wE were linked Soliola but I never read that we had agreed terms.

His manager wasn't keen but AFIK we'd agreed with the roosters and in principle with the player aswell.

called that in the off season boss. Makes you a realist to admit it though

who's replaced Watkins and Gibson?? They were in the wings should anything happen to toopi and senior. Now they are the front line and little experience between them.

Let's not muddy the water with youth policy/development. From a numbers point of view.

Hooker - You have voiced being pleased with Buderus, McShane, Diskin. 3 players for 1 position. 2 experienced 1 youth.

Centre - Watkins, Gibson, Senior. 3 players for 2 positions. Logic dictates we need 6? 1 experienced, 2 youth.

G1 I see your point (disagree with it) but can, as rose tinted glasses wearing mother 'ho, you not see we lack depth in the centres???


TVOC do you have a list of the Leeds team from the 2003 playoff game against Wigan. Would be interested to see the line up.

10th October 2003
Headingley
17,264
Steve Ganson (St Helens)
22 - 23
14 - 10

LeedsSubs:
Willie Poching, Danny Ward, Chris Feather, Wayne McDonald

we need eastwood badly and a decent centre.

evidence?

Why do we need him badly? 4 out of 4. 34 points conceeded, and just 5 tries conceeded.
I dont think we really do need him that badly.

Attitudes like shownnin this thread go some way to explain why England / GB struggle to get a competitive team out in internationals.

I'd rather see Watkins tried, and we win no silverware, than sign another antipodean to fill the gap. The guy looks class to me, and we'll only get the best of him by giving him some top level experience. Doesn't have to be every game, but this kid needs to be playing regular.

People seem to forget that players like Burrow, McGuire, Diskin, Calderwood weren't ready when they started out, but they were given a chance and as they got more agme time they became more effective. The same needs to apply for Watkins, McShane, Gibson, Allan and any of the other lads we have in the acadamy

Hooker is two positions - one on the field one on the bench. When you start with a basic flaw in your "numbers" like this, the rest of your logic collapses like a pack of cards

The centre debate is a tricky one but I still stand by what Ive said for a long time. I think Watkins and Gibson are the future centres but I would have liked Leeds to have brought in an old head, done it all centre just to show the lads the ropes and also for back-up. Ive said it many times but what I'm trying to get at is along the lines of when we brought Connelly in to bring Mathers through. Mathers wasn't quite ready when we needed him so Connelly was brought in and showed him the ropes. he did and Mathers took the number 1 shirt off him.

However i think we has missed are chance as I cant think of any worthy centres that we could get right now. I still wonder whether we should have offered Talau a 1 year deal. Then again i think he got a longer deal from Salford which you cant argue him choosing.

Disagree, using Sam Burgess as an example. He got far too much exposure 2 years ago, heaps of expectancy placed on his shoulders (for both Bradford & GB) and the net result is he's a worse player for it. Watkins has a part to play this year, but not as first choice centre

He won't be when webb is back

Is he? I just thought the lad got injured?

the cases are completely different. Burgess is a forward and a class above anything that bradford have. As a result he was relied on, and took a lot on too early. He was in a GB shirt at the end of his first full season.

Watkins, although talented will not be relied upon this season. He should be allowed to gain time in the side, but at no point will he be first choice centre. I think it will rotate with him and Gibson, and maybe even Ablett. This way, he'll get a few starts, and a few sub appearances, and that will be bulked out with some acadamy appearances. If we signed a decent experienced centre then wakins and gibson would be sharing whatever time CentreX and Senior do not play. Won't be good for either party.

The good thing about our centre situation is that if Watkins is looking shattered, or out of his depth or fatigued, then we have Gibson to come in, and visa versa.

FWIW, when Mears had his injury problems, we didn't sign a new hooker, we trusted a young lad called Diskin, when Mullins didn't play, we filled his place with a young calderwood. Carroll/Walker, the list could go on.