He is full of confidence for a 19 year old, he is mature beyond his years. I try not to pick his game apart, he is going to make mistakes and sure, he lacks a bit of pace, but i try to imagine what this lad could be like with 100 games plus under his belt at 22/23 years old he could be top notch.

Agreed. But can Lilley?

Aside from the welcome interceptions when else has he looked to, let alone succeeded in, taking the line on. On the Hull thread I noted the first time (and in slippery conditions) was around the hour mark - his only other run I recalled that day was when kick pressure from Hull forced him to run instead.

Leeds' last three games have all been on Sky so those with examples of this alleged break making ability should be able to reference them here - no?

Thing is though if we were playing well then we would have had players in support, Watkins on the left and Golding and Sutcliffe in the middle and Handley on the right are all quick enough to finish off breaks but none were there in support when breaks were made (except Golding and Sutcliffe on one occasion but their defence had tracked back well)

Cronk, JT, Reynolds etc. all top players but hardly make any breaks- only make breaks when the defence opens up because of a miss read
Youve got Sutcliffe, Mcguire(if his new injury hasnt completely killed his pace), Burrow, and our (supposedly world class) backline to make breaks

Have you seen Melbourne's likely future half-back post the Cooper Cronk era a lad called Scott Drinkwater?

He would be an NRL equivalent to Jordan Lilley and IMO he (Drinkwater) is the real deal. It's really scary how mediocrity is increasingly the acceptable standard in SL.

Exactly! It's not as if the likes of Peta Godinet are getting starting gigs at Halfback and scoring Try's in the NRL! Or Jorden Rankin being a standout performer when the Tigers beat Souths!

Whatever next? a solid but not spectacular Hooker from a mid table SL rabble team will be leading the Daly M's!

Agreed but atm he doesn't even look like 5% as good

Is Godinet getting starting gigs and scoring tries or has he so far had just the one appearance at stand-off after Manly chose to move Dylan Walker to full-back to cover the absence of Brett Stewart. Those weeks when Cherry-Evans was missing oddly didn't present an opportunity for Godinet to fill in at half-back though so let's see if he gets an extended run now in the halves.



Rankin wouldn't be the only overseas player to flounder on Humberside. He's looked a much better player on the Tigers wing, at least when not faced with two balls on the pitch.



He weren't even that in SL but now acclimatised to what is required to succeed in the NRL he is an entirely different proposition and a fine example to other aspiring brits. The way points are awarded in the Dally M's could skew the resulting overall table but no disputing his early season importance to the Raiders.

Getting back to Lilley though how would you rate his potential against a jack in the box like Drinkwater?

I was only being mischievous mate.

Not seen enough of Drinkwater to give an honest opinion.

Me neither to be fair but so far one of them reminds me of Shaun Johnson the other reminds me of Paul McShane.

Drinkwater looks very much the next world class Australian half back but to compare him to Lilley is somewhat unfair and unnecessary. If you had judged the merits of Kevin Sinfield by comparison with say Darren Lockyer (slight difference in age I know but the contrasts are similar), you would have judged Sinfield to be relatively worthless.
Lilley has strength, reasonable timing, reasonable feet and can creatively pass the ball (which more than you can say to about George Williams). He appears to lack pace, which will be a hindrance to his progression but the aforementioned Mr. Sinfield managed to get past that.
If Lilley hasn't found his niche in a few years time, I'd be worried but for now, he needs to learn his trade.
In my opinion, one of the reasons we are failing to produce high quality creative players is purely down to coaching and a willingness to persevere with young talent. Is it a coincidence that Hodgson looks so much better in the NRL? of the Burgess brothers?I don't think so. In between William's leg pulling exercises, he sites the lack of reserve team football as a factor in the lack of standards. Along with the general lack of coaching standards, I would agree with him.

Except the opening post of course criticising his speed and questioning if he must be a smoker?

And now Tvoc's is in "I've written him off before so I've stubbornly got to stick to that view" mode. Remember him being very critical of the lad as a goal kicker for missing his conversion in the WCC, wonder what he thinks of Lilley's kick percentage now?

Judge Lilley when he's spent time playing next to McGuire. He already looks very promising imo, but if you're talking about the NRL look at 19-year-old Jackson Hastings who struggled terribly when he was playing with another inexperienced half but suddenly looked the business when Mitchell Pearce came back. I haven't seen Drinkwater, but if you put Lilley behind the Melbourne pack and next to Cam Smith (the real one) and Blake Green in a Bellamy-coached side then I imagine he'd look pretty good to you too.

Agree. In a tough situation he has produced a lot more than I thought he would do this year and to be honest was capable of. Deserves the chance to show more as year goes on and think he will get a gig with McGuire subject to fitness. Sutcliffe off bench. My Mick shoebottom ref was probably an unfair comparison for sutcliffe

Some perspective is required here.

Super League playing standards are dreadful and have been getting worse year on year IMO since around 2006.

A huge factor in this slide alongside a Salary Cap stuck in 1999 figures is the disappearance of a lot of ex-NRL players of a decent standard and, more importantly, the complete disappearance of NRL standard assistant coaches.

Given the current diabolical playing standards in Super League, no amount of Kirkstall flooding, loss of familiar facilities, ordinary coaching, loss of three geriatrics from the squad, training alongside sun-tan injecting mincers, Whipping Boy SL Rabble Rousing emotional interviews and speeches from JJB attempting to add credibility to this season's performances, SPOTY, Kiwis or injuries should have conspired to place Leeds in their current predicament of being placed bottom of Super League after 13 rounds.

That's right... think about it... BOTTOM OF ******* SUPER LEAGUE AFTER 13 ROUNDS!!!

Apart from the lack of good coaching, how S**T must Lilley, Sutcliffe and the rest of the younger brigade be to deliver 12th and bottom place on the current SL ladder?

Yet sundry morons on here are comparing Lilley with the likes of Wally Lewis, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Adam Reynolds and claiming the future is bright?

Really?