After reading the thread about Sinfield and Hanley it got me thinking about the best players I'd seen play at Leeds. This will obviously change across different eras and it open to all sorts of interpretation but here goes my effort. I've not put too much thought into it so will probably omit someone obvious.

Harris
ET
Carroll (season 1)
Senior
Hall
Sinfield
McGuire
Peacock
Buderus/Diskin - This is the toughest decision for me (heart said Diskin, head says Buderus!)
McDermott
Ellis
JJB
Hanley

Burrow
Lauitiiti
Morley
Kirke!!!

I'm struggling for a 4th prop other than Bailey - sure I must be missing someone obvious though.

I have managed to incorporate Hanley & Sinfield into the one team and with McGuire & Harris taking the ball outside Sinfield I think this could be devastating.

I found it hard to not pick Brad Godden, 1 of my favourite players but felt TC and Keith were more devastating in their prime.

Presumed you had been watching longer than that for some reason. Apologies for probably adding on years.

I have to be honest and say that although watching since 1978, I can't honestly remember off the top of my head some of the names, even though in reality they were actually pretty good players in their own right.

ET, Harris, Sinfield, Hanley, Schofield, Crooks, Tunks, McGuire, Morley, Ellis, Grothe, Morris, are all players I can say off the top of my head I would look to place in a best team though.

Edit: Forgot to add David Ward, and one of my all time favouries despite only playing a short while, Izzard.

Kylie?

Very difficult to fit 35 years of players from various eras into one team, and I'm bound to miss out someone doing this off the top of my head, but (and this is the best players I've seen at Leeds in their respective positions, irrespective of time spent at the club):

Ettingshausen, Grothe, Godden, Senior, Atkinson, Holmes, Schofield (thought he played some of his best ever rugby at scrum half when Holroyd broke into the side), Powell, Ward, Pitchford, Lauitiiti, Morley, Hanley

Subs: Sinfield (just because he has to be in there somewhere), Dixon, McDermott, Peacock

assuming all players at their peak when i saw them

Webb
Calderwood
Walker
Senior
Hall
McGuire
Burrow
McDermott
Buderus
Peacock
Lauitiiti
Ellis
Sinfield

Eastwood
Jones-Buchanan
Leuluai
Bailey

Harris
Fallon
Schofield
Senior
Hall
McGuire
Burrow
McDermott
Lowes
Peacock
Furner
Ellis
Hanley

1- Morvin Edwards (Probably contraversial, but I found him very entertaining)
2- ET
3-Tonie Carroll
4 - Craig Innes (Classiest centre I've seen in blue and amber, closely followed by Godden)
5- Calderwood (In his prime)
6 - Harris
7 - Schofield (only at 7 to accomodate Harris)
8 - Fleary (that 1st season was awesome)
9 - Newton
10 - Peacock
11 - Morley
12 - Ellis
13 - Hanley

14 - Jackson (worked really well as interchange with Newton)
15 - Harvey Howard
16 - Barrie Mc
17 -Lauititi

Lots of very good players to miss out, and some club legends. That pack and bench would crucify the powder puff packs of modern day super league. Would be interesting to see what the combined bans of Newton, Peacock, Moz, Howard and Barrie would add up to.

1: Harris
2: Carl Gibson
3: Innes
4: Senior
5: Bai
6: Schofield
7: Burrow
8: Powell
9: Diskin
10: Peacock
11: Dixon
12: Ellis
13: Sinfield (sorry Ellery)

14: Hanley (how often did that happen in real life?)
15: McDermott
16: Lauititi
17: Morley

I know I only have one prop on the bench (Morley never played there for Leeds that I remember, but screw it, I've got arguably GB's greatest ever player there instead). I could probably have named 3 or 4 packs and still felt like I'd left people out.

If I were going to be basing it on players I saw play for Leeds but who were at their best somewhere else, Lowes would be at 9, but we got shut of him in the nick of time.... I'm fine with that by the way.

Having seen him play for Aus and later Cronulla, I regard ET as one of the best players I've seen, but despite being 2 years older than you, I didn't really start going to matches until 1989, so I missed his spell in blue and amber.

Hmmm, a best players you've ever seen play (in the flesh) thread might be fun....

I think I only got dragged along a few times before that but I vaguely remember ET, Schoey, Phil Ford, Gibbo, Creasser, Crooks, Maskill, Powell, Divorty.

Don't know if that lot were ever in the same side but in my head that's my earliest Leeds memories!

Having typed that - Roy Powell is my other bench man! Knew I'd forgotten someone! (forgot Furner as well to be fair!)

1. Harris
2. Bai
3. Carroll
4. Senior
5. Hall
6. McGuire
7. Burrow
8. McDermott
9. Buderus
10. Peacock
11. Ellis
12. Morley
13. Sinfield

14. Dunemann
15. Lauititi
16. Adamson
17. Leuluai

Best rugby players as opposed to best for Leeds/longest serving, and I only caught the very end of Holmes & Ward's career:

Ettingshausen

Grothe
Schofield
Senior
Hall

Harris
Coleman

Peacock
Lowes
Crooks
Lauititi
Morley
Hanley

McDermott
Dixon
Ellis
Sinfield

Coach: Murray