Burgess is solid in hitups and front-on defence, but still painfully slow when the Souths defence gets moved around. He and Sam also have dreadful ball control at times.

I made the point DHM was making about lack of production of forwards a while ago. With all due respect to Clarkson, and even if he gets his mojo back, he's hardly a star player, and the absolute minimum standard you'd expect our Academy to produce every 5 years or so. I thought Bluey effectively made the same point by looking to the likes of Ambler and Amor ahead of any young props we had on the books.

The backs look better with BJB, Hall and Watkins - all of whom debuted by 2008 - but even there I'd argue we've cruised on the back of a production line that almost dried up post Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, Burrow and McGuire.

I've left Ward out because I'm not sure where he'll end up playing. Touch wood he fulfills his undoubted potential.

I don't understand this big "let's get at Clarkson" thing that is happening this year. There was times a couple of months back when I was questioning Clarkson's development myself, but then I gave myself a kick. The lad is been played completely incorrectly by an idiot of a coach. He is not an impact sub, but then that isn't really the jist. He is just been asked to play a completely different role than what he should be used for. Over the last month since he got back in the team, he has certainly looked the pick of the backrowers IMO. And prior to McDermotts inteference he looked of potential real quality.

Personally I would be giving him the first shot in our starting backrow, before Delaney and JJB, and certainly before Hauraki. But I would hope the club would get him the perfect back row partner to really bring him on.

Delaney plays like a prop....move him there to accomodate the lad.

In fact Clarkson and your suggestion, Hall, with Ward at LF could well be the back row answer.



(That would also then allow Chisholm an opportunity on the now vacant LW spot. Job is indeed a good 'un

)

...meanwhile, since he's now kicking and creating tries, let's put Bailey at Stand Off, and Burrow at full back.





Hall is the best winger in the world. Let's let him play there, hmm?

We have the bones of a good young side, so let's give them a chance

1. Hardaker
2. Jones-Bishop
3. Watkins
4. Ablett
5. Hall
6. Ward
7.
8.
9. McShane
10.
11. Delaney
12.
13. Clarkson

when you look at that, we then still have McGuire, Burrow, Bailey, Kirke & Jones-Buchanan all at 30 or under. We're not exactly short of young talent, and we do have players like Keinhorst, Olds, Smith, Singleton, Chisholm, Amor etc. who are probably ready to make the step up.

What we need to do is give them opportunities, when there's no massive cost to doing so, make some quality signings on players leaving (we should be getting Webb, Hauraki, Smith & Peacock, and maybe Moore, off the cap at the end of the season) and bring through the talent from the academy. Personally, I think we're moving in the right direction.

Can we please just forget about Kyle Amor - he is crap!

Webb - off contract

Hauraki - contracted until end of 2013
Smith - possibly off contract (although I had him down as 2013)
Peacock - contracted until end of 2014
Moore - contracted until end of 2014

Even if you could persuade players to leave their existing Headingley deals they would almost certainly be entitled to settlements that would need to figure somewhere on the cap?

Hauraki should never have been signed for 3 years. At best he was a punt and his contract could have been extended during last year if there were signs he was going to shine.

I presume Leeds presented Hauraki with the best deal - possibly in competition with others. Had they gone in offering only a twelve month contract (or even a two year deal) I suspect he'd still be lining up (and generally looking impressive) in some other team.

I backed the signing on the evidence of his performances at the Crusaders and doubt he consumes a great deal of cap space - certainly I'd expect it to be much less than the player he was supposed to eventually replace.

......no doubt owing to the alternative coaching skills ?

(I had the pleasure of seeing XH558 aloft at its imperious best last Sunday

: I had to be there for what might be its swansong

).

Once saw the Rolling Stones playing Roundhay Park in 1982 - after which Calendar went with this song www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzZHmHqEE7k to pose that same sentiment. Unlike the Stones - 558 is now running on it's final four engines (having recently fatally consumed two) so the end could be in sight. Funding permitting it was always a question of engine cycles from the original eight units available. The potential of using either of the two units previously swapped out remains vague to say the least. Even if it ends tomorrow (so to speak) it's been a treemendous privilege seeing it back in the air and something no-one who remembers her previous life had any right or expectation of ever seeing.

Once saw the Rolling Stones playing Roundhay Park in 1982 - after which Calendar went with this song www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzZHmHqEE7k to pose that same sentiment. Unlike the Stones - 558 is now running on it's final four engines (having recently fatally consumed two) so the end could be in sight. Funding permitting it was always a question of engine cycles from the original eight units available. The potential of using either of the two units previously swapped out remains vague to say the least. Even if it ends tomorrow (so to speak) it's been a treemendous privilege seeing it back in the air and something no-one who remembers her previous life had any right or expectation of ever seeing.

At Fairford I guess? A lot of the planes fly over us over that weekend - we stopped training on Friday night to watch a very low stealth bomber "sneak" past overhead.