He's gone to Wakefield on loan in exchange for Daniel Smith and still doesn't look like making their starting lineup. Yates was no frills, but a solid enough squad player. I think we've wasted a spot next season and are also light at half back and second row once injuries start hitting.

same as before. average player but i'm guessing leeds see potential. time will tell

Mullally, is far better than Yates.

I'm not sure we're light at second row either. Assuming Cuthbertson plays the majority of the games at Loose the following players are competing for second row spots; Stevie Ward, Carl Ablett, JJB, Delaney, Achurch, Keinhorst, Walters

My thoughts on Mullally are that I will reserve them until I see what he does in our system surrounded by our players. I don't expect he will be first choice but he's been given an opportunity. Up to him now.

Fifth choice for five (or possibly four, if you play JJB or Delaney at loose) spots in the 17. But a better option for that fifth choice than the likes of Mulhern and Baldwinson would have been, IMO.

I'd have him as a bench prop with garbutt.
Ward and ablett in the SR with cuthbertson at LF.

For me the last two bench spots are more interesting.If burrow takes one then the last spot is fight for jjb/ Delaney/ keinhorst

So three missing most of the season, one absolute e, one lightweight average. Good job we have the other two. Such competition.

I think JJB/Delaney will string enough games together between them to push/ rest Ward and Ablett where needed. Keinhorst future place will make the difference I think. Will they try mould him as a SR to replace the older two or a centre/cover player.

I hope they try keep him as a quicker SR and not over bulk him.if they can do to him what they've done to Ward over this off season we could have a very good pack next year.

After signing Galloway i think he makes up one of the supporting cast in the front row with probably the young lads Baldwinson and Mulhern.Singleton and Galloway will be the run on front rowers and Cuthbertson will be 13.So basically, a Squad player with the potential to improve.

He's 23, a work in progress and no one made GH sign him. So I'm assuming that somebody saw some potential that might be developed. After the signings in the forwards I'd say he has some excellent mentors and will hopefully kick on, but if he ends up as a decent squad player in the mould of Kirke et al then he will do a job for us. That is the reality of salary capped sport

Agree with G1 on the second row and also don't think we're light at half back either with Sutcliffe, McGuire and Burrow.

Most clubs would kill to have 2 vastly experienced halves like McGuire & Burrow alongside a superb up and coming young half like Sutcliffe.

Sutcliffe is injured now and McGuire and Burrow are veterans. We could be left with Moon and Hardaker in the halves by round 6 as it stands.

Don't think we need to write Sutcliffe off just yet.

Veteran, past his prime, whatever you want to call him McGuire has been superb this season and Burrow would be an excellent backup half.
Unless Sutcliffe, McGuire & Burrow are all injured at the same time next year then that's the only way we'll end up with Moon and Hardaker in the halves.

Having 3 halves served the club well from 2006-2014 and whilst injuries can of course strike (see Saints at fullback) having 4 halfbacks at the club would seem an outlandish luxury that should only be a course of action if the halfback signed is to replace McGuire when he retires and is only available now.
We really, really are not light at halfback. Even without Sinfield we have the strongest set of halves in SL in terms of depth.

Throw in opportunities for Lilley in the halves as well

So, you don't rate our depth in that position. Fair enough. But given how wrong you've been proven with Keinhorst I'll beg to differ.

I know you felt the need to stick to your guns with your initial assessment on Keinhorst (as a project that would be found out) but think it's time to say fair enough he's proved you wrong.

What happens to the half back position if Aiton goes, that reduces your options to two - McGuire and Sutcliffe with Lilley as back up.

In that scenario Leeds probably need an experienced half back - the thought of either Moon or Hardaker at half back doesn't fill me with good vibes.

Err, I haven't stuck to my guns at all. I think you will find I have consistently praised his attitude, work rate, and great hands over the very weeks he has played this year. I think he is much better than my initial assessment.

What he isn't however is anything close to some others current assessment, and after only a few games. Over the last few weeks in the backrow, he had gone from a couple of very good games (one where I stated he was MOM), to looking very lightweight there, and in his last game very indecisive.

Where you feel I have stuck to my guns, I feel others are creaming their pants far too early. He still hasn't made it, and it might be having him as a filler might not do that. I happen to think unlike others, that if he did bulk he would have a much better chance in the backrow, than has a back where he is distinctly below average. But his great hands and willingness to put his body on the line is really suiting of the backrow.

At the moment, until he really hits his straps, I would put him in the same sort of category of a Phil Hassan, and Adam Hughes, sort of player, who is striving to become a Chris Clarkson.

And for balance here, when a player like Danny Kirmond was linked with here, it was met with much underwhelming on here. This was a player pushing for international, and very consistent in that season. Where's the consistency on the views? My initial view on Keinhorst was that he wouldn't make a super league centre. Until he does we are in the same boat.

More games like his first couple in the backrow, and I will very gladly give the lad the praise he deserves (and for Leeds benefit I hope that happens). However, more games like his last couple, and if he is holding back the progression of players like Minchella and Cameron Smith, then I will also state it. For now though, he is a million times better than Walters, and whilst Ward is out I would rather see him in than a starting backrow of the other options at the side of Ablett. I would like nothing more than the lad to put in a man of the match performance over next few weeks. I really do like the lads attitude and commitment.

Only if you assume that if Aiton leaves, we don't replace him

I'd say in that scenario that Leeds would need an experienced hooker rather than a halfback.

We really aren't "light" at halfback for next season.

I would disagree - an injury to McGuire and your options are very limited - also it is unknown how Sutcliffe will recover from his operation

So we have 3 halves. If McGuire gets injured you play Burrow. How many should we have in the squad, just in case they get injured?

If this is how we're judging "lightness" in areas of the squad then we need at least 1 more full back, a winger, 2 centres and 2 hookers even if Aiton is still with us.

Most SL clubs are struggling to find 2 decent halfbacks in their squad never mind 3. We managed perfectly fine for 8/9 years with 3 halves. It's only been since the emergence of Sutcliffe we've had the luxury of 4.

If we sign a halfback its for the future, to take over from McGuire/Burrow not because we're lacking depth in that position.

The problem Gotcha is that you didn't express your view on Keinhorst in the balanced way you have done above. There's little I can disagree with what you've said about Keinhorst. I share your opinion on his overall talents and think he does need to bulk up for longevity in the pack or stay as he is as cover for centre. I actually think there's a lot to his game at centre than is better suited to the position than Moon but that is a different discussion.

The view that you expressed at the time was that he was a pet project who would never make a Super League player. That view was clearly wrong. He's playing with regularity, appeared in a major final and is now such a competent super league player that you think he was worthy of man of the match recently. Weren't you supposed to be baring your backside on the town hall about now? It's the over the top bombastic way that you express your opinions that leads to them being challenged as much.

I agreed about Kirmond, by the way. Thought he would have been a brilliant signing but he's stagnated badly since then. Might not have done here mind.