1. Myler
2. Fusitu'a
3. Newman
4. L.Sutcliffe
5. Handley
6. Sezer
7. Gale
8. Oledzki
9. Leeming
10. Prior
11. Mellor
12. Martin
13. Bentley

Subs
14. Dwyer
15. Tetevano
16. Holroyd
17. Austin

I'd like us too Use Tetevano off the bench for impact he's done that all the way through his career in NRL that's his best use for me as a impact prop. I also wouldn't start him in same starting 13 as Bentley I'd rotate them both there both aggressive players and try too be enforcers on the pitch but I wouldn't want them both on at same time I'd stagger them both so that we get good levels of aggression throughout the full game. The bench is gonna be tough too choose for Agar I think Cam Smith, Broadbent and Gannon probably deserve too be in the 17 somewhere most weeks but if everyone is fit and in form some players will be disappointed I reckon.

I like that team and bench, only change I would make is Dwyer out and smith in. I also think Walker will get back to being starting full back. I don’t think we need Dwyer from the bench with Gale, Sezer and Austin. We should focus less on Dwyer injecting something and focus on quick play the balls and using the quality we now have out wide to score points. Dwyer stunts that game plan as he can’t pass and he disrupts the rhythm of the team when he is on.

Whatever 17 Agar picks, please can we just have Tetevano as a prop and stop messing about with him at 13. Swap him with Prior.

Some really strong looking selections and it's hard to argue with any of them. One name who I don't think figures in any is James Donaldson. He wouldn't be in my team either, but I reckon he's pretty short odds to be in Agar's first seventeen of the season.

Don’t think either should play 13. Both are here as props so that’s where they should play. We have smith at 13, also bentley could play there as well I think.

Most agree we are a prop light, the way to combat that is to play props we have as props and rotate them as the game goes on.

I would start Smith at 13 play Bentley in the second row.
We need a bit of luck regarding injuries at prop.

Agar like most coaches now sees 13 as an additional prop. I wish that wasn't the case but we can't unilaterally disarm in that respect.

I miss watching Dave Heron play, he was a proper loose forward.

With the evolution of the full back and hooker positions, there's no need for another pivot/creative player at 13.

I'm not sure I fully agree with that. If your Hooker can provide quick accurate ball on either side of the ruck, then you need three of 1, 6, 7, 13 to be ball players and the other to be a roaming runner. that way you can easily play both sides of the field with multiple threats. If you effectively play 3 props then you lose a ball player or a runner and you become predictable and easy to defend. A modern day Loose Forward should be able to plug the defensive line gaps and play ball too. This requires you to have 4 out and out props in your 17 man squad each week and that's actually where I think Leeds will fall down this coming season.

I think Cam Smith is your modern day loose. Both big and skilful. He, like a few others, just needs to get the bit between his teeth and go out and prove it.

Cam isn’t small is he? Filling out quite nicely. I wouldn’t say he has a high-strike D but he puts himself about and usually gets his job done. I still think there is a role for a ball-playing big guy down the middle. That offload in heavy traffic can be just as devastating as the silky six playing the margins.

You could argue that all forwards should be able to pass in the modern game but it’s statistics really: there are far fewer blokes who are fit, mobile and 18 stone than are “normal” dimensions but skilful.

I don't think 13 necessarily is another prop I think with the speed of the ruck now and new six again rules teams have a 13 who is mobile with good hands look at the top teams in NRL Penrith have Isaah Yeo, Souths have Cam Murray, Manly Have J.Trobojvic. even in SL saints use Knowles there I think Cam Smith fits the perfect mold of a modern day 13 he just needs too nail it down now.

Pardon my intrusion on your board but, i think if you guys can have much better luck on the injury side, i think you will be the one club who can challenge for honours again, and I honestly believe that i'ts you guys who can trouble Saints.

Having Smith or Bentley at LF also solves the issue of our missing prop forward as we use Tetevano there, with Holroyd too and then Muizz Mustapha is useful.

If Leeds were willing to part with 60k, they’d have Ebon Scurr for 2022 too

£60k that's quite a fee is he worth it?

We've already one undersized prop in Muizz, why would we want another?

Always welcome and thanks for the post.

I think we may need another year and a few more squad changes but if we can keep people fit in key positions and keep developing our younger players then I think we can get back to challenging seriously.

This is it for me - what's the point in us signing squad fillers at this point?

I can't pick how we're going to go next year. On paper, we have a very good side developing. On the down side there are risks and question marks over half the starting side.

Bringing in Hunwicks is significant, we needed something fresh for our most important pre-season in a good while. This should be our first reasonably COVID-free pre-season, and we have such a young squad that every improvement really counts, and there's plenty of potential to develop.

We will get the usual noises of confidence coming out of camp over the next few months but I would have been much happier had we managed to strengthen that pack with a King++ player.

Walker
Fusitu'a, Newman, Sutcliffe, Handley
Sezer, Gale
Oledski, Leeming, Tetevano
Mellor, Martin
Smith

Prior, Holroyd, Bentley, Austin

Some good players not in this side but of course we'll have injuries... Our RHS next season will be almost NRL quality which is exciting.

That Back Row still has some question marks over it imo. Particularly Mellor and consistency from Smith. Martin was very good back end of last season, lets hope that continues too. Bentley obviously makes it much stronger.

Jury still out on Sutcliffe at Centre but it's certainly heading in the right direction.

I think we will only need another 1-2 signings to complete our recovery for 2023 as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if we allowed most of the off-contract players to leave and then signed a couple of big names. Even with upgrades for some younger players, if we let Myler, Dwyer, Martin, Thompson, Gale, Mellor, Briscoe maybe a couple of others leave we'd have +2 OS spots and a decent amount of salary to spend. I reckon we'd be in the game for a Taupau looking to finish their career over here. It certainly gives us options if we're willing to make tough calls on some established players.

Pity we couldn't have made some more changes for this year due to some contracts being too long IMO, we look just about ready to go now. At least we can see the light at the end of the tunnel though and the cards look in our favour after some very tough years.

Does anybody else think that we overplay the wingers bringing the ball up from defence?
I understand them hitting it up when we have a quick ptb or if the forwards are still working their way back onside but what I dont get and it annoys me is when they hit up against a set defence. All the big guys lined up and ready, why not have another big prop banging into them rather than one of the more lighter weight speedier runners.
Can't see the logic

Does anyone see Blake Austin as a left centre instead of Liam Sutcliffe? Surely he offers more going forward and probably has a higher pass/kick skillset too? Gale>Mellor>Austin>Handley might have some bite to it. Just musing where he might fit in the team - I don't see him in the pack personally but he has the size and running game for centre IMO. I think he'd put Handley away for plenty of tries too.

Can definitely see an Austin/Sezer combination this year if and when Gale gets injured again. That first game selection is going to be mightily interesting though. Austin too good to be on the bench for us?

Rather get Tyler Dupree back after his season with Widnes.

Matt do you know why we let him go in the first place?