I am not naming any specific player. I said the club should have identified the long term, and that is what they go with. When Hardaker agreed his deal, which was August 2014, he was also told the club wanted him to replace Sinfield for 2017 as long term captain.

A few things happened after that conversation, and of course Sinfield went earlier, which does of course disrupt plans.

For me though, if they thought they were right in what their plans were, they should have stuck to their gut feel, regardless of disruptions. That is what they did for the era we have just had, and at least in my opinion is what they should have repeated.

McGuire as captain is because of other incidents, not because he is the right man for what we need, and a panic move. That is the problem for me. Had McGuire another 10 years in him, and actually demonstrated at any time the ability to motivate and lead his team mates, it would have my 100% support. but been here the longest isn't good enough reasoning for me for such a role. But more importantly, I just think McGuire has a much bigger job on his plate than people realise for his playing role, without the distraction of leading his team mates.

Why is being captain seen as a distraction? I agree mags will be more important than he ever has been but that's not the same thing as not been able to handle it.

When Sinny got the armband he had a lot on his plate in terms of his age been seen as a detriment by many as he was still developing.

All I seem to hear from the anti-mags corner is it shouldn't be him because he is petulant and/or at the end of his career. Every player will have pros and cons but mags has more pros than the rest.

As for Zak I can't comment as I wasn't privy to his contract negotiations. If true then I would be disappointed with any club promising a young player something over two years in the future, there are so many variables as Zak went on to prove.

There isn't an anti Mags corner, and that is a pretty low statement to make. We are talking about the captaincy.

Your last paragraph tells me exactly where you are not picking up on the point made here. It isn't about promises, no player works on that scenario. It is about planning, exactly what they did 15 years back. Identify, promote, support, and work within that. That was what they obviously intended to do for Sinfields succession. If that was the right thing then, why revert to stop gaps? That is the point made.

I agree with you on the variables, and probably those variable might be why we are getting what we are for next year. Me personally though, I just don't think that makes it right.

Absolute rubbish regarding Hardaker being promised the captaincy when he signed a new deal. Yes, Sinfield has gone a year earlier than expected, so that makes McGuire the natural choice for now. Stevie Ward IS the long term captain. 12 months ago he was hell bent on going to Oz. Since then, he's matured immensely as a man, and is also probably the first / second name on the team sheet when fit. He is a very bright lad aswell. Injuries have hampered him slightly, but since he was in the academy, he's always been seen as Sinfield's successor.

Yes and an idea that even Gotcha has backtracked on in the past. The club wouldn't have made any promises/intentions to make someone captain so far away into the future and with other good contenders around and especially with Hardaker's questionable record (including just a few months prior to the time period of signing his new contract that Gotcha states above) with swinging a punch at a Carnegie player and that being the real reason Leeds made him quit the England WC squad.

It's a bit ridicolous that Gotcha is criticising the club for not having a long term plan over captaincy when the club hasn't actually come out and revealed their plans about it. For all he knows Leeds' long term plan was always to go to McGuire for a few years and then Ward, just because he doesn't agree with McGuire being captain doesn't mean that the club hasn't had plans regarding captaincy.

We will do, because we always have done.

Sinfield said in the past how important the likes of Diskin, Senior and JJB were as leaders in the team (as well as Peacock obviously) so he never did it alone and neither will the new captain.

McGuire, Cuthbertson, Ablett, Hardaker, Ward, JJB, Burrow will all be part of the group of leaders in the squad regardless of who has the 'C' next to their name so why people have this idea that McGuire will be leading on his own I don't understand.