What's happened to the Brierly signing rumour ?

Don't know, but I have never said we are signing Brierley anyway. Would like us to though.

Agreed.
Is the Cronk rumour just Agent talk?

If we sign a half back he should be a proven kicker which sort of rules out Cronk and Fages.

Widdop or James Maloney?

I still have no idea why we'd want a halfback for next year anyway. Sutcliffe deserves to be starting 6, McGuire will be 7 and Burrow/Lilley as backup. If things don't work out too well then the following year maybe, but halfback would be miles behind a quality prop for next year.

Behind Danny Brough there is an extensive list of average & mediocre British scrum halves, Mylers is in that camp. No better than McGuire, so not worth the fee unless next year is McGuire's last.

IMO you need a combination in the halves that can offer a kicking, passing and running threat. It's why Sutcliffe/McGuire or Sinfield/McGuire works better than Sinfield/Sutcliffe for example.

So if this is going to be Sutcliffe's side to lead in the long term, then IMO Leeds need to pair him with a half-back who offers a running threat. That isn't someone like Cronk.

Indeed.

Not sure about that. Sutcliffe is a running threat, that's his games. He doesn't have the kicking threat or the organisational side. Neither does McGuire either though, his game is also running. Neither can Burrow give you it either, his too is running threat.

I am with you that I am not convinced Sutcliffe/Sinfield would work, however I do think Sutcliffe needs to play with Sinfield to learn quicker to see if he is ready to have that spot himself next year. I do think Sutchliffe would be great with a Cronk like player.

I agree, all we need is for GH to get some sponsors arranged and Cronk to want to come to the UK, wishful thinking of course?

Agreed. Pack looks tired against determined opponents like Wire, Stevie Ward needs some youthful help in the back row and on the interchange we need some beef. Some quality there would make us very difficult to beat by anyone.

It is laughable that we can talk about a half back who is all of twenty years old and make broad statements about the overall strengths of his game. It takes years of experience to get anywhere near the highest levels of half back play. I've said it before and I'll say it again, look at any opt the best half backs over the last thirty years and none of them had an all round game until they were well into their twenties.
I would suggest that the kick Sutcliffe put in against St Helens suggests that he has the raw ability to develop a kicking game. His running game isn't that shabby right now and, unlike the players of Luke Robinson's ilk, he can pass.
Game management skills is unlikely, if not impossible, to be found in a player who has just turned twenty. Give the boy a chance.

Your actually saying nothing difference to anyone else there. People are talking about the here and now, and the fit. Nobody is saying he won't get other skills later in life. But he aint going to get them over night.

He'll never acquire those skills unless he is given the structure and opportunity to learn. Short term gain is wasteful. How much of a better player would McGuire be, if he had been given organisational responsibilities many years earlier?