: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:28 pm  

Lord_Percy wrote:

We became champions by promoting youngsters and we're continuing that this season with players such as Watkins, McShane, even Burgess, who has effectively taken Scruton's position.

Thats true and agreed with. But we built our sucess on promoting youngsters when they we're ready. Not "because we have too," which is that case now!

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:34 pm  

Lord_Percy wrote:

We became champions by promoting youngsters and we're continuing that this season with players such as Watkins, McShane, even Burgess, who has effectively taken Scruton's position.

Leeds have four props this season, last season they had five (which is where Eastwood would have come in.)

Leeds have already failed to defend their WCC title.

Leeds, IMO, need to strengthen the squad now before it's too late to defend the SL title. Money in the bank with cap space unspent will needlessly make the job more difficult than it need be.

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:38 pm  

SDB wrote:

Is McShane still crocked???

Don't think so, he played in acadamy game before Saints game so suprised he is not in really

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:45 pm  

tvoc wrote:

Leeds have four props this season, last season they had five (which is where Eastwood would have come in.)

Leeds have already failed to defend their WCC title.

Leeds, IMO, need to strengthen the squad now before it's too late to defend the SL title. Money in the bank with cap space unspent will needlessly make the job more difficult than it need be.

I agree. I can't see the reason for having unspent money and then failing on the pitch.
We are looking a little thin at the moment. It does remind me of 2005, when we lost/released/retired several squad players - especially in the pack. We failed at the last hurdle all year and then had a pretty poor season after while recovering.
We have Ali now spending progressively more time on the treatment table, and Senior is hinting this might be the year he proves he's actually human and picks up a few knocks. We have effectively one new signing and he's only played a half.
We have a chance to make history - we should be going for it.

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:46 pm  

Ryan Bailey and Lee Smith are out but Ali has been brought in. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/r ... 5112289.jp

Ryan Bailey and Lee Smith are out but Ali has been brought in. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/r ... 5112289.jp

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:47 pm  

tvoc wrote:

Leeds have four props this season, last season they had five (which is where Eastwood would have come in.)

Leeds have already failed to defend their WCC title.

Leeds, IMO, need to strengthen the squad now before it's too late to defend the SL title. Money in the bank with cap space unspent will needlessly make the job more difficult than it need be.

Agree to some extent - Eastwood not coming was a big loss as we were relying on him to fill certain boots.

Signing someone now when the seasons under way is a lot harder to do tho - do we look at lower leagues for talent, try and poach someone from SL or try abroad again?

Anselme and Thackray certainly aren't the best examples of our mid season shopping/borrowing.

Promoting the youngsters is commendable and i've no doubt Allan (maybe), McShane etc will be stars of the future but when you've conceded two tries before half time against Saints with Gibson, Allan, Burgess on the field and peacock, diskin, burrow on the bench it does make you worry.

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:50 pm  

tvoc wrote:

Leeds have four props this season, last season they had five (which is where Eastwood would have come in.)

Leeds have already failed to defend their WCC title.

Leeds, IMO, need to strengthen the squad now before it's too late to defend the SL title. Money in the bank with cap space unspent will needlessly make the job more difficult than it need be.

Leeds, once again, have 5 props this season, with Luke Ambler being the fifth. Scruton leaving meant Burgess went to number 4, and Ambler took the "bottom rung" spot. As far as I'm aware Eastwood never played prop during his time down under, and was never intended to do so for Leeds, imo of course.

Leeds did indeed fail to win the WCC title, but that was more to do with the opposition than anything we did.

From what I've seen so far, I see no need to go out and waste money picking up left-overs in order to add to the squad. Of course, if someone such as Ali came up that's a different matter, but at the present time I'm happy enough with what we've got.

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:07 pm  

Lord_Percy wrote:

Leeds, once again, have 5 props this season, with Luke Ambler being the fifth. Scruton leaving meant Burgess went to number 4, and Ambler took the "bottom rung" spot. As far as I'm aware Eastwood never played prop during his time down under, and was never intended to do so for Leeds, imo of course.

Yet to see Ambler so I can't comment there. Eastwood played interchange prop at Brisbane whenever I saw him and did likewise for the Bulldogs on debut last week. That's where I saw him fitting in at Leeds to be perfectly honest.

Lord_Percy wrote:

Leeds did indeed fail to win the WCC title, but that was more to do with the opposition than anything we did.

Melbourne prepared well for Leeds (including wupping Manly in a pre season warm up in Aus before coming across.) I'd attribute their loss more to Cameron Smith and Greg Inglis not coming over than anything Leeds did. I think Leeds' preparation for the Manly game was fairly low key this time.

Lord_Percy wrote:

From what I've seen so far, I see no need to go out and waste money picking up left-overs in order to add to the squad. Of course, if someone such as Ali came up that's a different matter, but at the present time I'm happy enough with what we've got.

It's more difficult to do your recruiting during the season but that's what happens when you fail to do it at the appropriate time. Hetherington went to Australia and only came back with Buderus, which was a spectacular fail on his part given who was known to be leaving at the time.

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:24 pm  

Dave Heron's Moustache wrote:

I agree. I can't see the reason for having unspent money and then failing on the pitch.
We are looking a little thin at the moment. It does remind me of 2005, when we lost/released/retired several squad players - especially in the pack. We failed at the last hurdle all year and then had a pretty poor season after while recovering.
We have Ali now spending progressively more time on the treatment table, and Senior is hinting this might be the year he proves he's actually human and picks up a few knocks. We have effectively one new signing and he's only played a half.
We have a chance to make history - we should be going for it.

Although it may remind me a little of 2005 I take solace in the fact that Bluey has a better youth policy than TS and that this may see us home

: Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:45 pm  

tvoc wrote:

It further illustrates how weak Leeds' overall squad is this season.

Ellis, Scruton, Toopi and Tansey have been replaced by Buderus and youngsters.

Champions need to build on their success not rest on their laurels.

Maybe we are having to fund the sister club.They can hardly be making money with a full time squad and crowds of a couple of thousand on average.After all thats the main reason Caddick is still there.