Watkins 5 Year Deal. Lets hope he shows his early season form rather than the latter part. He was mostly a passenger the 2nd half of the season.


rlhttps://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/24126.php#.VFCHX_sqWporl

Getting some early ball would help, hope McDermott changes his style so we can see the best of Kallum and Joel next year.

You can't blame the coach for Watkins' poor 2nd half of the season. Dropping balls and throwing passes into touch isn't a game plan.

Don't remember him dropping too much, passing is not his strongest asset, we need an attacking structure that plays to his strengths which is his power and pace.

Great news about the new Watkins deal and whilst you cant blame the Coach for some of his individual errors you can certainly question how he was starved of quality early ball as is the case for the entire outside backs.

Watkins got plenty of early ball in the second half of last season. Sadly his lack of any actual ability to either create space for his winger or find an alternative when his left foot step, left arm fend trick doesn't work is getting shown up.

He needs to learn to pick better running lines, change his angles and offer some different threats rather than just trying to go on the outside every time.

The Watkins deal is fantastic news. With the NRL sniffing around anyone of quality or potential in SL we've done well to keep him on a 5 year deal. It maybe goes someway to explaining Cuthbertson being the only signing so far. Though I do think we need another prop.

I agree partly with AG that Watkins has to share some of the blame for a relatively poor 2nd half of the season. I'd agree he needs to run from deep more and on better lines rather than just trying to drift wide. Having said that, whilst he did still get some early ball, as a team, we were rarely on top or really stretching the opposition defence before he got the ball, plus he's still young and effectively learning the game at this level.

How many times did we see the move either break down or stop dead when the ball reached the BR playing on his side namely Delaney more than most?
Also on many occasions by the time the ball reached him he and TB had either a 3 on 2 or 4 on 2 Defensive line in front of them!
Like i said previously KW has to be accountable for his own errors or mis-reading the play absolutely but he and Moon were criminally starved of quality supply imo.

Watkins needs to show more desire to get involved and improve, for sure.

But his lack of impact towards the end of last season is as much about the failure of the team's attacking structures. Watkins and Moon are under-utilised, and they often only get ball in impossible or desperate situations.

I think both Watkins and Moon are reaping the low attacking rewards from a back-row that is mainly composed of workhorses as opposed to line-breakers (e.g. Lauitiiti, Poching, Bulls era Peacock). Ablett is okay in this respect, but looks less of a threat going forward in the back-row than he has done at centre. JJB and Delaney aren't the kind of players that create that many opportunities for and link well with the outside backs. Achurch would be ideal in this role, as we saw early season, whereas Ward similarly lacks the punch. Minchella does look promising for the future though.

But let's not dwell on the negatives, this is FANTASTIC news considering Watkins is the most obvious player in our team to be targeted by a big-money NRL or Union offer.

Hardaker must be another priority assuming he can sort his head out.

That's why I prefer a ball player at Loose rather than this silly move that a lot do now of playing size at loose and in many cases props.

Sinfield should be back at loose, and not him then Ward. Minchella possibly. I don't see Achurch as the answer to the loose position. We need someone who can pass and move.

Watkins is a freakish talent. A rare talent in Super League terms. A small dip in form (that is being wildly exaggerated) doesn't alter that.

Some of Watkins issues stemmed from a lack of understanding between him and Briscoe, which will come.

If you want someone comfortable with the ball in hand and mobile to play loose-forward, then it's Carl Ablett by a distance IMO.

Criminally under-used by Leeds in that respect, a much better player than "just" a wide-running second-rower.

Agree with that very under estimated Ablett

Considering he is our only worthwhile backrower though it kind of leaves us in short supply. I agree his good with ball in hand, but not with the way this coach uses him.

Peronally I woud prefer Sutcliffe to play loose forward and keep the rest as it is but with Mcdermott preferring a prop it would not surprise me if he uses cuthbertson there. Also I have no idea where this leaves Stevie Ward.

In the past season played a lot for the Newcastle after I had heard we signed him. (Apart from when injured).

Also not sure about moving our best second rower last season around. Keep Ablett where he is.

With regards to Watins I think its great we have him until 2019. For all the criticism he gets on here I still beleive he is quality and glad he is staying.