I'd be keen to try Sinfield at 6, McGuire at 7, Sutcliffe at 13 and McShane and Burrow spelling as hooker.

I'm not coach though.

At least I don't think I am. I hope I'm not, I haven't seen a training session, well, ever. They should fire me.

What were we talking about? Oh. Yes. I'll try the lemon drizzle please.

This

I think all this depends on when Danny is actually fit to return and how fit he is. There is no way he can walk back into the side for the final couple of play off games and be 100% or even ready. If he can manage to get back before the end of the regular season and get some game time then I'd happily go with either:

Sinfield 6, McGuire 7, Burrow 9, Sutcliffe 13

or preferably

Sutcliffe 6, McGuire 7, Sinfield 9, Burrow from the bench.

There are pros and cons for both. The second option puts a lot of pressure on Kev to kick from dummy half early in the match but probably ends up with the shape of the side looking the same after Burrow's introduction after 25-30 minutes.

The first IMO leaves us a forward light although it does allow McShane to be in the
squad. I guess a lot depends on where we are with Macca right now. The Wakefield game was one of his worst in a Leeds shirt yet he went OK at London.

As for the poster above who said sarcastically that Kirke, Ablett, Bailey, McGuire and Burrow would all make the 17. I should bloody think so too! 28 rings between them and 3 are absolute shoe ins when fit regardless of other injuries. Bailey and Kirke less so although at least one of them is always going to make the cut and as long as Kirke remembers how to tackle before the play offs I'd have both in my 17

It is a strange one - certainly his return from injury form is no where near his form after playing consistently for some time.

I can't imagine we'd leave him out for the playoffs but at the same time, it would take something special for him to play to his full ability in such a short turnaround.

It's all coming together for the Play Offs.

Leeds vs Saints final please

That would be me
How do you know it was said sarcastically?
But just to take the discussion further.
You say yourself that Bailey and Kirke less so.
Ablett has gone off the boil lately but may come back stronger soon.
McGuire struggled before his injury and I doubt for one minute he will be better for having the injury.
Game time will be minimal I reckon so how fit is he going to be?
Burrow hasn`t been playing well all season.
Singleton and Sutcliffe in my opinion should not be dropped nor should JP, McShane, Kylie, Delaney and possibly JJB if fit.
So like I said some hard decisions to be made hopefully based on performance and not loyalty.

I'd give Danny a couple of games at Hunslet to get his match fitness back up before throwing him back in the SL, although judging by other returning players, I seriously doubt that's happen.

Well of course he is off the boil after a lengthy injury. The guy has a brilliant record in the big games for Leeds, if fit he is a certainty for every playoff game.





This is playoff rugby where experience counts for everything and with McGuire having 7 Grand Finals with 6 winners rings, he is also a certainty, albeit he wont be playing a full 80 in his first couple of games.




Yes he has. The last two months both Burrow and Peacock have been absolutely vital for Leeds. Burrow has stood up (Still at knee height) and marshalled the squad brilliantly. Against London he put 110% effort in, unfortunately he didn't have much support in the way off dummy runners making a lot of his work ineffective. And like the above reference to McGuire how on earth can you leave Burrow out after 6 GF wins....



All of the names you've mentioned, minus 1, can be in the same 17, as this:

Zak
Bish
Watkins
Moon
Hall
McGuire
Sinfield
Kylie
Burrow
JP
JJB
Delaney
Sutclifffe

Kirke/Bailey
Ablett
Singleton
McShane

Until Mcguire is 100% match fit McShane starts, Burrow goes in the halves and McGuire benches it.

No point in having a pivot on the bench, and no team plays with four pivots.

If Sutcliffe plays, then it would be as a ball carrying back rower which isn't his natural game and places more pressure on the other four players in the pack.

With the likes of McGuire, Bailey, JJB, Delaney and McGuire coming back to fitness some hard (and potentially unpopular) decisions will need to be made, if and where Sutcliffe plays being one of them.

IF the whole squad bar Ward are fit, then 14 of the playoff 17 are nailed on:

Hardaker; BJB, Watkins, Moon, Hall; Sinfield, McGuire; Peacock, Burrow, Leuluai, Delaney, JJB, Ablett; Bailey, 15, 16, 17.

Singleton has probably played his way into the 15 slot, then it's two from Kirke, Sutcliffe, McShane, Moore, Clarkson probably in that order of likelihood.

Had completely forgotten that Achurch was on our books until reading the above post.

Depending on when he's actually fit, I think he may struggle to get back in. He has been vital in big games over his career, but I fear that his sharpness and fitness will render him pretty poor for a period when we need the squad to be at their best. Sutcliffe has been good, but not undroppable, so he may have to move to accomodate him, but I can certainly see McGuire's place under threat in the next season

I dunno, didn't we effectively have 4 pivots in 2011 and 2012? Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow, Buderus/Lunt all seem pretty pivoty to me. At times you could have argued you could throw Brent Webb into that list.

I think we can play with Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow, Sutcliffe and McShane, if 4 of 5 are on the pitch at one time. I'd suggest then that Sutcliffe's role is as ball-playing loose, rather than ball-carrying back row.

I'd be looking to go with:

Hardaker
Bish
Watkins
Moon
Hall
Sutcliffe
McGuire
Leuluai
Sinfield
Peacock
JJB
Delaney
Ablett

Bailey
Kirke
Singleton
Burrow

But that be completely dependent on McGuire, JJB & Bailey showing some form before the play offs begin

I'd agree, but I'd add that the way those 4 complemented each other best seemed to be when Burrow began on the bench and came on. This allowed us an extra forward in the early exchanges and also a huge impact player off the bench who could, and did, change games on his own.