Fool.

I'd keep Senior and Watkins for the left centre role, and wouldn't particularly look at signing anyone else in the backs even if Donald leaves, apart from possibly a reserve halfback. I'm not really sure where else I'd look to strengthen either, unless one of our existing forwards leaves.

It's a real shame Watkins injury ruled him out for the season because we still don't know if he's ready to take over from Senior.Is Senior worth another 12 months I'm not sure but if we sign another left centre my fear is we could stifle Watkins development or lose him to another club.
Tough decisions for the management ahead.

The watkins / Senior one is a puzzler. Kind of like Connolly Mathers in 2003/2004. With little first team experience, and coming back from a veru serious injury it would be stupid of the club to discard senior and go with watkins. Signing another player would probably not do well for Watkins either as they'd be on longer than 1 year, and expect to play more than not, or not be good enough.

Much as I think its not the best place to be, I'd offer Senior a 1 year deal, merely to be a transition for Watkins so he's bedded in by the end of the season and we can see how good he is.

you could argue that Buderus was one of our better performers on the run up to his injury though.

You cannot say that we only went on the run we did because Diskin became the main hooker.

I know it's all hypathetical but you could just as easily say that our performances would have been even better with easier/better/bigger wins had it been diskin out with the broken leg and Buderus had been our main hooker from July.

Buderus whilst not at his NRL peak form is still a class act in Super League and if a suitable deal can be struck I'd love him to have one last season with us.

Now he is over the injuries that blighted his first season when several on here were slating his signing,surely even his most harsh critics on here can now see how he adds to our team?

Sinfield & Webb are our very good reserve half backs, who could we bring in of the same quality as those on a low wage willing to play a handful of games.

You could but he wasn't.



I can. I can say what I like.



I'm going from facts. Feel free to make up hypothetical situations to support your Budeus lovefest.



Is he? Which games has he made a difference in?



What has he added?

The form of McGuire and Burrow over the last three or so years has seen a number of promising "next big thing" halfbacks go elsewhere to get regular first team rugby - Luke Gale, Gareth Moore and Kyle Briggs spring to mind straight away.

Had the dual registration system been around earlier perhaps one or more of those might have been persuaded he had a future at Headingley.

I agree and I'm sure an academy player would be happy to play a few games a year when he got the chance but Brisbane mentioned signing a back up half from outside.

Not all signings of promising players from outside the club work out that well - for every Richie Myler there's a Greg McNally.

Much better to develop your own from within, although I haven't see much of the lower grades lately so I don't know what the quality is like in the up and coming half backs?

I think he was. Crisper more accurate passing, More dominant in defence. Better kick chase. Better choices around the ruck



He made a difference in the MM game against Wakefield.



See above.


Personally I think that last year was not great from DB, but there were games where the gap between him a Diskin was noticeable. The Wigan game in which he broke his leg, he was destroying them around the ruck and we looked like we were on course for a comfortable victory. When he went off we lost our sparkle.

This year, he has performed very well, and i think this is reflected in him starting games and getting more game than Diskin.

My view on it was that it was an unneccessary signing, as Diskin was and still is a great hooker who has delivered for us on many occassions. I think we also have struggled to adapt to having a 2 hooker matchday 17. I think that losing Burrow has actually helped us out in this area indirectly.

If I were to only offer 1 of our hookers a new contract, it'd be Diskin.

If we could only have 1 hooker in the 17, it'd be Buderus.

Moving the topic slightly it sounds like Hull have been impressed with McShane


[i"I thought that he had a great game for us today, some great runs, decent passing, and their defence weren't sure what he'd do at times (at the ptb).
He even turned their defender stripping the ball from him into a kick through to Yeamo, setting up O'Meley's try.

He got decent game time, too, and I thought that he was one of our better players.

I'd keep him for longer if possible."[/i

[i"Showed up really well today, Leeds have a good player in the making there."[/i


[i"cant we just get rid of berrigan and have mcshane instead"[/i


[i"Certainly looks a good player who would like to have here but cant see any chance of it, remind me of a young Terry Newton without the thuggery"[/i


[i"Try saving tackle and went well according to radio"[/i


And with BJB going well (before the injury) at Quinns it looks like the source is still there despite the academy results

Wouldn't mind seeing Leeds sign Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook, I think he would perform better in a better team.

Rumour has it however he is Saints bound, along with Richard Owen and Michael Shenton.

Typical Leeds supporter comment just because he scored at the end despite almost bombing it. That was his sum contribution.

Donald has been dropping some pretty heavy hints in the YEP this week that he's looking for a new deal.

It looks like both he and Buderus are hoping to extend their stay with the champions.