Agree with the others about a new hooker being key.burrow is a truly great player but is not equipped to play in the middle on defence for long or even modest spells, which is why he is often out at left or right centre. Losing the amazing peacock and all his work will put more work on other forwards which mean a tackling hooker is critical.

It is amazing!! Already the doubters have started to moan. Garbutt has been a bluddy revelation IMO. Without his contributions up front I doubt we would have achieved the treble. I am glad we lost the chase for Mossop; instead we got somebody MUCH better

Without a doubt we DO need a hooker and better cover at halfback, but as others have said, somebody of the calibre of Aiton is all we need. A Cameron Smith (Aussie version) would be fantastic, but not strictly required.
We shouldn't forget Handley...if he is used in the threequarters then maybe Moon could become the extra cover at SO?!?

Basically I would be happy with a 'reasonable' hooker - who can defend in the middle - and Westerman as a bonus. Any more than that would indeed be a dream I think.

Totally agree Nantwich. If we got Westerman and a good hooker it would be great. Also agree that moon is a potential halfback cover - played as a stand off earlier in career.

Thank god you have no say in it then.

Garbutt was the shot the team needed mid season. Would we have done this with Yates as back up prop? I think not!!

Just seen the greatest achievement from a Leeds team and already some numpty is saying someone who came half way round the work mid season isn't good enough. WUM

Has Peacock been error free? I think not.... (Not wanting to diminish Peacocks contributions, but you cannot simply use errors by Garbutt to compare him to JP and not also include JPs errors/missed tackles)

Undoubtedly, Peacock cannot be replaced like for like, but Garbutt assisted by some better squad players than we've had in the past is a good way to go

Didn't the sleeve say he was recruiting a new hooker after Aiton decided to leave? I wish people would pipe down about Moon at stand off. He's one of the best centres around.

Oh, and for the record, I also think Garbutt has been fantastic! Very good meter eater (more meters than JP in some games??) and some strong collisions in defence.... Couldn't have had a better start to his career with us - a real mid-season boost to the troops.

Wow, somebody criticising Garbutt? Unreal. He's not just impressed when considering that he was an unknown, he's impressed because he's turned in some top performances. If Galloway - who is a quality signing - performs to the same standard I don't think there'd be many complaints.

Ha ha, what a plant pot!

'IDONUTKNOWWHATIMTALKINGABOUT' would have been a much more fitting name I think. Garbutt has been a solid performer and has given us some aggressive running when needed, he's a player that leaves nothing to the imagination, runs hard and true every time, I don't know who that guys been watching but it's not Mitch Garbutt surely, maybe he meant Achurch not Garbutt....

As for next year, very few were expecting us to finish top 4 this year or get near a trophy at best, especially on this board, but we've gone and done the opposite so write that squad off at your peril. Yes it's going to be hard with no sinfield to fall back on especially, but we'll still have the best back 5 in the league and we'll still have plenty of experience in the squad, even in the relatively young players such as hardaker and Watkins, plenty of big game experience there alone. A lot for me will depend on the hooker signing along with how McGuire steps up if he becomes captain, be interesting to watch!

Deary me.

Back to troll school for someone on this thread...

Leeds agreed terms with Westerman, however the clubs haven't agreed a fee yet. Hetherington not happy with the 150k Pearson wants for him, especially when he's out of contract end of next season.

Chasing Westerman, I have to assume Achurch is indeed off, and potentially JJB is looking less likely to return next year??

Prop - Garbutt, Galloway, Singleton, Mullally, Baldwinson, Mulhern.
Hooker - ??
Second row - Ablett, Ward, Delaney, Keinhorst, Walters.
Loose forward - Cuthbertson, Westerman, Minchella.

Need for at least one hooker, frontline, maybe a project option as backup??

I'll bet he's not happy. We are, essentially, discussing a player who's yet to prove he can hack it at the very highest level.

Might be dead in the water then. Can't see Hetherington paying that and Pearson doesn't like Leeds. Depends how much they want rid ofWesterman

Yep.Would imagine GH is thinking more 50k ballpark.And he would be right.

Might open the door for Warrington to pay a higher figure.
£50000 does seem more realistic but maybe 30k more from Wire will make Pearson happier.

Think the key is whether leeds think Westerman is the right man. Got 100k for finishing top plus will have done well out of wembley, grand final and made a £1 million profit last year. Arguing over £20k or £50k is basically peanuts. I reckon hull fc need to sell him because they have the following 12 back row options: ellis, minichello, Pritchard, Manu, hadley, washbrook, downs, fash, turgut, whiting, Abdull, Thompson. Ellis may play prop next year but still overloaded with salary and options, Westerman must be off somewhere

JJB will be back next year if at all possible. He's also mentioned playing in the WCC, which would mean almost being fit for the start of the season.

Yes I saw a video of him being interviewed in the team hotel before the GF and he certainly spoke like a guy fully expecting to be back playing in 2016. Hopefully sooner than the original May/June date first feared.

Also Sutcliffe's progress seems to be going well so hopefull he's ready in time for the start of SL. Not heard a timeline given for Stevie Ward yet. Isn't a knee reconstruction usually around a 9-monther which could see him not appear until perhaps June?

Hooker and wide running back row forward with good hands. Said this earlier in the season and not changed my mind. Fact that the club is looking at Westerman seems to think they see it as a priority as well.
A hooker is a no brainier, I would prefer to see two real hookers as they take a lot of punishment. Shame our academy haven't produce one of any useable quality
since Matt Diskin.

I also see no reason to assume the team will decline (although technically unless we win everything again we will have

. There is some real character in the remaining players and I believe with Sinny and JP gone there will be a queue of guys who will step up. Mags, Stevie Ward, Watkins, our MOS full back?

JJB told me he is playing on next year.

Westerman isn't a second row. He's a loose forward. To be honest if we sign him, it means Sutcliffe is definitely our 6. It's a shame really because i think we'd be better with Sutty at loose. And Widdop at 6

That d be great, but widdop won't give up on his NRL career that early. What I can't understand is why we've apparently signed brierly but sent him back to Leigh on loan. We need him next season to be learning of mags n cover our halves.

I can't understand why we would sign him at all