacock cannot be replaced like for like, but Garbutt assisted by some better squad players than we've had in the past is a good way to go

Didn't the sleeve say he was recruiting a new hooker after Aiton decided to leave? I wish people would pipe down about Moon at stand off. He's one of the best centres around.

Oh, and for the record, I also think Garbutt has been fantastic! Very good meter eater (more meters than JP in some games??) and some strong collisions in defence.... Couldn't have had a better start to his career with us - a real mid-season boost to the troops.

Wow, somebody criticising Garbutt? Unreal. He's not just impressed when considering that he was an unknown, he's impressed because he's turned in some top performances. If Galloway - who is a quality signing - performs to the same standard I don't think there'd be many complaints.

Ha ha, what a plant pot!