If we were playing free flowing rugby without two or three key pivot players then I would have to worry for the rest of super league when Burrow, Buderus and webb do come back and have a few games under their belts. We are still missing a good few players, and still picking up points.

I do think we are impatient and lack structure in attack though sometimes.

On the centre issue I feel I am banging my head against a wall of tedness.

3 titles in 5 years built from a squad of home grown players. So large proportions of people on here still want to go out and buy a new centre, with very few suggestions as to who would fit the bill.

The team is good enough to carry a youngster or two. If they make mistakes then over the course of the season we can deal with that. we may lose the odd try or game through mistakes, but from what I have seen of watkins, we have one hell of a player on our hands. Lets develop him. If it causes us problems we have Gibson to fill in, and smith and ABlett. And we may end up without a trophy, but who is to say we would win it anyway. We could sign a Lyon, or someone similar, and he could snap his cruciates in his first game, and we're back at square one, with a massive hole in our salary cap.

You're right. I am sorry.

I should try and be a bigger man.([sizego on Soprano, you know you want to. Make a joke)[/size
I will try harder next time.

You sir have renewed my faith that we have amongst us one or two knowledgeable posters.

Well said. Spot on.

Look I do agree with most of what your saying - your post with regards to the losses from the squad i do agree with - all I said was in my opinion we are a tad short at present. I didn't think I deserved to be called a fekkin moron for saying that - thought it was a bit harsh mate.

I'm a very proud Leeds supporter and have been for over 25 years. I am proud of what we have achieved and the young talent we bring through into the game which a lot of clubs not just Leeds have benefitted from. Long may it continue - I was never knocking this.

Who? Me? Never?

And don't go booking tickets for the Saints cup match if it is on the saturday.

Shame it wasn't at Saints, we could've done both.

I think it has been pretty awesome (the WCC apart ) and as a result we currently sit on top of the league.

4 games in and the attack hasnt clicked...hardly surprising.

As I first said, with the arrival of Eastwood. It would just give us a bit extra, a bit more impact, and would allow Ablett to help out in the centres as he did well last year. Or in the centres with someone like Martin Gleeson. (salary cap allowing of course). Thought he was meant to be going down under this last off season? what happened there??

Watkins isnt ready, bluey clearly thinks he isnt ready hence him only being on the bench,

Ablett isnt a centre, he needs to make a second row spot his own this year, constant changing of his position has led to him making quite a few mistakes,

Gibson is seemingly fourth choice centre, he was a quality youngster, but really shouldnt be 4th choice centre to an ageing senior, a newborn Watkins and a second rower at this stage in his career

and I cant see how smith is going to benefit from learning another position, he has shown he can be one of the best wingers and fullbacks in the league, lets use him there, keep him on the wing, give him a few shots at full back and he will be our number 1 in a couple of years,

however we have shown that we can 'carry' a centre, we proved that last year that when we are strong elsewhere we can have someone fill in there and still win things, but we clearly arent as strong as we were last year, we have lost scruton, ellis, tansey, and toopi, and replaced none of them,

i think we are two players from where we would ideally be, we are smaller up front, and have less cover in the backs, if we have the cap space we should spend it, a 2nd row/centre and another forward would be great one of these is hopefully eastwood, but i would still want someone who can come in at centre and take some pressure off Watkins and allow Ablett to become an out and out 2nd rower

We have/did sign Eastwood, Hetherington or the club can do nothing about the red tape.

Gleeson would without a doubt improve our first team, but in the process would keep Gibson Watkins and Smith/Hall from getting in the first team, given how much Gleeson would cost I don't think it would be a wise purchase for the future.

Our squad looks very well balanced (even without Eastwood who we should now just write off realistically), until you consider that Gibson was unproven before he spent 2 years injured, Watkins is 17 ( and as such should not be overused) and Senior is 32 (and Smith has to cover fullback at the moment and has little or no experience at centre). We have Ablett, but we have lost Ellis who he rotated with last year (which simply didn't work so that might be a bonus). The question is do we live with it or do we look to make a short term addition?
Logically I don't think you can say signing a centre would harm Watkins development. Realistically it's going to be 1-2 seasons before he becomes a regular first team player and by that time we will need a replacement for Senior in all probablility. Gibson is a wild card - odds are he crocked and his time has eluded him, but you can't be 100% and the club obviously feel that way too.
Do we sign a centre? "Is there one to sign?" should be the question. We had a promising young full back in Smith, but we signed Brent Webb to replace Mathers - has that hindered Smith? I don't think so. It also indicates that the club will sign quality (at the right price) when it becomes available. I have no doubts we have been looking for a quality 3/4 for sensible money since Toopi did his knee.
I don't think you can bag people on here for wanting us to sign a quality centre, but likewise for the other side of the argument if their isn't one that's better than what we have for money that doesn't look insane then what do you want? We can't make a player appear out of nothing.