dunneman was key to rotating the golden trio, vowles had been mos , connolly won lance todd with us and sure adamson came as an internatioal , mcdonald and feather poss unfulfilled projects bar a couple of long mcdonald runs , poss a decade earlier forshaw did nowt for us then starred for bradford

You seriously must not have been around at the time. I never ever heard once anyone complain at those signings when made. Absolutely the opposite. You would be right at moaning by some on their effect at the end, but absolute fabrication to say they were moaned about on signing.

I was around Gotcha and there was moaning, I am not aiming that at you, I'm sure you were the beacon of positivity at all those signings, but I distinctly remember signings like Dunemann and Connolly being met with derision. And I can remember Adamson being called a glorified 'cheerleader' by some supporters.

My whole point is we are not in some unprecedented times where the youth are being totally 'blocked' by other signings it's always been pretty much like it is now in the modern era.

We have actually got a fairly young starting 17.

We won't agree so its a pointless discussion to be fair.

I am sorry but you are wrong, and fabricating a tale.

Connolly was a shock of a signing at the time, absolute quality.

Adamson was called a glorified cheerleader, and by quite a few old posters on here, but absolutely none when the signing was made. Very much at the end.

Dunneman was Halifax best player at the time. I am sure some might have said we could make a bigger signing. But nobody was moaning. He was a far better signing at that time for instance, than us signing Lui.

From 2000 we had a plan to introduce and when the youngsters, and no one was blocked by true journeymen from 2002. There is no similarity. We have made some poor recruitment decisions these last few years.

Gotcha, bloody hell, other people have had different experiences, back in the early noughties I used to go with a fair few people to the games including some that moaned about the signings, and I remember some on Southstander moaning but I am not talking about this forum exclusively.

You also seem to be insinuating I thought those signings were bad, I didn't, but to claim they were universally met with praise is as you put it fabricating a tale.

We have made some poor recruitment decisions throughout my time in watching the Rhinos/Leeds RLFC, it happens.

We have a plan to introduce the youngsters now, it's just that as always you think you know better than the club.

Anyway I'm signing off from this thread now - I can't be d anymore, have a good weekend.

I am in no way insinuating you thought anything. I am not in to second guessing.

I am telling you though that people were not moaning when those signings were made, categorically. And nowhere have I said they were universally met with praise, even making clear the opposite prior to you saying this.

You stated people were moaning then about those signings, the same way we are moaning about Evans, Ferris, Thompson, and I am telling you that was simply not true, not even close.

We have made some poor recruitment decisions over a longer period of time, and some possibly moaned about when signed, but not those you mentioned.

They still got regular games in SL a lot more than the current crop & their path wasnt blocked by sh!# ,like Ferres & Rhys Evans or Luke Briscoe.

Just to add signings like Connolly Adamson & Dunnemen were very good astute additions as was Furner Poching Bai & Mckenna. Feather was a younger prospect & Mcdonald was signed to add power unfortunately some didnt quite work out.
Evzns Ferres Luke Briscoe Lui wouldnt even get in that squad to carry the kit completely ridiculous comparison.
All of this was going on whilst Walker Calderwood Burrow Mcguire Diskin Ward Bsiley & Jjb were given regular games & once proven keot their shirts.
Now granted the current crop msy not be at that level if quality but they certsinly deserve a chance more than the current crop of journey men.

There's some serious re-writing of history going on here.
The players who became part of the Golden Generation were doubted all the time they were kids, with constant demands to get the chequebook out.
And the idea that when Dunemann signed it wasn't greeted with derision on here/Rivals/wherever we were then. Well, as Jeff would have said BWAHAHAHAHA.

Exactly

Seconded.

A lot of people thought Connolly was too old when he was signed, but were proven wrong (we still didn't win owt with him).

Dunemann was seen as potential backward step even if he had done well at Halifax - don't forget Iestyn Harris was still a not too distant memory as a superstar half-back and we'd already had one failed replacement attempt in Ben Walker.

Adamson was heralded as a good signing and was popular in his first season or so, until being exposed by the southstander intelligentsia as a bit of a cheerleader in 2004. Did he really need to play with the titanium plate in his cheek in the 2003 CC semi? A bit like Senior in the 2005 CC (a moment which arguably ruined our potentially greatest year that never was, but I digress), sometimes ego seemed to get the better of some of these players.

McDonald and Feather were project signings - the Kirke and Achurch of the day. We all hoped they would make it but it wasn't to be. Well, at least Kirke picked up a few GF rings

Plenty of the younger players received tons of stick before they made it - not least JJB and Calderwood.

Absolute rubbish , there was plenty of support & encouragement for them when they broke through.
There was also more fans getting into the ground early to watch the Acadamy games in the curtain raisers just to see who next prospects could be.
In fact there was more ?'s asked when they were left out ala Mags in the 03 CC Final.
As for the Dunneman signing i never heard any derision in the SS when he arrived Senior & Poching got more stick in early into their Rhinos careers.

Mark the golden generation was doubted when they was in.their prime never mind when they was 17 year old.

The abuse Chev Walker got from fans when he was a kid making his way into the 1st team drove him to tears and made him want to quit the sport.

Give over Marty, he is talking nonsense as usual, and the only one trying to rewrite history.

Nah hes spot on. Ur memory must be fading kid.