If you can point out where I criticised Lilley - other than for that one piece of decision making, an opinion shared by his half back partner at the touchscreen after the game by the way - I'd be grateful.

Thanks.

Are you serious?

I think some people just got carried away because of double blunder vs Catalans last week. He isn't the first Leeds forward in recent times to knock on and then immediately give away a penalty in frustration.....so whilst annoying at the time it doesn't really mean anything long term in terms of whether he'll do well at Leeds.

Think it's harsh to judge any of the new guys really at this stage with the team yet to get some momentum and form going with two pivots missing in McGuire and Falloon.

Can you please confirm an age & experience limit before we can pass opinion on players? I like Lilley's hair & he does look a bit like my brother in law, but I didn't think people would be too bothered about discussing that.

All admit I was maybe a bit harsh on Mullaly after catalan, he was much improved against the giants.

In terms of Lilley and some of the flack he's had, I think the things people are pointing out is relevent, but at the same time they're the sort of mistakes and issues you expect of someone his age, with the limited first team exposure he's had, therefore it is harsh.

Very droll.

Here's a interesting exercise: compare & contrast the opinion of Luke Gale's talent & value to his (then) teams between the ages of 19 & 23, to that of his current talent & value to Castleford (&, as some would have it, England)

Mistakes aside Lilley appears to have no pace, none whatsoever and I doubt that will change even with an increase in age and experience.

That does appear to be his Achilles Heel & one that must have been clear throughout his time in the various academy sides.
The club must have a template for the attributes they require in all positions.
When players don't match up to those then they should be moved on & others brought in/recruited to replace them.
I'm not suggesting an approach akin to that used in the old eastern bloc to match youngsters to different sports but something more akin to the NFL draft process whereby athletes are assessed against standard parameters.
To help identify talent.
Or is that all too "big Brotherish" & I don't mean the crap, so called reality tv programme?

There have been and continue to be plenty of good half-backs around world rugby who are more Bernie the Bolt than Usain (kids, ask your parents).

Lack of pace in itself isn't a killer flaw in a half's game.

It's a good job Sinfield was fast otherwise he might not have made it.

Wasn't it a case anyway with McGuire that post his serious knee injury and he struggled that people said he'd been too reliant on his speed and not learnt to become a more rounded HB? He has developed this over the last couple of seasons now though.

If Lilley knows he can't rely on speed from the start then what's to stop him from working on other attributes and ending up being a more rounded and better HB because of that?

It is to Super League's eternal shame during the past decade that a player of Sinfield's somewhat limited spectrum was able to orchestrate and extract the number of winners medals that he eventually did. Internationally, he was hopeless and a basket case.

Sutcliffe didn't criticise Lilley. At the touchscreen Sutty didn't come over as the sharpest tool in the box on any of his comments and when asked to talk through the build up to Lilley's good kick he said he would have passed which rather shows why we are lacking at SO.

The best 7's have always been quick though. Even the likes of Andy Gregory or Alfie Langer could shift over 10-15 metres if you took your eye off them. But depends what you are expecting. Seems some people have high expectations based on who we've had the last decade or so. Tough on a kid like Lilley. Long way to go for him yet.