Who?

Hold up. Senior is our best centre. He's probably still the best English centre in the league (which says more about our ability to produce decent outside backs than it does about Senior's fading qualities).

Let me get this straight. You're suggesting playing Watkins and replacing Senior?

Who? And if you're happy with playing Watkins why not look for Senior's replacement (to play along side Watkins) for next year when we can sign a player we actually want rather than whoever is available mid season?

How about Keith Senior?

IMO Leeds are well stocked for centres and players who can play there if needed. I count Senior, Watkins, Ablett, Gibson and Smith.

That's significantly more depth than your nearest rivals who've resorted to playing Gilmour there due to the lack of available centres.

Compared with the other top SL teams it also looks healthy in terms of depth and ability.

At Bradford the situation is even more dire where we have two very average centres and one kid coming through, if Leeds were in our situation I could understand the need to make signings but you're obviously not.

TBF Leeds are very healthy across the park and should stick with the ethos that's got them into this position. Signing some bit part centre to delay the progress of young players isn't the path to follow anymore.

Save your breath Bullseye.

These lot think building a squad is as easy as playing Fantasy Football.

But I've highighted some salient points they may like to address anyway

we do have an old head in there. Its Senior, the man who has played more games in super league than anyone else, who has featured in the world team of the year on more than one occassion. Who would be a better role model on the pitch for Watkins and Gibson. Fullback and Hooker are different in that there is only 1 position on the pitch, where you will need to play understudy to a player to get experience and wait for an injury/suspension/rest to get a game. with centre we have the best player available in terms of experience, AND they get some serious game time. Its win win. If Gibson f*cks up, then watkins can come in, if he then f*cks up, gibson can come back in. If neither are working, ABlett has proved flexible enough to be trusted with it. Lets not forget that we won a Grand Final with Ablett in the centres

Just to get something straight, which appears to have completely gone over the heads of some people.

We did not win a GF with Ablett in the centres. We won a GF by getting away from doing that. We were overrun for the first 15 minutes of the GF with plenty coming down Abletts channell. We took the decision, correctly, to swap him and Ellis round. This completely changed the game, then we won a GF.

Would we have won with Ablett staying there? who knows, and who cares. But you can not lose sight of the fact that it was not working and a change was made.

It was also complained about continually on this very board last season when Ablett was used as the centre.

That said, I actually agree that if Ablett is used there this season, I dont see too much of an issue considering the lack of quality he would be facing in the marjoity of games.

Well obviously otherwise I'd have noted otherwise. Stattos find it impossible to deceive but don't mind concealing evidence when it suits.

Watching the match again, and actually taking note of the rugby, you will actually see that I am spon on.

We won a GF where Ablett was switched to second row after 15 minutes of been slightly over run. That is what actually happend, regardless of you wanting to use different arguments.

Does anybody care about that? for me absolutely not.

And like I said, if you read my last point of that quote, I was actually stating the same as you.

I thought that for most of last season Ablett and Ellis swapped mid game, but in the grand final the key change was the Ablett and Senior swapped sides, rather than Ablett and Ellis swapping. ATEOTD, we won the grand final with a very similar looking backline, and have strengthened certain areas through signings and promotions.

How conescending. For a man wit hsuch questionable observational powers you seem very confident in your opinion. Good for you.

His position was switched, yes. Over-run, debatable and opinion so if you're going to use phrases like "That is what actually happened" you should stick to issues of fact and not opinion. Like, where was he actually selected to start the game? Where was he actually selected for many of the games in the lead up to that final?

I know you like to fog knit but are you really taking exception to the statement that we won a GF with Ablett at centre. Because he was at centre and we did win it.

'"

Before anyone goes crazy here, I'd have preferred Leeds to sign a right centre rather than an ageing world class hooker and (failing that) I'd have preferred Leeds to sign a right centre rather than an interchange prop.

You see it all comes down to improving the squad in areas that you know are weak. And not just because we know it but because the whole game knows it.

I presume Leeds tried to find a centre in the off season and failed and so we go with what we've got. A virtually untried in the position Lee Smith was given the shirt, Ashley Gibson had injuries to overcome and in Kallum Watkins we have a genuine prospect but at 17 can't be expected to do the job week in week out at this level.

Senior's unavailability for half the games so far this season just adds to the existing problem.

'"

maybe Adam Mcdougall for a year,




im suggesting resting senior for some games, which will mean there is space for a player like watkins to get games,



so why not get someone for a year or at the most two, we have plenty of cap space and even more when Senior goes,

Whens Soliola back? why not bring him over anyway?[/code]

The main advantage we have over most of our rivals is that our young players are, overall, better than theirs, plus we have more that are close to the required standard. Signing an experienced right centre might lead to success in a few more games than might otherwise happen - although who knows - but personally I'm more interested in seeing what we can achieve by sticking with what we've got.