The defensive vulnerabilities on that edge seem to come about because of players on the inside being tied up and creating overlaps as others have said. Maybe something to be said about the fact we're not defending with a traditional hooker through the middle?

McGuire and Burrow are defending on our left edge when Burrow is at hooker so are we over compensating for that and being left short on the right?

Not convinced its solely the fault of BJB and/or Watkins.

Thought McGuire was generally defending on the right on Saturday? Not that he was always there, and it only made the difference as to whether we were left 4 on 3 or 4 on 2.

Anyway, Delaney seems to do most of the work around the ruck that you'd expect a hooker to do, so Watkins is doing most of the defending you'd expect a second row to do, so....nobody is doing most of the defending you'd expect a centre to do. It does seem to be about structure not personnel.

Sinfield tends to defend on the right I think? Or he normally does at least.

The second part of what you say I'd agree with. Be interesting to look at the defensive performance when we've had a more "traditional" hooker in the middle.

Any game plan that doesn't involve trying to get Watkins the ball either in space or 1-on-1 with a defender as often as possible is crazy. For a big lad he can beat a defender all ends up with ease, and he's always had a very good passing game.

On defence I tend to think its at least as much about structure as individuals.

Having said that, why wingers (including some of the NRL's finest) continually come inside so often when their centre at least has a chance of making the tackle is beyond me. Most of the time when they do that they're making the attackers' job easier in terms of selecting options, and leaving the wing completely exposed.

I'm still looking forward to the possibility of Chisolm coming through

hasn't he been released?

If I had to choose 1 from our current backline?

I'd be quite upset.

Hall is currently (in my ever so humble opinion) the best player in his position in Super League. Still don't understand why anyone wants to move him away from a position where he is among the best in the world. I hope he spends his whole career at Leeds and breaks many, many try-scoring records.

Watkins is by far the most exciting prospect the country has produced at centre in many years. Not the finished article yet, but improving steadily and already a match for most in the league.

Hardaker would already probably be England full back if Tomkins wasn't playing there. Can also keep getting much better, but is already brilliant.

They could all still be at Leeds for another 8-10 years.

BJB is still a little (but decreasingly) mistake-prone. But, as others have said, spends too much time defending in no-man's land, which I think stems from the number of defenders sucked inside by our horribly frail ruck defence. But there are signs of brilliance in there too, and I think he can go on to have a very, very good career on the wing for Leeds.

Fair comments there I think.

'Wingers are confidence players' is the old saying and it fills the bill with this lad.

Earlier in the season/last season he struggled under the high ball, but he leaps with such confidence now and is very good in that area - by and large.

So he seems to have the work ethic to iron out weaknesses in his game, so I hope he can take that into his positional play in man marking and getting in position to deal with grubbers. More to come from him IMO. The superstarness of Watkins and Zak can leave BJB a little under the radar.

Isn't BJB knocking on a bit to be still given the 'young lad learning' excuse ?

I believe he has been potty trained for quite some while if that's what you mean?

I think that one of BJB's major defensive weaknesses is that he does not know how to deal with the ball that's kicked through to him and/or behind him on the ground.
Something that IMV now precludes the coaching staff from picking him as a full back.
He is no longer a developing kid, or at least he should not be viewed as such.
Defensivley he has not improved as much as I'd have expected.