Completely agree - Toops was a vastly underrated player and 'read' the game well too.

Would have in back in the blink of an eye.

This is the same Toopi who the club released? I don't recall anyone complaining at the time.

Nothing to do with him being crocked for the rest of the season?

Wasn't the final straw in the CC semi against Saints? Seems to remember him get crocked in that game which not only ruled him out for the season but also the season after. I liked Toopi aswell. Gentleman off the pitch but a real Warrior on it. Gave his all everytime.

Something like that. I did like him. Defensive centre. Did his job no nonsense or thrills. Was sad to see him go, but money was spent better elsewhere (despite the payout he'll have received)

The same one who was slated and indeed booed my many of the regulars on here.

At the time, he was injured and went home. Seemed logical with the lengthy injury.

His loss was appreciated by the more knowledgeable supporter.

Clinton was mentioned by King Kev in his post GF speech, so was appreciated by his team mates.

Obviously you had the 'tard lot as well. Who bemoaned him. In the stands, the stick he got was ridiculous. He had a low point of form, but he recovered and more than put in a shift.

His crunch that he offered was really brought to light the following year when we also lost Ellis.

With Bluey's love of Kiwis, it's a shame they didn't have get to form a longer Leeds colours working relationship.

But that's my point.

Senior is in his twilight years and next year even more so (I hasten to add he is still as good as any other in SL, but the consensus is he might move into the back row). Smith (Full back/winger), Delaney (better suited to second row); BJB (Full back) and Ablett are all [inon[/i specialist centres !!!
That leaves Watkins who has the 'potential' to be a top class centre. Nothing more.

Still think we shouldn't prioritise a centre ?

As a right centre he wasn't the best to be fair. Not that I ever booed him mind. He was a good tackler but his positional sense was pretty darn awful at times. He tried the daft offload outwide when it wasn't on alot of the time. Once he moved into the middle, his footwork against the bigger men afforded him alot more freedom to offload, and he was certainly strong enough to mix it in there. Plus in the middle he was actually supported. For me outwide he was all flamboyance and no product. In the middle he was a good mixture of both.
(p.s. He probably would have gone alot better in his natural centre position on the left).

P.p.s what a badly worded ramble that was. Sentiment is there though. That's what happens when you post exactly what you're thinking, without thinking it through. Just like this.

I did.

I suspect we could all dig up threads bemoaning Toopi's lack of attacking clout in the centres. He's also over 30 now and nothing more than solid for the Titans. Remarkable similar impact in fact to another solid centre we signed.....

On the topic of 'solid' centres, why is it that people assume that just because someone's big and plays in the centres he'd be 'better suited' to second row (numerous quotes about Delaney here and elsewhere)? The idea that a centre can miraculously become a class second row is a bit of a myth. Some make the transition very well - Ellis is a better second row than centre - but I reckon quite a few wouldn't go well at all. They need a higher workrate and appetite for the rough stuff. Just because a big guy makes hay out wide doesn't mean they can or will do the same up the middle. And a second row who won't at least occasionally take the ball up to make hard yards when required against forwards will be found out. See Andy Hay, Simon Haughton etc etc for examples.

Apologies, the bad pun in there must have been subconscious. Sort of.

Clinton as a future Super League signing would be a concern for the sport.

It's further evidence of what I shall now call the Buderus syndrome. The complete, illogical adulation of anything foreign and exotic from the NRL.

Toopi was here. He was slated, regularly by all. In fact, at the time, the only posters to speak up in occasional support of him where me and Danny (under whatever alias he was using at the time). So reviled was he that we had a thread where posters celebrated booing him in warm ups at Wire away.

But a season or two playing in the NRL and with typical whino revisionism he is suddenly a player they crave and a player that was Syd Hynes re-incarnate during his brief, injury riddled tenure at Headingley.

You can't make this shizzle up.