Sinfield has just signed a new 4 year contract - so he isn't going anywhere and he is sure to play as long as he wants to?

The core of this team will be the same in 4 years time - Hall, Smith both signed 3/4 year contracts, Burrow/McGuire will still be here, JJB/Ablett/Bailey with Sinfield that makes 8 over half a side

OK explain the signings of Cross and Huraki?

Only players we could get, left signings too late hopefully.

Oh, that clears it up........

Leeds had Shenton in the bag last year then when Smith became available they had to make a straight choice between the 2. Looking at it now they probably realise they made the wrong choice.

Are you saying Smith is done? He's a utility back at present and needs to decide what position he's going to go for on a permanent basis (although nothing wrong with being a good utility back). But done? Some people have also spoken about Hall as though he's 30+ and compared him to Amos Roberts. WTF?

The argument that players may not want to come to Leeds with a core of the likes of Sinfield, McGuire etc is bizarre. Are you suggesting McGuire (assuming he gets to full fitness) and Sinfield aren't amongst the very best in their positions? Why wouldn't you want to play alongside them? The only players they would put off are stand offs/loose forwards ready for game time now.

I'm not saying Smith is done i just think that since he came back from union he has been a shadow of the player he once was and at the moment i think Shenton is the better player but if Smith gets back to his best he is on par if not better with his attacking ability.

Totally agree about Sinfield and Mcguire though, they're far from finished and on last years form still the best in there respective positions than anyone else we have in this country

The point for me is this - if you were a young talented player you want to play in a team which is likely to be challenging for trophies and a team with a flexible enough approach where you can make a difference.

This is a very short career with limited incomes and opportunities

Do you realistically see Leeds challenging for honours anytime soon?

Given the playing rosta do you honestly think the style of play can change; Sinfield has signed a 4 year contract - he is going to be the main playmaker for that period, you cannot radically change his game, so the attack will remain his domain no matter who the personnel around him are.

On Smith - it is like watching a poor man's Gasnier in the effect that the time in RU has had on him - niether are the same player - albeit at differing skill levels - he has lost his pace or the game has got faster and he hasn't.

Very difficult to predict who will be ending up with trophies this year. I would suspect that a player looking to make a career move would not be concerned with the fact that we only made the CC final and the GF semi last year, rather than winning them. Just like Lance Hohaia wasn't bothered that Saints haven't won anything for two years and have lost 4 GF's in a row, being comprehensively duffed by Wigan last year.

Reminds me of rlthisrl

I doubt Hohaia would have signed for Saints if he didn't think they had the potential to be challenging - something they have consistently shown since the inception of SL and something they are continuing to show.

They also have a crop of very talented youngsters which will make up the core of their squad for the future - there has to reasons that the likes of LMS and Shenton chose Saints? Look at their overseas players they tend to be less but higher standard

It is a club that appears to be investing in a new stadium not cost cutting on revamping a stand etc

Lets not kid ourselves here Sal.

Your argument on kids is a valid and correct one. They do want to be where they have a chance of success, and certainly the way it looks at the moment the opportunities we are looking to create for our new breed of players is not as good as the one we had from 2002.

Your argument about Hohaia though is just taking the micky. Players of his sort from overseas come over for the money first and foremost, nothing else. Had Crusaders offered the player more than Saints then he would have been there instead.

Why?

I thought Shenton was an above average player at Cas and I've seen nothing at Saints yet to show he's elevated his game much beyond that.

Smith, on the other hand, has shown greatness and has fantastic utility value.

IF it was a choice between the two then I think they made the right choice.

My gut feeling is that Leeds won't challenge consistently until we next produce quality players at 6 and 7 and possibly 9. This isn't a criticism of McGuire & Burrow, just a feeling that they aren't players to rebuild a team around.