Looking at the squad for next season i dont think we're far off once again imo.

1. Wellens
2. Gardner
3. Gidley
4. Soliola
5. Meli
6. Pryce
7. Eastmond
8. Graham
9. Cunningham
10. Hargreaves
11. Wilkin
12. Flannery
13. Roby

14. Moore
15. Puletua
16. Faasavalu
17. Fozzard

That could be some impact from the bench!

We have exciting backs in, Wheeler, Lomax and Dean. Plus forwards that wont let us down in Clough, Ashurst and Dixon.

I also expect to see more from Jamie Foster and Gareth Frodsham (i still believe he will be a fantastic prop, his attitude is fantastic)

Not that far off imo.

One more prop with Hargreaves dropping to squad player and we're there IMO.

Not enough pace and not enough depth. You can almost guarantee we'll have 3 players on average missing through the season and they are instantly replaced by children.

Another big forward would be nice.

Expect to see Roby and Moore in at 9 with KC taking up Prop when necessary!!!!

True. If we don't get one I'd play Wheels centre and bring Soliola into the back row for added size and impact, whilst bringing in some extra pace in the centres where Wheeler has looked accomplished.

I don't buy into the opinion that TP must play in the back row, I think he does a great job as an impact prop provided he has some support and Graham/Fozzard/TP/Faasavalu is up there with the best props in the country, with Hargreaves/Emmitt/Frodsham as squad players.

Back row choices: 4 from Wilkin/Flannery/Roby/Soliola/Clough are also very strong, with Dixon/Ashurst/Maggenis as back up.

Wello
Gardner
Gidley
Wheeler
Meli
Pryce
Eastmond
Graham
Cunningham
Fozzard
Wilkin
Flannery
Roby

Puletua
Faasavalu
Soliola
Moore

It's not that he does a bad job at prop, it's just that he's so much more dangerous out wide. At the moment we're getting a decent/good impact prop when we could have a devastating back rower.

As Saddened says we still lack a bit of pace, but with Eastmond in a full time role (RU rumours aside) and hopefully Wheeler getting more games there is the potential for some added zip in the backs.

That squad's one good prop away from being ready IMO.

Surely Clough will be in the 17?

1.Wellens
2. Gardner
3. Gidley
4. Soliola
5. Meli
6. Pryce
7. Eastmond
8. Graham
9. Cunningham
10. Fozzard
11. Wilkin
12. Flannery
13. Roby

14. Moore
15. Puletua
16. Faasavalu
17. Clough

With Hargreaves still to play a lot of games as injuries and rests will obviously kick in!

Back up…


Backs… Dean, Lomax & Armstrong, Foster
Halfs… Wheeler (Already Moore but in side already).
Pack… Frodsham, Ashurst, Hargreveaves, Dixon

That’s 26 players so maybe add one more so not as much pressure on young guns and still a very strong squad!

Wellens
Gardner
Gidley
Soliola
Meli
Pryce
Eastmond
Graham
Moore
Puletua
Wilkin
Flannery
Roby

Cunningham
Fozzard
Fa'asavalu
Clough

Back-Up Backs Foster, Armstrong, Ellis, Lomax, Dean, Wheeler

Back-Up Forwards Hargreaves, Ashurst, Dixon, Emmitt

Compare that to Leeds:

Brent Webb
Scott Donald
Brett Delaney
Keith Senior
Ryan Hall
Danny McGuire
Rob Burrow
Kylie Leuluai
Danny Buderus
Jamie Peacock
Jamie Jones-Buchanan
Greg Eastwood
Kevin Sinfield

Matt Diskin
Ali Lauitiiti
Ryan Bailey
Luke Burgess

Ian Kirke
Carl Ablett
Jay Pitts
Kyle Amor
Luke Ambler
Paul McShane
Kallum Watkins
Dane Manning
Michael Coady
Danny Allan
Ben Jones-Bishop

We'll have a better bench and forward pack imo.

When did Leeds sign Danny Buderus? I thought he'd retired.

Were these the losers who got the asses smacked at our place the other night...?

Indeed 6 of 'em played, does that mean that the Saints players will all adapt better to the 1st team stuff? hope so for your sake as Leeds have far more strength in depth outside the first 17.

I dont think so. Ablett and Kirke are awfull the rest are untried. Kyle Amor looks good but super league is a different kettle of fish.

No excuses then Saints should do a clean sweep next year then.

that the same ablett and kirke with 2 GF winners rings?

both are players, like bennett at saints, who do a lot of unnoticed work and don't take up much cap space.

Leeds fans are so boring. Richie Mathers has won a major trophy this season. Being 1/17th of a quality side is no indication of quality.

i would agree. however i stand by what i said. you can't have internationals in every position.
neither have let us down and looking back through saints sides i'm sure we could find players such as kirke and ablett.
bennett was one i mentioned,stankevitch(sp) another.
neither earnt rave reviews but there coaches thought enough of them to pick them week in week out.
smith and bluey have always picked kirke and ablett. obviously you know more than them....................

Rickey Bibey > Garry Schofield?

I think the two squads are pretty evenly matched. Leeds have Kirke and Ablett outside the 17 and we will probably have Hargreaves and one of Clough/Flannery/Moore outside ours. After that both sides have a mixture of exciting prospects with a few games to their names, and untested kids.

Raw pace in the backs and experienced 7 edges it for Leeds as far as the squads are concerned IMO.

Much rests on how Eastmond handles 7.

1. Wellens
2. Gardner
3. Gidley
4. Soliola
5. Meli
6. Pryce
7. Eastmond
8. Graham
9. Cunningham
10. Puletua
11. Flannary
12. Wilkin
13. Roby

14. Moore
15. Fa'asavalu
16. Fozzard
17. Clough

With Hargreaves, Wheeler, Dixon, Ashurst, Dean, Armstrong, Emmitt, etc as back up. Looks reasonably strong IMO.

My response was morre in jest to the handful of idiots on the Leeds board who have knocked one off on the basis we have signed Fozzard.

When you look at our squad depth there is a lot of talent together with a lot of young talent ready to make its mark.

My belief is that the Fozzard signing represents a long term strategy to bed in these lads together with the short term benefit of easing up the workload on Jammer.

Leeds have an edge with pace in the backs, but I really see our future looking bright in 2 years time.


In terms of Ablett who is mentioned earlier - I always have thought he does a good job for Leeds and has the added bonus of being quite a physical player.

We need a new coach and a solution to the Wello problem too.

Will you change your mind on Potter if he beats Leeds in the GF, something the mighty Anderson was incapable of?