Thought Aiton was average. Didn't offer much going forward beyond shipping the ball from acting half and got bumped off a lot of head on tackles. Needs to hit and stick better. I guess it's early days yet, playing dummy half needs a good understanding of where your teamates run etc. Hopefully it will come.

Thought he steered us around the park and he knew when to bring the forwards on and when to release quick ball to the links Sinfield and McGuire. He also made good short passes to Ablett and Moon IIRC.

An above average performance and is settling in well in only his 3rd game of the season. 7/10

It's like we've got a hooker or something.

Crazy world.

Oh that acting half back play was as simple has that.

Who are you suggesting picked the team?

Burrow playing as a hooker distributed very well. Which ever hooker started made no difference to the result. The whole team is playing well and Burrow has been the starting hooker in 2 out of the 3 wins.

Quick thought.

Has the development from Watkins and the addition of Briscoe freed those at 6,7 and 9 from thinking they have to try and win the game on their own with a moment or two of magic, resulting in better ball getting to the threequarters in space?

I'm not sure. I think that this is the most complete 1-5 we've had at the club in my time. There is not a weak link, so when the ball goes left you have the options of Hardaker, Moon and Hall, and then on the right you have Hardaker, Watkins and Briscoe you have so much choice as a half back. You just have to pick the right option

I also think that there has been a step up in the role of Hardaker this season, with him taking on more of the Webb role. That again takes pressure off the halves.

FWIW I still don't think that giving Watkins loads of ball will necessarily mean loads of joy. Its about getting the ball to him at the right time. He can't do it on his own, but get him a bit of space and he will murder the opposite man more times than not

Burrow has also not been out on the field for a full eighty in any of the three games to date.

A welcome change from last season's approach of keeping a key dangerman on the field regardless of the contribution being made.

Leeds' defence has started on fire this season with the only problem area being the kick to the Burrow/Hall flank leaving Hall isolated.

Need to find a way to defend those better.

Interesting and I tend to agree. Last year I thought we only looked organised on attack when our game plan consisted of playing almost entirely in the middle section of the field. We could make easy yards with Delaney and JJB hitting inside angles rather than them ranging outside linking with the centres. Always cutting back at the space behind the ruck. After we had made the yards though our attempts to actually score were not outstanding. Any movement of the ball wide was laboured, predictable and generally badly organised. I think the tipping point has been Briscoe. You can't add a guy like that and not seek to use the ball on the right. Funnily enough I think BJB is a good finisher, with at least as much gas as Briscoe, but for me it's mind games. Delaney still runs the inside angle but Hardaker has really stepped up as the extra link man. He seems to demand the ball more and Sinny and McGuire are giving it to him.
I don't really know what went on with England for him, or what the club did as a response but it has had a huge positive effect on his rugby this year so far. Great attitude from the kid. He reminds me a lot of John Holmes, tall and rangey, good hands, strong and a good tackler. He is also making the backline tick as well. He seems to prefer running to the right as well, where Webb seemed to want to go left so he could throw those bullet miss passes off his right hand.

I guess a teams style is dictated by the players available. You can't decide on a pattern of play and then simply go out and sign the players to make it happen these days. As one dynasty declines another rises and how we play - particuarly on attack - will be dictated by that threquarter line for the forseable future I think.

I'm not sure I agree entirely with the last point.
Wigan & especially Saints (me & my obsession again) do have a "house" style regardless almost of the personnel on the pitch.
That style runs throughout the club starting with the youngest age groups meaning that as they step up the style of attacking play is second nature to them.
Add some outstanding players to the mix then is the icing on the cake.
I believe that all clubs aspire to this but they don't all succeed.
It's about the seamless transition upwards so that no player is out of place (as far as possible) regardless of injuries.

Some good points there and the change in use of Hardaker as a linking full-back is the key to it. Wouldn't necessarily put him down as a John Holmes-type player though - he's quicker than JH but will never have those hands. If we're going to give him a high comparison to aim for it would be ET (without the dreamy good looks).

The other difference so far this year is a devolution of responsibilities from Sinfield with the kicking game both with kick-offs and dropouts (Hardaker) and kicking out of hand (Hardaker and Moon). Having that range of options on 5th and 6th makes it a lot easier to confuse defences, make yards and get over the line.

Some great points all round above and long may it continue i will add though AG with so many great options left and right plus their "latter years" maybe 6,7 and 9 realise they cant/don't have to win the games on their own anymore which to be fair they've done countless times in the past.