Great news that Delaney has agreed to a new and improved 5 year deal
I'd agree that he is the one most likely to step into JP's position in the front row long term when he eventually retires, He may even make the move to the front row before, I certainly believe that he could handle it just as well as when JP made the move from back rower to front rower

IMO Delaney is a workaholic who loves the hard tough stuff down the middle, but hasn't got the skill set required to keep him in our back row long term when we look at the younger players coming through

The club have ended up coming up trumps with Delaney big time with how he has progressed within our side, he certainly never looked like playing long term in the position that the club signed him initially to play

Not sure why people think Delaney doesn't have the skill set to be a fixture in the back row.

Assuming that Ward and Ablett are going to be the other two members of that back row going forward, then someone to do the grunt is exactly what the trio needs to give it some balance.

Ah it was about his age then rather than his injuries?



You see I understood that you were linking the decision to tie him up long term to whether or not he could get through a season without injuries. I thought it was salient to point out that Watkins has had many of his leeds seaons disrupted by injuries since breaking through and I think we will all be relieved that the club has tied him up.

By the way, Watkins is 22 and Delaney is 27. Watkins made his Leeds debut 2 years before Delaney.

HTH

Good to have him signed up. Monumental work rate and you need players with his kind of enthusiasm for the hard work.

Agree with those who think he may not be captain material. Just let him get on with doing what he does would be my take.

I also don't really see him as a prop. I think it's OK to have strong ball carriers in your 2nd row. It's a move a lot of back rowers make as they get a bit older, but I don't see it for Delaney. A lot of back-rowers stay as back-rowers too! Might be wrong.

People get caught up in defining players as a 'second rower' or 'prop'.

In what he does on the field, Delaney straddles both now anyway.

I don't think anyone thought he didn't. As for Ward and Ablett, Ward seems so far to operate as a tackling machine, others may be more in the know regarding his handling skills so maybe there is more to come. Ablett looks far more effective at centre IMO. And I see him playing there in the future as well - he seems destined.
I'd say that from what I've seen of Sutcliffe he looks like the answer as a wide running loose forward (in the old style). He could be the player to bring the centres into play. He has that ability to glide through the defence and has great hands.

The only negative I can think of for Delaney is that he always gives 100% max effort, even when he's hurting. When you hit 30+ nursing yourself a little when your not 100% could extend your playing life. I'd like to think he can carry on bashing himself for nearly 80 minutes every week for the next 5 years without consequence but I'm not convinced.

I know Ali Lauititi's don't grow on trees and maybe we've been spoiled, but a genuine wide running, ball handling second row who creates space for those around him is something we currently don't possess.

And I'd have Delaney in my team every week, he's a gutsy, direct runner who causes havoc up the middle of the field.

Delaney has just tweeted he is starting uni in sept.

Leeds Met - sorry Beckett - doing a degree in tattooology now?

I feel that in most teams the right side second row is very different to the left side. Most teams attack most of their "long" plays to the left, because that's the side most players pass best to. Most plays on the right side of the team tend to be off short passes or straight off the ruck.
This means right side second rows typically see more action close to the ruck off short passes, and will often be more involved in defence - even more so if the team puts their loose forward and a half outside on the right and just a half outside on the left.