This is embarrassing and has given me yet another reason not to get a Season Ticket next year. I'll just pick a few games this year after the rubbish we were served this year and with all these crap signings over the off-season.

Even the quote "Harlequins have a great reputation for developing young players into Super League players" suggests Ben Jones doesn't think he is up to standard yet. Which would be fine, but not when you have a large chunk of the squad in a similar position.

The only proven Super League player we have signed is Oli Wilkes. I'm also concerned about Wilkes. He has not been a particularly consistently good player throughout his whole career and jumped from club to club. Yes he had a good season last year, but he is also not getting any younger. I have a horrible feeling he could well have peaked. Would like to be proved wrong.

Carmont?

Bet it's another Leeds Academy player

Probability - high.

I think this quote perfectly sums up the complete cloud of woe which has hung over our club since June this year.

Do I not like that!

Have heard its one of the best young players in country be patient guys days away

Intriguing, although this could mean anything!

I'm curious why one of the best young players in the land would come to us over a northern club, especially given our woeful on field performance.

I dearly hope it is a back... preferably an outside back or half back. Scott Moore on loan seems the most likely case, as I believe he can play half back. There is a hole there, both Dorn, Orr and Gale are best (in my opinion) at 6 - i.e.second receiver. We're already packed to the rafters with hookers.

Ben Jones-Bishop would have been nicer.



SL site thinks that's who we've got.

I'm not sure how long a contract normally lasts for, but
1) this is a young kid, so lots of playing years ahead of him
2) Quins have been watching him a while
3) they believe he's good enough

So why only give a one year contract?

It doesn't exactly say, "we really believe in you" does it?

Maybe they aren't so sure about no. 3). He's probably one of these players BMcD's doesn’t really envisage playing much first team.

Does anyone have a squad list with the players primary positions and possibly alternate positions they play? I'm keen to see how balanced it is.

We're re-signing Tim Hartley. 2010 will be his year.

I can't believe some of the negativity on here. We've signed a bloke who is surplus to requirements in the strongest squad in the country and people are writing him off as a dud already. We sign NL players and people moan that they won't be able to make the step up - we sign someone from the Champions and people still moan!

How about we sign some players of proven SL quality ?

Sinfield, Burrow, McGuire, Webb........ I suspect there wouldnt be to much moaning

Our experiences with Nanyn, Grayshan, Kaye, Thompson, ...... maybe has tainted out thinking process somewhat

We have just finished an awful season. To prevent repetition, a higher quality of player is required(possibly) To date we seemed to have got like for like with what we have disposed of. Not only that our strike power out wide was questionable(Winger not scoring one try for example) and we haven't brought in any strike power

Fans of this club dont mind blooding youth but you need to compliment it

Look at all the youngster's wigan have shipped over the years and how many of them have gone on to do well?
This is a Leeds squad that has won the league the last three years with largely the same squad - and most from within its own academy. If there are promising youngsters that are not able to get regular football up there im all for bringing down to London and giving them a shot.

BUT and before all the Wost Fans in the League© jump down my throat, I would like to see us sign some genuine quality too.

Perhaps the comparison should be made

Gafa ----------> ???
Gardner ----------> ???
Graves ----------> ???
Grayshon ----------> Esders
Haggerty ----------> James
Heckenberg ----------> Jones
Nanyn ----------> Wilkes
Skee ----------> Ellis

On that basis, provided we are going to replace Gafa with a decent specialist centre (not Ropati) and maybe look to a another decent outside back then we are certainly no worse off than last year. Granted, we are not potential grand finalists but the blokes that have gone, other than Haggerty, were only Championship level players only and we seem to have recruited young blokes looking to prove themselves

The player is best young full back in england and in time will be englands full back for years to come loads of clubs after him chose harlequins because they give chance to young players.

Richard Owen?

Has another year on his contract at Cas and they really give youngsters a chance so I would forget about him



Anyway we must get a back who will improve our strike rate. Ropati might have done that but lets hope this 'quality' signing will. Another season of watching players who dont know what to do near the try line doesn't bear thinking about

Heckenberg was best of that bunch and don't think we have replaced him.

I'd go more for:
Gafa ----------> We need a top class replacement, but Gafa on last season's form is no real loss.
Gardner ----------> I'd be an adequate replacement for him.
Graves ----------> Jones
Grayshon ----------> Esders
Haggerty ----------> James
Heckenberg ----------> Wilkes
Nanyn ----------> Also no loss.
Skee ----------> Ellis

Hecks has been a great servant for the club but his shoulder problems have finished his career. And we'll miss Haggerty at his best, but we didn't see much of that last season.

I don't see anything negative about the signing of young Jones, but the Gafa replacement, hopefully someone with a creative spark, is what we're really missing. And some more cover in the halves. I don't see Orr playing at 100% in 2010, Gale still has a lot to prove, and Dorn remains a good support player who doesn't perform without anybody to support.

And then there's our head coach to worry over and a replacement for Billy Peden, not only as a conditioner but also as a wise head amongst the coaching staff.

EDIT: Forgot about Purdo's injury. If that isn't properly sorted he'd obviously be a huge loss.

Hmmm scored 40 points on his own yesterday against the Italians................lets give him a chance, sign him up Brian