If Johnson can nail the 9 shirt and is the better option, O’Connor is perfect for the 14 role off the bench with the current concussion rules etc. He can do a decent job or allow you to shuffle people pretty much anywhere.

Agreed and he can cover back row or in an emergency the halves too.

Isn’t it strange to think that’s the last Rhinos game now til Boxing Day and then the friendlies? 3 months.

All eyes on the next 2/3 signings, getting these right is so important if we’re going to start making real progress over the next couple of years.

Walters was best player on the field and will be a G.B regular within a year

Yeah, sadly he looks better and better with the ball with more room to improve further and defence is much improved

I thought Sam had a real impact on the game as he has several when playing prop.

How much will we have to spend to replace him, versus how much it would have cost to keep him?

Maybe he wanted to be back closer to family again who knows.

Yes hopefully that is the case and both are fully fit and rested for the start of next season. I can't remember if Newman has had a season without missing a large chunk of games due to injury. If he could do that, we would see the player he can become and it may help his attitude on the field. He must be a frustrated person due to the injuries he's had and let's that get the better of himself at times.

I’m no elite athlete but had plenty of hamstring and calf tears and I’m just prone to them - could be Newman’s physiology or just accumulation of scar tissue. He limps almost every game.

Hopefully whatever he picked up yesterday is minor and he’ll be able to have a good off season. Think Holroyd needs one too.

I`m not sure that was the case with Walters.
He has been playing here a while now and I understand was settled.
I think at the time he was not getting in the team whereas others who were not performing were.
He wanted his future sorting early (Smith said as much) but Smith clearly wasn`t convinced he was good enough.
He got in the first team due to injuries and suspensions and the rest is history.

I also heard Sam wanted to play second row rather than prop, he’s much more likely to play that position at Wigan, Smith saw him as a prop - FWIW he is a better prop than second rower imo.

Fair enough but I can’t believe Wigan have offered him less money than Leeds…

Good luck to the lad, will definitely be spicy next time he plays Leeds. Holroyd will be after him all game for one.

Walters has a bit of attitude but he could be an outstanding player. Let’s hope we have one or two more outstanding props in development.

Yeh, sorry to say that it looks like we've messed up with Walters.
He's gonna be a very good player.
For whatever reason we've let him slip through the net.

Regarding Newman, it's a very big year for him next year.
Injury free and playing well and he will earn an upgraded contract, or potentially a move to Saints/Wire/Wigan or the NRL.
Injury blighted season again and I can't see us renewing his contract and other clubs will be put off.
Interesting one.

We have messed up with Walters, no two ways about it, theres a dearth of big, talented British forwards and we've lost one to a rival whilst spending a pretty sum on a load of Midgets...Donaldson, Goudemond, Bentley.

Dont mean to turn the positive result into a negative thread, but it is what it is, plenty of fans could see the potential even before he started Playing regularly, the club should of been able to.

The club did want to keep him and offered him a decent contract. He just chose to go to Wigan, it happens.

Obviously didnt offer a package good enough did we, aswel as not putting enough faith in him until our hand was forced.

We messed up, like you say, it happens

If he wants to play back row and we see him as a prop (imo I think he’s a better prop) it might not have mattered what we offered compared to Wigan. Particularly when he looks at how they use KPP and his game is very similar and there’s a spot to slot straight in there.

Clearly we did offer and want to keep him. But if he wants to be a back row I can understand why he’d see Wigan as the more attractive offer of money etc is all roughly equal.