I don't think it would have made a material difference to results or performances either way. Kirke even with a busted rib was still one of the better performers in the pack at the back end of last year.

50-50 call, coach went with the player he thought he could trust to deliver the best performance. The one with the most experience of high-profile games rather than the enthusiastic youngster.

Easy to sit here in hindsight and hypothesise what Singleton might or might not have done. Much like yourself G1, most players get a lot better when they're sat in the stands



See Gotcha, this is two grown-ups having a discussion without having to result to ad hominem derogatory remarks. You really ought to try it some time, when you're grown-up. Bring tvoc along if you want an adult there to help you.

If you say so Andy. I really don't need to stoop that low to dig up your postings on the subject, and cause embarrassment. Suffice to say, there certainly was no subject to, to your post.

Just to be sure though, when did Peacock announce his retirement from representative rugby again? when he did he sign that contract extension you got so disappointed at?

Eloquent defence of McDermott's decision but I think you probably ducked the question. Do you think he made the right decision?

PS, I think the critique of Kirke's playoff performances have been somewhat overblown, you'll not be surprised to learn. They were better but better by his standards.

It's what the internet was invented for. In my defence, there's no "hindsight" from me when it comes to criticising Kirke's selection





How dare you, I resemble that remark.

While no-one (including the coaching staff) could know in advance what Singleton would have offered in the play-offs they could see what he produced in the previous match when given the opportunity. I'd have preferred to see that good form rewarded rather than the giving up of the place to a player (of dubious worth IMO) returning from a self inflicted unnecessary ban.

Do you believe that a Peacock whose footwork had gone, off-load game had gone and generally looks like he's having to make a massive effort to drag his body around the field would have been selected for international representation?

Re the Kirke/Singleton debate: if this is one of the worst decisions McD makes during his tenure he'll have done pretty well.

McDermott's worst decision (so far) was allowing Danny Buderus to leave whilst still under contract without securing an adequate replacement and then compounding that mistake by not securing the Shaun Lunt gift-horse after it fell right into his lap.

Allowing the undisciplined Bailey straight back into the side after Singleton had played a blinder in Leeds' best showing for months the game before was a minor aberration by comparison.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with your point, but as a point of detail didn't Bailey's return come at the expense of Alex Foster?

Agree re Bailey but I'd need to know what role GH played in the Lunt/Buderus decisions before criticising McDermott for them. In any case, Lunt was under contract to Hudds. Brown might have been willing to release him but I doubt Anderson would have, given that he's picked him week in, week out since his return. Perhaps it was simply bad luck: Leeds may have thought there was ample time to sort out a deal before being wrong-footed by Brown's unexpectedly-premature departure and replacement by a coach who clearly rates Lunt more highly.

Singleton is a very different type of player to Kirke. It isnt necessarily simply a decision over who you think is the better player, but who you think can do the job you need them to do.

Yep! He has talent and the abilities to be a RL forward

The CEO no doubt has a role to play regarding contracts/salaries but the coach should take the lead on decisions regarding player retention/recruitment.

It was publically stated that Buderus would not be released unless an adequate replacement was found first. I think we all remember what happened next - not a lot before the unexpected availability of a quality replacement appeared from out of the blue or rather out of the claret and gold. The failure was in then capitalising on that slice of good fortune as Lunt made no secret of his wish to join Leeds permanently and IIRC re-iterated the point late last season even after having earned selection for the SL Dreamteam of 2013. =#0000FFAccording to Opta in 2013 he contributed 19 tries for Huddersfield, was their joint second highest try scorer, just about double that of any other hooker in SL last year and come to think of it more than any single player at Leeds for that matter. Meanwhile over at Headingley we're treated to the spectacle of fitting a square peg into a round hole.