I agree on all counts. I am not denigrating Buderus at all: he is class and he did play well.

My point is the club has had a recent history of not (IMO) promoting young talent soon enough....instead preferring to hang on to the elder statesman/antipodean and exile the young uns to "gain experience".

(At what age did John Holmes make his debut again ?)

If the player is good enough then he is old enough (IMO)...and there should never be room for sentiment.

Sinfield was 16 at début too IIRC!

If they're good enough, they're old enough.

The youngest Leeds' players on SL debut have been:

Chev Walker (16.85)
Kevin Sinfield (16.95)
Kallum Watkins (17.12)
Garreth Carvell (17.36)
Terry Newton (17.47) - Probably would have been sooner bar the wrangle over his registration
Nick Scruton (17.75)
Jamie Jones-Buchanan (17.7icon_cool.gif

Most of those turned into pretty decent SL players. Jones-Bishop didn't make his debut until he was closer to 20 than 19 and has been forced to wait until he's 22 to get a real 1st grade opportunity, assuming he gets a run in the side. Leeds should count themselves pretty fortunate if they eventually get to benefit from his patient waiting in the wings and whose to know if the change of coach at Leeds hasn't happened just in time for this particular player.

How did Brouhgton play yesterday? Genuine question as I only got into the ground 15 mins fore the end of their match and didn't notice him.

If Broughton is really as good as a few have our fans have said he is, or started saying he is after he left, it's a shame he didn't show the patience BJB has done rather than scaling the heights and accepted Salford's contract offer ahead of the other top clubs queuing up or him.

Broughton plays on the wing for Salford. One of the most pointless gigs in SL.

Still has all the same potential he had while at Leeds but as long as the better clubs continue to prefer average antipodeans he'll struggle to get the opportunity to realise it fully.

Peacock made his dayboo at 23 too. Innit.

Good story if a little tall - a bit like Peacock himself.

Did he not? My bad.

So how did he do then?

Would you have him ahead of Smith, Hall, BJB and, for that matter, Watkins, none of whom are Antipodeans?

As a winger.....I would !

Hardaker at FB;

Broughton, BJB, Watkins and Hall as the threequarters

(Smith on the bench)

....now that's a potent, very catergorically non-Antipodean, young, formidable combination.

I wouldn't. Average at best

Ahem ! ....In the Salford team maybe....but with the Rhinos ?? Still believe he has the potential to be good enough as an England regular / NRL reserve.

As well as he could be expected to do in a side coached and playing (on that evidence) so poorly.



Relevance? You can only make a judgement on the circumstances as pertained to then in mid 2009 not now. Hall had one wing tied down - but you are customarily allowed two in the side.

Broughton and Donald were un-contracted for 2010. Smith was off to play rugby union in 2010. Broughton had established a good understanding with Watkins at reserve grade level and from what I'd seen of them both (and Jones-Bishop) they were ones to keep and progress.

My point at the time was one of Broughton/Watkins/Jones-Bishop should be allowed a crack on the wing in place of the assumed to be departing Donald.

Donald at the time was being described by some (well one person at least) as playing abysmal. Further down the track Jones-Bishop was described as not having the skill set required to play on the wing (well again that was one person's view at least.)

Meanwhile patience wasn't what Broughton required at Leeds rather it was an offer of a contract for 2010. That didn't materialise or at least not one that anyone has yet managed to produce a link to so understandably he found himself a new club, scored some outstanding winger's tries from long and short distances, secured a longer term deal and recognition from the current England coach who selected him in his train-on squad, something else he has in common with Jones-Bishop. Leeds at this point had a decidedly dis-interested average antipodean going through the motions when fit or when not fit replaced by sundry have-a-go stop gap wingers in Clarkson, Coady and Bush before Smith unexpectedly returned to save Leeds from any further embarrassment.

Amen to that !