Aiton looks a decent athlete, and his tackle stats seem good.

My only concern is about his ability to direct the play around the park and solve our ongoing issue with distribution from DH, which isn't really Burrow's strength and which McShane seems unable to actually get to DH often enough to be a really effective option.

Haven't seen that much of Aiton, what do Wakey fans make of his actual Dummy Half play?

That's your only concern?

My concern would mainly centre around, what's the point in bringing in an hooker, when we will only player Burrow or Sinfield there anyway, as they have to be on the pitch at all times, seeminly our coaches view.

He's developing into a very good player these days. I never used to rate him either but he's matured and is better than average these days. He'd walk into most teams over here anyway.

....and that for me is the biggest problem and my reason for wanting a new "outsider" coach who will have the strength to do what is best for the team rather than his too emotionally close buddies.

Here we go again

If he is good enough (and he is) then he is old enough a la John Holmes etc etc

I too suspect that if he bulks up he might be a better LF which might cause a different future issue with Stevie Ward, but without a doubt I would start Sutcliffe AND Ward next season as SO and LF.

If Sutcliffe does struggle a little there is always the back up of the starting hooker (Sinfield) on the field to take over - providing we recruit that essential (at least bench) hooker this close season. Sutcliffe can always drop back to centre .. Or maybe even alternate with Moon, who has played SO too in the past.

The role of the modern loose forward is not to be a pivot. It's to play as an extra ball carrier and defend in the middle third of the field.

I'm struggling to think of another side in SL that plays with pivots at 6,7 and 13.

Longer term, if Sutcliffe is going to play as a pivot then unless either the game changes or Leeds buck the trend he'll do so from stand-off. Ward may well fill out into the loose forward role, but with a bit more ball playing ability than others.

He is playing in a team that usually dominate in the forwards which gives his kicking game much time than usual - as soon as the pace hotted up at the business end of the season his effectiveness diminished to its normal level. Reynolds is much the same - a bit of an empty jacket at the highest level.

We have seen a host of similar half backs to Sutton in SL, Holdsworth, Sammut, Tim Smith - all NRL regulars - spring to mind, they have hardly set the league on fire - can't honestly see that Sutton is any better than them.

Isn't Wilkin a pivot? Only covered half back when they have injuries.

What's this modern loose forward? the game changes all the time, and there isn't a fixed way of doing things, or a certain type, you should pick a team to suit your own systems. Certainly in Leeds case they have always worked different to others, as Saints did in the first half of the 2000's. Is that difference that gives a team an edge more often that not.

What about Greg Bird? Isn't he a LF?

Flanders at Wigan is a playmaker from 13 as well.

I'm just not sure Aiton and poore are of the required quality.

Leeds recent recruitment has been so hit and miss. You have gems like delaney and hardaker.....but then you have the likes of ben cross, griffin, micheal coady, vickery et al.

It seems for every 3/4 players leeds sign, only 1 is decent or adds anything to the team. We've signed briscoe, so it looks like that's our lot for quality signings this season.

This is at a time when signing the right players is vital, we can't be making so many mistakes with recruitment when we have so many legends entering the twilight of their career.

If we sign aiton and poore all i see happening is they play a few times at first, are average. We then persist with what we currently have 80% of the time, these guys have cameos, maybe they are loaned out, then they just sign permanently for the team we've loaned them to.

So would I but I doubt brian would

It's my only concern about Aiton's credentials.

I have lots of other concerns about a range of social, political and economic issues. This just didn't seem like the place for them.

I'm holding on to them til Last Son of Wigan comes back.

Having watched Aiton for the last 2 years;fantastic defender,great determination, hard as nails but poor distribution, no kicking game and unable to direct play.

Poore, Aiton & Kirmond for McShane, Kirke, Clarkson & Moore plus cash?