: Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:47 pm  

Highbury Rhino wrote:

Even if Buderus is medically fit as judged by the 'experts' at the club he certainly won't be match fit, his timing is likely to be out (vital for the dummy half role) and this don't seem the best time to be giving him his second full game with his brand new team mates...

Buderus is a high quality player that will have come back from injury before in tougher games than this - he is likely to play only 30 minutes and at a time when the game will have slowed down

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:49 pm  

~ No1 Saints Fan ~ wrote:

Without Lee Smith I think your right centre position is your weakness with Ablett/Watkins/Gibson likely to play there.

Why?... We beat you in the Grand Final with Carl Ablett at Centre...

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:54 pm  

The Joker® wrote:

Why?... We beat you in the Grand Final with Carl Ablett at Centre...

It's not his natural position and from what I've seen, he's never really looked at home there.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:00 pm  

~ No1 Saints Fan ~ wrote:

It's not his natural position and from what I've seen, he's never really looked at home there.

No it's not his natural position but he can do a job there and like i said we have won a Grand Final with him in the Centres...

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:52 pm  

The Joker® wrote:

No it's not his natural position but he can do a job there and like i said we have won a Grand Final with him in the Centres...

He seems to get under saints skin in a bit of a bailey stylee too.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:56 pm  

NOOOOOOOOOOOO not ablett at centre again. Watkins needs these big games to grow in stature thats how young talent get by in this game. ablett is a forward end of!!

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:07 pm  

Highbury Rhino wrote:

Even if Buderus is medically fit as judged by the 'experts' at the club he certainly won't be match fit, his timing is likely to be out (vital for the dummy half role) and this don't seem the best time to be giving him his second full game with his brand new team mates...

When was his first full game?

If the rest of the pack are fit I'd be sorely tempted to exclude Gibson and play Ablett at centre in this game.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:12 pm  

Gibson has better lateral movement than Ablett (important against Gilmour) and offers more for his winger for mine. Ablett is more of a physical presence than Gibson, so I guess it depends what you are looking for.

I'd pick Gibson, just because we need to see how the kid can go in big games against good opposition.

We know that we can win GF's with Ablett there.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:14 pm  

gibson is pretty solid defensively. should do ok

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:21 pm  

G1 wrote:

Hmmmm. that 17 is missing our international threequarter, our form back-rower and our superstar youngster centre. I though we had no squad depth?

Including those three (and Watkins is fringe at this point) gives Leeds 20 players to select from when everyone is fit and in form.

It would be much better with 22 to select a 17 from.

batleyrhino wrote:

Gibson has better lateral movement than Ablett (important against Gilmour) and offers more for his winger for mine. Ablett is more of a physical presence than Gibson, so I guess it depends what you are looking for.

Gibson (IMO) offers very little going forwards or backwards. Having Ablett there getting stuck into Gilmore appeals far more especially after Gilmore's little outburst in the last meeting.

Depending on the health of the other forwards.