Re: Our best team for next year : Sun Dec 28, 2014 10:35 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

That also has something to do with teams deliberately attacking him to tire him as he is the key playmaker - stop him and because the way the attack is structured you stop Leeds. That has been largely successful in the last two seasons, last season was by far his worst and least effective. It also coincided with Leeds not having an experienced hooker, didn't Lunt depart at the end of 2012 and Buderus was there in 2011? You can't hide everyone so he had to do more tackling. How him playing hooker will benefit the structure of the side I cannot see.

Teams always like to the halves and Sinfield was playing there in 2011 & 2012. McGuire and Burrow will have been targeted throughout their career but I've never seen them have those kind of tackling numbers so it's more than the opposition targeting Sinfield.....its him getting involved more the last two years through not being as far out in the defensive line.

Whilst people aren't sold on Aiton (2014) and obviously McShane (2013) didn't end up lasting, both made many more tackles in those seasons than Lunt did in his season so we've actually had more tackles made by a proper hooker in these last 2 years where Sinfield's number has risen also.

Re: Our best team for next year : Mon Dec 29, 2014 8:53 am  

ThePrinter wrote:

Teams always like to the halves and Sinfield was playing there in 2011 & 2012. McGuire and Burrow will have been targeted throughout their career but I've never seen them have those kind of tackling numbers so it's more than the opposition targeting Sinfield.....its him getting involved more the last two years through not being as far out in the defensive line.

Whilst people aren't sold on Aiton (2014) and obviously McShane (2013) didn't end up lasting, both made many more tackles in those seasons than Lunt did in his season so we've actually had more tackles made by a proper hooker in these last 2 years where Sinfield's number has risen also.

Fair points what I was trying to say is that if you have Burrow and McGuire on the field at the same time then Sinfield has to defend 4 in otherwise you have two half back defending together against a centre and a second row. In years previous Leeds had other attacking options are weren't so reliant on all the plays going through Sinfield. These days everything goes through him so if you tire him he is far less effective. IMO he has been more targeted in the last two years than previously.

Re: Our best team for next year : Tue Dec 30, 2014 7:24 am  

For me, whatever the combinations, the starting team needs to have, Hardaker, Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall, Sinfield, Peacock, Cuthbertson, Ablett, and Stevie Ward in it. Others need to fit around that, then we see how it goes.

Re: Our best team for next year : Tue Dec 30, 2014 10:57 am  

Gotcha wrote:

For me, whatever the combinations, the starting team needs to have, Hardaker, Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall, Sinfield, Peacock, Cuthbertson, Ablett, and Stevie Ward in it. Others need to fit around that, then we see how it goes.

Thought Ward showed the benefits of a full off-season of gym work on Boxing Day. Seems to have put on plenty of bulk, without losing any mobility in the process.

Bigger tests await, but he's got everything in place to kick on.

Re: Our best team for next year : Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:13 am  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Thought Ward showed the benefits of a full off-season of gym work on Boxing Day. Seems to have put on plenty of bulk, without losing any mobility in the process.

Bigger tests await, but he's got everything in place to kick on.

I still think he has more talent than being just a crash ball merchant lets hope our Coach finally utilises this.

Re: Our best team for next year : Wed Dec 31, 2014 9:44 am  

rhinoms wrote:

I still think he has more talent than being just a crash ball merchant lets hope our Coach finally utilises this.

You can only play with so many pivots in your team though. Leeds currently have three, arguably four when Sutcliffe, McGuire, Burrow and Sinfield are on the field at the same time.

There's simply not scope to fit Ward into the team as anything other than a runner at this point in time. Unfortunate for him, but it's purely an accident of birth that he's come along at the time he has done.

Re: Our best team for next year : Fri Jan 02, 2015 2:54 pm  

If it takes Sinfield to play hooker to get him back tackling down the middle, rather than on the fringes, I'd take that.

Re: Our best team for next year : Fri Jan 02, 2015 4:35 pm  

thebloodbath wrote:

If it takes Sinfield to play hooker to get him back tackling down the middle, rather than on the fringes, I'd take that.

The problem is that I get the feeling that Sinfield was taken out of the middle because he couldn't do it for 80 mins. I would think it unlikely that he would move back there for more than the odd game

Re: Our best team for next year : Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:28 pm  

I'm hoping that his first off season for a while will see Sinfield rejuvenated the way it did for Peacock.

For reasons that should be obvious to anyone, Sinfield needs to be in the team.However, pairing him with McGuire gives us a very ponderous half back pairing. I'd prefer to see Burrow at 7 but Sutcliffe also needs game time.

It's a conundrum but luckily we have the right coach to solve it.......

Oh, and I remain to be convinced that Ward should get his place in the 17 back, let alone be a first choice, even if his new meaty thighs have got a few posters juices flowing.

Re: Our best team for next year : Sun Jan 11, 2015 6:06 pm  

I think our best bet in the halves is probably Sinfield at 7 and Sutcliffe at 6. Gives Sutty the opportunity to really make his mark at pivot (clearly his best position) while having Kev alongside him to direct. McGuire is excellent cover, and Burrow can come off the bench.

1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. Moon
5. Hall
6. Sutcliffe
7. Sinfield (C)
8. Cuthbertson
9. Aiton
10. Peacock
11. Achurch
12. Ablett
13. Delaney

14. Burrow
15. Leuluai
16. Singleton/Yates
17. Jones-Buchanan