My position on McGuire is this and I have stated numerous times on here - he has been my favourite player at Leeds through the golden generation - we sponsored him before he emerged into the first team so I have an vested interest. Sadly he isn't the player he once was - he doesn't have the pace he had and he isn't the game breaker he was. However he is still a player I would want in my side and he is capable of raising his game - the CC semi and final showed that. On here he is a an easy scapegoat when things are not going well - posters like you will seldom ever criticise Sinfield he seems immune even though 2014 was an appalling season for him.

It would be difficult to imagine Sinfield having a worse season than 2014 - surely that isn't possible is it? Peacock, perhaps if the coach uses him better he may have more impact especially in the second half of the year.

The point about Sinfield was you would have had him in 2014 and look what happened?

Exactly. And yet you started this off by criticising me for saying another player is better than what we have, and that I say everyone is better than what we have.

Now you are confirming my point.

The point was meant tongue in cheek - you obviously took it to heart, I am pretty resigned to 2015 being distinctly average but you seem even more negative than I. Travis Burns is no great shakes IMO and I would not want him before either McGuire or Sinfield but we all have opinions, your idea that he is significantly better than our half backs is more a reflection of your view of Leeds than the true reality of the player

Not really. I think he has excelled in each of the last two seasons, and looks a great acquisition for Saints. I think he is an excellent player.

As far as I am concerned Leeds are no different to last season. The excellent acquisition of Cuthbertson is unfortunately brought down a little by the fact our two frontline props will go backwards, and our halfs are nothing compared to what they were. I will be generous and say that is a net zero effect, as I also believe Stevie Ward given the opportunity will excel this year.

Where my "more negative" may come from is that I think, other than Wakefield and Widnes, every other team will be stronger than they were last year. There is of course still time for Leeds to have further acquisitions.

Re our halves, I'm hopeful Sinfield's knee op might herald an upturn in form. In a recent interview he claimed he'd been hampered for most of last year by the injury he's now had sorted.

Burrow also. McGuire wasn't 100% either. The long Off Season will hopefully see them on top form in 2015.

I wonder what - if any - plan exists for replacing that trio. Sinfield has supposedly said he'll finish after 2016. By that stage Burrow and McGuire will also be well into their 30s. If Sutcliffe is the great hope for one halfback spot, he needs to be given decent game time this year and next, otherwise we'll still be asking why he can't control a game.

Hardaker and Lilley will be the long term. Unless DM has a great year this, can't see him here in 2016.

Seriously!! Hardaker has no instinct to pass and doesn't have a kicking game of any kind - no other top club would be thinking of him as a half back. Just shows flawed succession planning.

On the halves both of them need to up their game significantly - both were well below par last season. On Burrow difficult to assess in his current position but his impact was nowhere near what it had been in previous seasons

Hardaker won't make a stand-off as long as he has a hole in his backside. No passing game, no open play kicking game to speak of.

Unless he changes his skillset radically, it would be lunacy to even think of selecting him in the position.

In the game against Warrington at start of last season, which Briscoe produced a wow of a try, Hardaker produced a pass that exceeded anything you see from any decent half back. To say he has "no" passing game is just complete rubbish. To say he has no kicking game is equally nonsense.

What he does have above many half backs is an excellent running game, attacking the line. With a controlling scrum half around him, it would work to a tee. Lilley is exactly the sort of foil who would work with a player like Hardaker.

So on one pass you think he will make a half back? He hasn't demonstrated any kicking game in all the time he has been at Leeds. He was hopeless as a centre because he had no instinct to pass and got caught ball in hand more often than not.

On the running I agree with you but there is a difference between hitting the line as a full back than as a half back.

I've heard a few people touting Hardaker as a stand off and I must admit that I just don't see it. At the moment the weakest part of his game is his link up play into the line, and still doesn't pass very well at all. Apart from the try assist for Briscoe against Warrington last season are there any other examples of his ability to pass the ball accuratly on a consistant basis? Everything about Hardaker to me indicates he's a natural, out and out full back.

He's too good a fullback to suppose he'd be as good, or better, as a standoff. He'd need to be a true great of the game to perform both roles equally well and, good as he is, I wouldn't say he's quite up to that standard.

I have some doubts about whether he'd make it in the halves but I'd like to see it tried first before writing it off. In the future a few games with Golding at FB and Hardaker at halfback.

What about the possibility that Ashton Golding is being looked at to be moved to the Halves?

Worth a look IMO. from what I've seen of him his defensive play at full back is shocking at the moment.

Or Jordan Lilley into the halves? www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-7017886

Or Jordan Lilley into the halves? www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-7017886

No I am not basing it on one pass, I simply gave an example of it is a nonsense to say he can't pass.

Do not forget the role he is playing. How many passes does Bowan, Lomax, Wellens, or Ratchford when at fullback make? yet all of them can also play in the halfs. To judge him on his current role as can not pass is just ridiculous.

The difference with Lomax and Ratchford of course being that they are half-backs who converted to full-back. Both have played a significant amount of first grade rugby in the halves.

Both could quite easily slot back into the halves tomorrow, with no noticeable drop in effectiveness. Hardaker - IMO and based on what I've seen of him in his career to date - could not make the move anything like as easily.

No, the difference is that Hardaker is better in every facet of an half than Ratchford is. Yet the argument here is that he couldn't play it, but Rachford could.

And the point made was that these other players at fullback, showed no more of a passing game that Hardaker does in the same role. He is been judged on that role.

Bowen has never played half back to any degree so that defeats your argument, Saints thought Lomax was so good at half back they moved him to FB, Wellens plays half when Saints have no other option and Ratchford was a half back that had to be moved to accommodate Myler a bit like Burrow when Captain fantastic decided playing in the forwards was a bit too tough for him.

Hardaker got moved to FB to cover Webb's injury but primarily because he couldn't pass at centre so he is not being judged on his current role - what makes you think his passing has improved so much to make a half I will never know.

It's ridiculous for anyone to seriously believe he was moved from centre because he couldn't pass. He was moved as he had far more to his game, as proven by his standing in the game since taking that position. Again, he has more to offer again, long term.

If Webb hadn't have got injured Hardaker would not have ended up at FB to suggest otherwise is factually incorrect. If Webb hadn't have got injured it is very unlikely Hardaker would have remained in the centres it simply wasn't working - he had an inability to throw a pass that gave his winger any space to work. He has a great running game but he hasn't shown a passing or kicking game to warrant any suggestion he could make it as a half in a top team

And by your logic, had we not seen him at fullback we would not have now had the best fullback in the competition. What does that tell you about writing them off in other positions before it happens?