The squad list in full is:
1. Brent Webb
2. Ben Jones-Bishop *
3. Kallum Watkins *
4. Zak Hardaker *
5. Ryan Hall
6. Danny McGuire
7. Rob Burrow
8. Kylie Leuluai
9. Paul McShane *
10. Jamie Peacock
11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan
12. Carl Ablett
13. Kevin Sinfield (c)
14. Lee Smith *
15. Brett Delaney *
16. Ryan Bailey
17. Ian Kirke
18. Chris Clarkson *
19. Weller Hauraki *
20. Darrell Griffin *
21. Richard Moore *
22. Jay Pitts
23. Brad Singleton *
24. Liam Hood *
25. Stevie Ward *
26. Luke Ambler *
27. Luke Briscoe *
28. Jamel Chisholm *
29. Jared Stewart
30. Daniel Smith *
* New squad number for 2012

That looks like a competitive if ageing squad - would like to see the likes of Hood and Singleton get some game time and Watkins to manage more 3/4 games between injuries

I can see why you say aging, but in reality I think its a split between youth and experience. With Senior, Buderus, Cross & Lauiti'iti gone from last year, our average age must have gone down significantly. But there are two main age (experience level) blocks with very few players in between

Poor Delaney. Not only does he lose his first XIII squad number he gets given the cursed 15 shirt

I think that's a cracking squad. Would've preferred no Webb but I'll settle for that. McShane will be interesting. Great player. Let's see how he gets on filling Mr. Buderus' shoes.

Great mix of youth and experience.

Just a silly side... but how many GF winners rings are there in that squad?

Would be interesting to see a table of all the SL squads. Surely we'd be head and shoulders above the others?

Well, I reckon:

1. Brent Webb 4
2. Ben Jones-Bishop * 1
3. Kallum Watkins * 1
4. Zak Hardaker * 1
5. Ryan Hall 3
6. Danny McGuire 5
7. Rob Burrow 5
8. Kylie Leuluai 4
9. Paul McShane * 1?
10. Jamie Peacock 7
11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan 5
12. Carl Ablett 4
13. Kevin Sinfield (c) 5
14. Lee Smith * 3
15. Brett Delaney * 1
16. Ryan Bailey 5
17. Ian Kirke 4
18. Chris Clarkson * 1
19. Weller Hauraki * 1
20. Darrell Griffin *
21. Richard Moore *
22. Jay Pitts
23. Brad Singleton *
24. Liam Hood *
25. Stevie Ward *
26. Luke Ambler *
27. Luke Briscoe *
28. Jamel Chisholm *
29. Jared Stewart
30. Daniel Smith *


So about 60 then. 61 if Pitts got a medal this year maybe.


On the squad front, as somebody who sees little or no academy action these days, how excited should I be about Stevie Ward? Will he be likely to feature much for the first team this year?

Brent Webb - 4
Ben Jones-Bishop - 1
Kallum Watkins - 2 (maybe)
Zak Hardaker - 1
Ryan Hall - 4
Danny McGuire - 5
Rob Burrow - 5
Kylie Leuluai - 4
Paul McShane - 2 (maybe)
Jamie Peacock - 7
Jamie Jones-Buchanan - 5
Carl Ablett - 4
Kevin Sinfield (c) - 5
Lee Smith - 4
Brett Delaney - 1
Ryan Bailey - 5
Ian Kirke - 4
Chris Clarkson - 1
Weller Hauraki - 1
Darrell Griffin
Richard Moore
Jay Pitts - 1
Brad Singleton
Liam Hood
Stevie Ward
Luke Ambler
Luke Briscoe
Jamel Chisholm
Jared Stewart
Daniel Smith

I make that 64, with 2 maybes depending on whether they got one in their first season

Given that the GF win sequence is

Leeds
Wigan
Leeds
Leeds
Leeds
Saints
Bradford
Leeds
Bradford
Saints

There are probably only Paul Wellens, Paul Deacon & Leon Pryce still playing in SL who have multiple winners medals

Plus Matt Diskin? And I think Deacon has quit now hasn't he?

I doubt Hall got one in 2007, and also doubt McShane got one in 2009. I maybe shouldn't have assumed that Lee Smith didn't get one this year though.

Hall played 9 times thorughout 2007 across a large portion of the season, so I selected him based on that..
Diskin will have several too, but he's probably about the only one at Bradford with anything shiny from his career

How many has Fielden got? More than one I'd hazard.

Fielden and Gilmour too.

EL D. Stevie Ward has the potential to have a very long and successful career with the Rhinos.
Still only 17 and his all round game keeps improving and his upward curve is basically as good as he wants it to be imo.
The way he played against the Aussie juniors a month ago he hit and ran like Ellis and had the offload and passing of Ali and put in an uninterupted 60 minute stint
He 's comfortable anywhere in the BR but also has the talent to play 6 although he'd be the biggest 6 in SL.
As for the squad numbers great to see the "young guns" getting 1st 17 shirts although i'd of given Bailey the 8 shirt.
Re-Mcshane and Hardaker both players should be judged in their own right not by the shirt number they now where both have "earned" those numbers and deserve to be judged on theri own merits and not by what Senior and Buderus did in them.