How did Eden go for giants? I saw him on sky the other week and was very impressed.

Very well. Had a good game

We were missing our three main creators and support players, so the result was obvious. It'll be interesting when we are back to full strength. A lot of options. Think the last two weeks shows how effective Webb is and how much we rely on McGuire. We really need to be getting the ball early to Watkins and Hardaker or we might as well just put Ablett and Delaney in the centres if we're not going to use them.

Webb
Hall Hardaker Watkins BJB
Sinfield McGuire
Bailey, Burrow, Peacock
Ablett, JJB
Ward

Hood Moore Griffin Delaney

With competition from McShane, Leuluai, Clarkson, Hauraki, Kirke, Chisholme, Smith, Singleton. With the potential of Ambler and Amor back next season.

If Webb does leave at the end of the year, then I'd either go with Hardaker at full back and try and sign a top centre otherwise I'd be in the market for a full back. As has already been said, we could really do with a ball handling second row. No need to panic though, we just need our main pivots back.

Not many sides can lose 3 pivotal players and without a great loss of performance. That all three have been in tip top form on attack makes the loss all the greater. So we should not be too dispondent as there are obvious reasons for our drop in form. What is difficult to accept is the drop in defensive performance by the experienced players all at the same time.

Maybe having peaked for the WCC we have just hit a flat spot as was bound to happen at some stage during the season. However with confidence being such an important factor in sport I get the feeling that the drop in form may have been a mental thing because the team knew we were going into the last two games without key players and so lost that all important confidence.

Look at the transformation over at Saints. A change of coach and Roby returning in outstanding form were key factors but in their last 2 victories all the other players have upped their game with pace and confidence on attack and defence. Those same players that for the last 2 weeks have been outstanding were clueless a month ago - the difference is mental

A return of our creative pivotal players will coincide with return to form of the journeymen in the team. What is obvious is that we do need some quality reserve creative pivotal players. McShane is not showing any class, neither is Clarkson who after early promise now seems nothing more than an average tackler. Perhaps we should have retained Pitts and let Clarkson go?

eden looks like a hot prospect. Huddserfield to be fair to them, have been bringing through some good young backs in recent years.

They have, got some good English youngsters in the hudds team

Agree to a point. Your goal line defence was excellent, but whether it would have held so well with McGuire, Burrow and Webb running at it is another question. Similarly there is no doubt our attacking options were not that smart at times as a result of missing three of the most dangerous attacking players in the league.

I always thought Big Eorl was a bit overrated but I reckon he deserves special mention for Friday's performance.

They have, although Eden was signed from Cas.

I agree with the points made and the way foward. We are the world champions and I want us to stay at the top of the pile. However signing either a quality centre or fullback will not be easy and it depends whose available either in SL or the NRL. Any ideas?

I think Cas will rue the day they let Eden go, he looks 10 times the full back that Owen will ever be.

He looks a cracking player that's for sure. IIRC he turned down a new contract offer at Cas. Maybe they ought to have given him more first team opportunities though and he'd have been more inclined to stay?

They didn't 'let' Eden go, he chose to come to us...Cas were desperate to sign him up for the long term, bloody glad he did though he oozes class already.

BTW was impressed with that Ward lad.

What about Eden ? ...... wouldn't mind that chap called Roby too.

When i saw the team sheet last night the thing that stood out was the lack of leaders we had in the 17. With Burrow, McGuire, Webb and JJB missing it left just Sinfield and Peacock as real leaders on the pitch and when Peacock was interchanged that left just Sinfield on his own, and as much praise as he gets (and deservingly so) for his leadership qualities he has always been the first to point out the efforts of the likes of JJB, Peacock, Senior, Diskin etc in the past at contributing hugely in that aspect of the game.

Regarding Greg Eden i recall watching him years back in the Cas academy and was as elusive with the ball in hand but as bad as he was last night trying to pass the ball, he will make a very good FB or winger though and has stacks of pace

According to his ex amateur coach who i work with, He was never going to re-sign for Cas and would have gone back to OZ if another top SL side hadn't come in for him