2015 Leeds Rhinos Squad

At the risk of sounding positive (because God knows some ppl on here hate the slightest hint of being positive) how good is it that unlike most posters favourite club on here (Wigan) that we are able to keep hold of players. To keep Hall and Watkins (and Hardaker if rumours are true) to new long contracts is something to be encouraged about.

Granted of course it would obviously be great if a couple of signings here and there were made recently but it's good to know and bodes well for the future that the club has the ability to keep the stars they make.......I don't want to be in the position that we get 2/3 promising years out of a player only to see them go elsewhere in their prime. It happened before to us with the likes of Calderwood, Walker, Smith and Burgess but something we've gotten on top of* (and no Baldwinson, Tonks, other 16-18 years olds doesn't count as throwing ridiculous money at promising yet unproven youngsters isn't the same)......it also questions the theory regarding young players leaving the club because of the club's failings. If still good aged and top players like Hall and Watkins enjoy the set-up and surroundings of the club then what does it say of those academy players who leave under apparent claims of seeing a greener grass at other clubs?

* after reading an article about McDermott the other year where he talks about how he and the club like to know all aspects of their players including family life, hopes, dreams, future, etc. whether if an academy player shoots himself in the foot if he's a single lad who dreams of NRL? Do they think they'll concentrate on the guys who see their long term future in & at Leeds and who they can see staying for 5-10 years instead of being lured away after a good year of two (see rumours of Joe Burgess to Sydney)

From an interview he did on the eve of the 2013 WCC has stuck in my mind since about his player selection.....

"In rugby league we're very technical and you spend so much time behind a laptop trying to work it all out. But that's not much use unless I know who my players truly are. I want to know where they're from, how they were brought up, whether they're married and have kids. I want to know how they treat their wife and kids. I want to know their views on religion and politics and adversity."

Whether right or wrong I think who the guys are as men more than RL players has come under consideration during the McDermott era, why we see the likes of workhorses kept out there and relied upon.