I couldn't agree more. It's sport after all and players will come and go and as you say we have had quite a lot of good news recently to offset anything.

I think O'Neill playing significant minutes at 13 is a near certainty in any event. I don't see how we can be happy having Leeming or O'Neill playing less than 40 minutes every game.

Even if Smithies goes we have Thompson and Ellis over O’Neil at 13.

I think our 9s will be asked to do very intense spells high energy and work rate next year. Literally gas themselves out in 20-30 minute spells before rotating them.

We will have Radley who will replace Smithies, Field going to Catalans will make room for Radley and Hampshire will go to fullback

Time will tell. But wasn't one of the reasons Leeming kicked off at Leeds because he either wasn't starting games or was used more as an impact player for short bursts? (I could be wrong about that). O'Neill has great engine too, so it would be a waste not to get decent minutes from him.

I think Ellis/Thompson will be the obvious candidates for starting at 13, but I'd be surprised if O'Neill isn't spelled there similarly to Josh Hodgson has been for England from time to time.

Did someone say we have one more signing incoming. Got to be another second rower. Maybe another project signing with the cap I imagine we have left.

Nope. Its either Owen Farrell or Nathan Cleary. Just not sure which!

Hard to say what goes on at Leeds between the players and the coach. On the face of it, it looked like Leeming wasn’t happy at losing his starting spot to O’Connor but then you’ve had Walters chhosimg to leave, Austin leaving mid season, Nene MacDonald hid in Australia and now seems destined for Salford and other guys like Newman and Holroyd have been rumoured to be unhappy.

In the right environment I think there’s a more than decent chance Leeming just gets his head down. I’m sure they’ve spoke to him about what his role will be. I do think the suggestion above that Leeming plays solely at hooker, Smithies (or somebody else) plays solely at loose forward and O’Neill shifts between the two spots is how we’ll go. The back end of this season has been a little look in to the future IMO.

He’s under contract until the end of 2025.

I’m with you Nicky, I view Morgan as the player who glues everything together. We need to keep our federation players if we are going to be successful over a long period.

Regarding the suspects in the know, Dan has announced it!

New 5 year deal announced in the morning then

He hasn't

He said, “Canberra has agreed a deal for Smithies”.

Rumours on a couple of boards that Byrne may be let go to relieve some cap pressure due to the arms of forwards you now possess!

Reckon there is any truth in that?