You're slipping. You haven't included 6 academy kids you've just this minute heard of.

I'm amused by the number of people still putting Sinfield at 13. This clearly won't happen, and I think people are viewing him with 2008/09 tinted glasses. In those days he was able to defend the middle third, make 30 tackles and still get up and run a game. on the odd occasion he could do it these days, but over the course of a season I don't think his body is up to it. We do howveer have someone who could potentially do that role in either Ward or Sutcliffe. I'd go with them.

My 17 would be something like:

Hardaker
Hall
Moon
Watkins
Briscoe
Sifield
Burrow
Delaney
Aiton
Peacock
Ablett
JJB
Ward

Leuluai
Sutcliffe
Singleton
Bailey/Kirke

Sutcliffe gets in over McGuire because of the variation in positions he can play, though standard pattern would be to come on for Aiton, with Burrow to hooker.

I expect we are likely to see Aiton open at hooker, with Burrow come off the bench into that role as the game goes on. I wonder what role Aiton will take when he comes back on? Does he play any other positions?
Think about how we used to use Newton and Lee Jackson: Newton would play the first 20 at hooker, Jackson would come in to speed things up, then Newton would return in the back row for the last 20.

Anyway, exciting stuff coming up, pity I won't be here to see it.

I can see Aiton working as a defensive back rower tackling in the middle third, but not as a ball carrier. Similar to the role Buderus used to occupy when Burrow was at dummy half.

But everybody else 's teams were dead boring...



Ok..... Hardaker to FB, Sinfield to SO, Hall to 2nd row, alongside Ablett.....

And Sutcliffe/Ward to LF ( with t'other on t'bench )

Ah but the season hasn't started yet...

There is time yet

This coming season seems to have been a long time coming round....but it's also the one I have been less interested in for quite some time.

No anticipation at all of any great success with a now largely past it same old faces team. Still, I hope I am proven wrong.

You all know now't.

BJB
Briscoe
Moon
Watkins
Hall
Hardaker (oh yes!)
Burrow
Bailey
Aiton
Peacock
Ablett
JJB
Sinfield

Leuluai
Sutcliffe (a great utility player)
Singleton
Kirke

don't you think that either stevie ward or danny mcguire will make the best 17 or have you forgotten about them?

6 - Hardaker ???

Would this be the same Hardaker who couldn't pass or set up his winger when he played centre?
The same Hardaker who whilst has many great attributes at FB (kick return, catching, defence) doesn't come close to the half back style contribution that Webb did when he was here?

Danny McGuire - a Leeds legend in my book - has been one of my favourite players at Leeds, but sadly I think his playing days are numbered. He has lost his electrifying pace and that dazzling sidestep that led to so many tries. I'd be looking to use him, but only if we have injuries at 6 or 7.

Stevie Ward? Hmmm, not yet. He promised much but thus far he has been pretty average. Same applies to Clarkson, sadly.



Oh he can pass, I think he just had a tendency to keep the ball when he played centre rather than pass it (maybe greed got the better of him or he wanted to impress everyone with his running.) I believe he has played SO before and he does have the potential to be very good as he can also kick, but I've really put him there because I think that BJB is a superb prospect for FB and shouldn't be overlooked.

Having watched Hardaker play in the halves on Boxing Day, I wouldn't be in any great hurry to see him play there again thanks.

Hardaker is a finisher, not a creator. Also BJB doesn't have nowhere near the catching & defensive abilities for FB like Hardaker.

1 - BJB
6 - Hardaker

or......

1 - Hardaker
6 - Sinfield

I'll go for the latter thanks.

Here's mine:

1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe - he has to play as the big off season signing
3. Watkins
4. Moon
5. Hall
6. Sinfield - he will have to play there no other logical position
7. McGuire - a good off season should see him right
8. Singleton
9. Aiton
10.Peacock
11.Ablett
12.Ward
13.Sutclife
14.Burrow
15.Leulaui
16.Delanney
17.JJB

its interesting to see a few people have picked Delany at prop, that would be some transition from a centre to back row to prop. The way the game is changing and getting faster I wonder if we will start to see more smaller faster and mobile props?

Or just look at the career of Wiki who was a beast!

Ruben Wiki is the only example I can think of off the top of my head as well mate.

Could be wrong but think Ian Picavance at saints started at centre, second row , prop. Also maybe David Hobbs

Harvey Howard went from winger to prop. Kurt Sorensen was as a centre. Might be wrong but didn't Eorl Crabtree start his career in the centres? It does happen. Also remember Andy Farrell loose-forward to stand off to prop and then back to centre in RU.

And of course there's Paul Gill.

Wasnt kirke a centre at York

Often players change positions to find a best fit for their particular strengths or to hide their weaknesses (second rowers moving to prop for example to cover for losing their pace later in their careers).

Delaney is ideally suited to the ball-carrying loose forward role that the likes of Bailey and Singleton filled at times last season. He's also more mobile than both of those. Alongside Ablett and JJB, I reckon that makes a strong back-row combination with a range of skills. Absolutely no need to push him up to playing as a front-rower.

Kevin Ward started as a centre, to second row, to prop.

Didn't Matt Adamson start out as a full back?

Would imagine Ben Westwood has played once or twice at prop or at least had a spell there during a game.

& he started out as a centre for Wakefield I believe.