Linky: www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=14649 A nice open piece hero worshipping Senior. Leeds born, you'd think he'd jump at the chance to team up with Senior. I know there's the whole Shenton/Atkins thing going on. But if Atkins wants to develop further, you'd think a move down the road would be a nice easy step forward. I'll be keeping an eye out on Atkins tonight.

Linky: www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=14649 A nice open piece hero worshipping Senior. Leeds born, you'd think he'd jump at the chance to team up with Senior. I know there's the whole Shenton/Atkins thing going on. But if Atkins wants to develop further, you'd think a move down the road would be a nice easy step forward. I'll be keeping an eye out on Atkins tonight.

If this doesn't say " for god sake come and sign me" I don't know what does!!

Big fish, small pond.

Small fish, big pond.

Big difference.

Still don't rate him, falls into the category of too many young British centres of being all about size and a skill-free zone.

No doubt he'll look good against Gibson tonight and everyone can go back to praising his mediocrity again and building him up as the next big thing.

If he's an improvement on Gibson then what's the problem, and I do agree about the not much skill bit but it never harmed Senior.

I feel he holds himslef well and is one of the better English centres.

And he deffo has room for improvement, he'd admit that himself. So a step up to a club like Leeds for example will only speed up his progression IMO.

But the no skill zone i dont agree with at all. His strength is his power game, but he runs good lines and uses nice footwork to assist him to power through.

And he's solid enough, with ball in hand and in the tackle.

I have seen many a neat offload from him too. I take it offlaods aren't regarded as 'skillful' anymore.

we will see it would not surprise me to see gibson coming out on top and scoring and or setting up a couple of tries again

Not a problem at all, being an improvement on Gibson isn't much of an achievement however and something Watkins is likely to attain over the next 12 months as he matures.

I just happen to think Atkins is wildly over-rated and that Leeds should have their sights set higher if they want to bring in a medium to long term replacement for Senior - who IMO is made to look like Brad Godden next to Atkins in terms of skill.

Is Webb not playing tonight then?

he has been included in the 19 man squad but i reckon they will rest him for another week to make sure he is fully fit

Thanks for that, it's just with some saying that Gibson will be up against Atkins I though i'd missed that Webb had been withdrawn from the squad.

Either way be it Smith or Gibson they could have their hands full tonight.

He has zero try assists this season.

Zero.

Even allowing for the inconsistencies of OPTAs statistical analysis, that's scary given one of the main jobs of a centre is to create tries for his winger.

He doesn't pass, he tries to run over defenders. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt.

Still a good player though.

That much was obvious in the England game - I said before it that Hall wouldn't get a pass off him all night. Might work against hugely inferior opposition, but you need a lot more to your game at the very highest level.

Playing outside Atkins is a death sentence for a winger's career, you just don't see the ball.