Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 12:35 pm  

Him wrote:

For Leeds I’d say Cameron Smith and Stevie Ward.

Smith has all the attributes, it just hasn’t quite come together so far, if it does this year I think he could be great.

Ward could be a great backrower if he can just avoid injury which has plagued him so far.

Obviously there’s Konrad Hurrell as well who is always great to watch!

Is it obvious? It only seems obvious to Leeds fans who seem utterly desperate to big this player up. On boxing day he huffed and he puffed but didn't really trouble Trinities makeshift backline for much of the game.

On the plus side, he looked fitter than last year but that wouldn't be difficult. All the same, I'm yet to see the entertainment machine you do. I'm reasonably confident that should Johnstone, Tupou, Lyne and BJB be fit when we play you for real Hurrell's impact will be negligible as usual.

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 12:52 pm  

Aidan Sezer and young forward Matty English.

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 12:58 pm  

Him wrote:

For Leeds I’d say Cameron Smith and Stevie Ward.

Smith has all the attributes, it just hasn’t quite come together so far, if it does this year I think he could be great.

Ward could be a great backrower if he can just avoid injury which has plagued him so far.

Obviously there’s Konrad Hurrell as well who is always great to watch!

Would be nice to see Ward get a decent season under his belt, he has plenty of class.

For Wakefield I would say the return of Tom Johnstone and it will be interesting to see how a 2 stone lighter version of Dave Fifita goes this season.

A few players that I don`t think will get too many mentions on here but I think will have a great season in 2020: Adam Swift and Lewis Bienek at Hull FC, Kev Brown and Ikahihifo at Salford and Sosaia Feki at Cas.

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 1:16 pm  

Fishermanscap wrote:

Is it obvious? It only seems obvious to Leeds fans who seem utterly desperate to big this player up. On boxing day he huffed and he puffed but didn't really trouble Trinities makeshift backline for much of the game.

On the plus side, he looked fitter than last year but that wouldn't be difficult. All the same, I'm yet to see the entertainment machine you do. I'm reasonably confident that should Johnstone, Tupou, Lyne and BJB be fit when we play you for real Hurrell's impact will be negligible as usual.

That would be 2019 dream team member Konrad Hurrell

Yep on leeds fans bigging him up, if his impact was negligible image he would be man of steel if he steps up to average.

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 1:40 pm  

rollin thunder wrote:

That would be 2019 dream team member Konrad Hurrell

Yep on leeds fans bigging him up, if his impact was negligible image he would be man of steel if he steps up to average.

So!

Just another desperate example of an ever more desperate SL desperately trying to big up a very ordinary signing. Again I saw nothing to suggest he was one of the two best centres in SL but then I'm not a sycophantic RL journo so what do I know. Bill Tupou before injury played far better RL than Hurrell managed in an entire season, (even Lyne owned Hurrell at Headingley), yet Bill was soon forgotten such is our games snivelling desire to honour anything recently arrived from the NRL. Just my opinion.

I was at Headingley on boxing day and I swear the Leeds fans even cheered him when he bent his back to pick up a water bottle, it was cringing.

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:19 pm  

rollin thunder wrote:

That would be 2019 dream team member Konrad Hurrell

Yep on leeds fans bigging him up, if his impact was negligible image he would be man of steel if he steps up to average.

Imagine he might have a chance of man of steel if he played in a decent side.

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:32 pm  

Hurrell is explosive with the ball no doubt and his sheer physical pressence lead to handley being 2nd top try scorer. Most leeds fans though recognise the frustrating errors and misreads in D that he has in his game. I did hope to see him maybe switch to the right as he seems defensively more comfortable there, i do think a better back row (hoping ward stays fit) and a better half back pairing will make better use of his strengths.

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:42 pm  

Seth wrote:

Hurrell is explosive with the ball no doubt and his sheer physical pressence lead to handley being 2nd top try scorer. Most leeds fans though recognise the frustrating errors and misreads in D that he has in his game. I did hope to see him maybe switch to the right as he seems defensively more comfortable there, i do think a better back row (hoping ward stays fit) and a better half back pairing will make better use of his strengths.

I think that is a fair comment Seth, my opinion of him is that he is at fault defensively for as many tries as he creates and/or scores but that is probably something to do with the quality of player that he had around him this season as you say. The bloke can be a real handful with ball in hand but was quickly found out as the season went on he became less and less effective - Probably because he was one of the only attacking threats in your team tbf.

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 3:35 pm  

For KR it's an interesting one as we have signed quite a few gambles, so could be exciting if it works (it could also be a disaster) My 2 would be

Adam Quinlan - on his day he is one of the best fullbacks in the league, especially for his size. Rapid, skilful, and if he was playing for one of the bigger teams would get a lot more plaudits. Injured last year and played I think 10 games and scored 6 with a bagful of assists, with pre season behind him he could be firing.

Elliot Minchella - In the championship team of the year last year and by all accounts tearing it up in training I think he has recognised it's make or break for him and think he could be a real surprise package. Looks like one of them too good for championship but is he good enough for SL is the question.

Honourably mentions to Shaun Kenny Dowell - should be a good watch and Jordan Abdull, see if he can replicate his London form

Re: 2020 Player(s) to watch from your club : Thu Jan 02, 2020 3:40 pm  

Although in the championship, from the Bulls I expect Rowan Milnes to be getting a talked about a lot come the end of the year. Think he will become one hell of a player.