It is march

but according to leeds fans you and saints were already 1-2 before the first pass of a ball.

but hey you can always blame your injuries .

Point taken

I don't think Leeds need to change much to be honest. We will start to get players back shortly, and when Hall and Donald are on the wings, where would you play Smith, especially now Delaney is here? Even if he is turning out for the academy, then that means something must be going right!

But to have a player like him in the squad, is an absolute bonus. As we discovered in the Grand Final when Brent Webb got injured and Smith came in and won the Harry Sunderland award.

If you could get him under the cap, every club in SL would want him. We have 7 more months of rugby to go! Where would you be for example if you lost Carmont, Roberts, Richards and Gleeson for 8 or 9 games? Would Smith not be an option then?!!

It is down to you what you pay attention to.

Reading the comments of 13 or 14 year old kids and taking their word as gospel says more about you than it does of them

Sensible Leeds posters, fans who have seen the hard times, rarely make such bold predictions, even after all our recent success.

Has anyone thought about how Leeds may get Smith under the cap?

I made the point re. fitness quite clearly. So this is my last comment on the matter.

MM improved Wigan's fitness and conditioning beyond anything I've seen at our club in modern times. And frankly, he's improved it beyond anything else I've seen in SL this year, including at the mighty Leeds.

I seriously doubt that Lee Smith would slot comfortably into that situation - not without having to go through the same three-month fitness and conditioning programme the Wigan players went through. Hence, I don't think there'd be any point in us signing him, as the season would be almost over before we saw the best of him.

If Leeds want him, good. I hope he goes well for them and regains his international form.

How much space have Leeds got on the cap?

I just think he would help plug the gaps until them players return and help to get Leeds back on track and up the table, the players covering so far have struggled a little. If we lost them players you mention he would be worth getting without doubt but thats not the case at the moment. FWIW I would be suprised if Leeds would want him with a fully fit squad, i just think its suits both parties at the moment.

How can you make such bold statements about your side's fitness, 2 months into the season?! Its baffling! All the best to you, I want a more competetive SL, and a Wigan v Huddersfield Grand Final would be great for the game, but how do you know that this "conditioning" won't result in your team burning out by mid July?

And its also an absolutely laughable claim that Lee Smith, who has been brought up in the best Academy in the country, and played for a side that has competed in 5 of the last 6 Grand Finals, winning 4 of them, would not comfortably slot into a particular fitness regime

You are getting way ahead of yourself here mate!

Wouldnt want him, and frankly we do not need him.

Talk of him going to Wire is farcical, I cant believe they can afford him, neither can Saints.

Back to Leeds, good luck to him and them, they need it.

If Lee Smith hadn't left last season, he would still be an integral part of the squad, absolutely no doubt

I read somewere that he had put a fair bit of weight on, id imagine muscle because the size of union men these days is frightening but will it of effected his RL qualities id say possibley in the short term.

Just changing the subject slightly, but why has Leeds Academy and Reserves performed so poorly over the last few seasons when they have been strong since Dean Bell's arrival at the start of SL?

Quote: MattyB "Just changing the subject slightly, but why has Leeds Academy and Reserves performed so poorly over the last few seasons when they have been strong since Dean Bell's arrival at the start of SL?'" Ask the question here viewtopic.php?f=17&t=450523 They seem to be taking it quite well

Quote: MattyB "Just changing the subject slightly, but why has Leeds Academy and Reserves performed so poorly over the last few seasons when they have been strong since Dean Bell's arrival at the start of SL?'" Ask the question here viewtopic.php?f=17&t=450523 They seem to be taking it quite well

I suspect that its because so many of the "good ones" pretty much get fast tracked to the first team

The Academy produced a ridiculous amount of players around 2002-03 which culminated in the 2004 GF win - Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, McGuire, Burrow, Bailey, Diskin, Jones Buchanan - add Sinfield to the mix, and it was a fantastic return. All those players from 2004 who came through the academy, bar Calderwood and Walker, are still first team regulars, 6 years on. I think that part of the problem is that Leeds have spent so much money on the academy and its facilities, and have produced so many players that they can't even keep due to salary cap constraints, that the academy now must have taken on a totally different business model

There will be players at Leeds now that look like they couldmake it, and that maybe 5 years ago they will have persevered with over a couple of seasons, however now, due to salary cap restrictions, they just take a punt and let them go.

There will always be one or two players coming through, which is all that is required. Our "Old guard" are still maybe only averaging about 26, so thats all that is needed.

Ben Jones Bishop is probably going to be the next starlet, and Tom Bush has looked good in patches, but I doubt there will ever be a set of youngsters come through at any club like that Leeds class of 03-04. The salary cap won't allow it.