Fair enough.

Where have I said I don't rate him as a player David? You're the one least likely to be impartial in any McGuire discussion given your career-long connection to him, no?

I haven't a single shred of doubt about his ability to produce individual moments of high quality.

What I doubt is that his ability to bring those alongside him up to his level is not up to the same standard as the likes of Sinfield and Peacock. There's a big difference between being able to produce yourself, and getting others around you to produce their best.

If the team is in a hole and they look up to see their captain taking cheap shots at people - and let's not pretend Boxing Day was an isolated incident in the way Sinfield/Dorn was - or flapping around dementedly in the face of the officials, do you think that represents good leadership?

Stop being so precious...

I don't see anybody here "McGuire bashing" in so far as his playing abilities are concerned; rather just his credentials to be a team captain. Many others have aready highlighted/given examples of what is meant by this: suffice to say keep your knickers untwisted.

I would agree with the above, and remember I'm looking from the outside...

As a player, quality on his day, but having lost a little pace with age and injury does not have the impact he once had.. That said, he is more of a head player now, as you would expect from a senior pro, and can still be very influential. The niggly side of his game has gotten worse the last couple of years, maybe realising he can't do the things he once could. Much as i dislike him as a niggly player, he always comes across as a decent and likeable bloke, respected by his team mates, and I'm sure he will have his team mates behind him when needed.

I think he will do fine as captain..

Andy you don't waste an opportunity to point out the flaws you see in his game - would you like me to look back over your posts and pull out some examples? Seldom do you ever give him the credit the quality of his play deserves.

Andy in 2010 he virtually carried the whole team through that season - and at the end of last season it was his ability to drive the team and raise his game to a different level that was a major contributor to the success not the departing captain or prop forward.

His job is not to bring others up to his standard - that is impossible - his job is to make their job easier. Good passing puts a player in space much easier than if you receive a hospital pass - ask JJB how many of them he got from his captain?

What represents good leadership is producing on the field - all well and good being nice to the ref but if you haven't got the skills to create winning opportunities who cares? Plenty of quality players have had a nasty streak in them and were unkind to refs - none worse than Paul Sculthorpe but he more than made up for by his play on the field.

His team mates will respect the impact of the kick at Huddersfield, the pass over the top in the final that created the opening for his second try in the final or his kick that lead to the winning try much more than if he his nice to James Child. A man is judged by his deeds in the heat of battle - on that score McGuire is without equals at Leeds

Agree with this. I can totally understand why other clubs fans see him as petulant but I think that often means they then underrate him as a player. The same is true I think of O'Loughlin with his high tackles.

I also think people far too often conflate a players on-field personality with that of the person as a whole. McGuire and Ablett being 2 in the Leeds team and I think probably Tomkins gets this treatment too.

Having just seen the youtube video of them I think fans approbation and vitriol should really be directed at players like Tim Smith and Kevin Locke.

True. I think in all of this people are judging it solely on what happens on the pitch in the 80 mins played that week, which don't get me wrong is obviously very important. However being the captain of the club is much more than that. Sinfield wasn't just the captain on the pitch, he was the captain in dressing room, the training ground, the pre-season camps away, the media interviews, the other PR stuff...the whole works. Whoever gets the job isn't just the captain of the team, he's the captain of the whole club.

Will McGuire turn out to be a good captain if he gets the job....who knows only time will tell but I'll support the decision in the mean time. And no I don't count him taking over the captains 'armband' on the odd game here and there in last year or two as proper genuine captaincy that we can properly judge on as Sinfield was still the captain of the squad.

Leeds win in the boxing day friendly, Mcguire has a good game carrying on from his outstanding season, and I guess that this thread doesn't even happen...

I have so much respect for Danny McGuire, I'm chuffed that he has been rewarded with the ultimate accolade for a Leeds lad. He has been performing many of the Captain's tasks over the last few years anyway, revving the team up, organising, having a quiet word hear and there, and ultimately leading by example when it really mattered. Mcguire's determination and will to win can sometimes result in anger towards refs and other players, but that is part of who he is and why he has achieved so much. I think he will make a great replacement for Sinny. Good on yer Danny boy.

Leeds should make Ward Captain. Mature beyond his young years.

The only way to find out if Maguire is up to the job is to give him a run at it. The same applies to the other potential candidates. I'm happy to trust in the judgement of GH and BM and get behind who ever they decide to give the captaincy to. I find it decidedly unedifying to read attacks on the suitability of a great servant of the Rhinos on here.

This ^^^

McGuire deserves a shot to prove himself and if BM and GH decide to give him his chance we should all be backing that.

Next year is going to be a huge learning curve for everyone involved. There will inevitably be mistakes along the way, and I'm sure it'll take more than one season to get things right. But back to McGuire, in my opinion no one deserves their chance more than him in the team.

Couldn't agree more. IMHO, he's been the most important player for a few years now. The best player of the 'golden generation'.

He's been organising and running the team round the park for the last few years, it's odd that some haven't noticed.

Exactly.

These same critics were after McGuire early last season and look how he proved them wrong. Nobody is perfect and Sinfield's has left uniquely large shoes to fill. But Danny deserves time to settle into the job without constant carping from the members of the 'Keyboard Tappers and Grunters Club' who should have learnt from the being proven to be so wrong by Brian Mac.

and a Happy and Healthy New Year to all.