Re: 2016 : Fri May 29, 2015 10:47 am  

I think he's a more rounded player than Walters, better with the ball in hand.

Walters to me looks to have tried to bulk up too much, and as a result has lost some of that speed and footwork that made him an exciting prospect last year.

Re: 2016 : Sun May 31, 2015 2:19 pm  

Aussi rumours that Keith Gallaway from Wests wants to play in SL. Should we be interested?
Also if GH wants a halfback he could do worse than sign Scott Dureau whose OOC?

Re: 2016 : Sun May 31, 2015 6:58 pm  

Galloway has a British passport which makes him even more attractive to British sides too.

Re: 2016 : Sun May 31, 2015 8:01 pm  

Galloway has been one of the best props around for years, and I think he's been unlucky not to get more rep honors. He'd be the ideal replacement for JP.

Re: 2016 : Sun Jun 07, 2015 8:43 am  

Not sure how many of the 19s who have been comprehensively hammered two weeks running by Hull FC have a future at top SL level.

Be surprised to see any of them progress to the full-time squad, the forwards in particular are weak. May be another couple of years before we see anything decent emerge from the Academy, which is frustrating and baffling in equal measure.

Not sure whether it's a coaching issue preventing players developing, or a scouting issue not picking up the right players in the first instance.

Re: 2016 : Sun Jun 07, 2015 9:52 am  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Not sure how many of the 19s who have been comprehensively hammered two weeks running by Hull FC have a future at top SL level.

Be surprised to see any of them progress to the full-time squad, the forwards in particular are weak. May be another couple of years before we see anything decent emerge from the Academy, which is frustrating and baffling in equal measure.

Not sure whether it's a coaching issue preventing players developing, or a scouting issue not picking up the right players in the first instance.

Not disagreeing with what you say about your lads, but I do think our 19s deserve some credit for the win yesterday. They were much the better team.

Re: 2016 : Sun Jun 07, 2015 11:21 am  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Not sure how many of the 19s who have been comprehensively hammered two weeks running by Hull FC have a future at top SL level.

Be surprised to see any of them progress to the full-time squad, the forwards in particular are weak. May be another couple of years before we see anything decent emerge from the Academy, which is frustrating and baffling in equal measure.

Not sure whether it's a coaching issue preventing players developing, or a scouting issue not picking up the right players in the first instance.

I have been saying this for quite a while. It is nothing to do with scouting, we get excellent players. The issue is we hold back players development and pick by age, rather than ability. We had players who left the 16's last year, who are far better players than the 19 year olds, but it is the older I es getting the game. Look at Wigan and Saints under 19's and you get a completely different approach.

Players like MCDermott, Wray, Milton, Barker, Flynn, While, Holmes, I have never seen anything to suggest they could be a good player, so why we keep persevering I am unsure. Some I e like Josh Jordan Roberts however, who had talent in abundance doesn't get a look in this year.

We should be using the 19's from progression from the 16's and keep that team together to grow.

Re: 2016 : Sun Jun 07, 2015 2:09 pm  

Gotcha wrote:

Players like MCDermott, Wray, Milton, Barker, Flynn, While, Holmes, I have never seen anything to suggest they could be a good player, so why we keep persevering I am unsure. Some I e like Josh Jordan Roberts however, who had talent in abundance doesn't get a look in this year.

We should be using the 19's from progression from the 16's and keep that team together to grow.

I don't think you can throw a whole load of first year players in together and expect them to swim, just from a physical development perspective. There needs to be a mix of 16-17-18 year olds in the side IMO.

The issue is how ruthless you get at 17-18 in determining which player is going to make it as a professional. I'm not convinced Leeds are ruthless enough, hence you end up with the likes of Duckworth going all the way through the system despite never looking even close to becoming a SL standard player.

Yes you're potentially going to risk losing the odd one or two who are late developers, but surely better that than having kids clogging up your system.

Re: 2016 : Sun Jun 07, 2015 9:26 pm  

Was thinking about this earlier, we definitely losing Kylie, JP & Sinny at year's end but might we lose JJB as well? From my pov he's no longer an automatic starter in the back row when all are fit (Ablett, Ward & Delaney), his injury record is similar to that of Achurch who there's been talk of releasing and he's 34 at the end of this season, while we have Walters & Minchella coming through and Clarkson apparently doing good things with a run in the team at Widnes.

So far for mine our 25 for next year looks like:

1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. Moon
5. Hall
6. McGuire
7. Burrow
8. Cuthbertson
9. Aiton
10. ?
11. Jones-Buchanan / Clarkson
12. Ablett
13. Ward S
14. ?
15. Delaney
16. Achurch
17. Mullally
18. Sutcliffe
19. Singleton
20. Keinhorst
21. Walters
22. Yates
23. Minchella
24. Ward R / ?
25. Handley

Re: 2016 : Sun Jun 07, 2015 9:41 pm  

JJB will still be here next year unless he retires. And probably right too even though the injuries. Think Sinfield, Peacock and Leuluai is enough for one go, then look at Burrow and JJB to move on at the end of next season. I know its not something we get to see but JJB is a big character in the dressing room and the club and shouldn't be underestimated as a quality even if he can't play every week.

Unless we needed the cap space (which I think is very unlikely) I don't see any reason to not keep him. If he's happy to be more a squad member next year who could give us 10 or so appearances rather than a first choice then that's still useful.

One of our issues is that we're trying to run with a small squad with how many we've sent away. Let's make sure we have a few more numbers next year and not get rid of too many.