Nailed!!

I have stated elsewhere that credit must be given to McDermott and the club for the so far excellent handling of what promised to be a very difficult transition period....I have nothing but praise at at the meoment.

The young lads S.Ward, Singleton and Sutcliffe (and Cuthbertson) have fitted seemlessly into the make up of the team and I love the faith the coach has put in them....as well as with Handley who also looks 'the part'.
Who would have thought before the start of the season we would see Burrow and now Sinfield relegated to bench positions? Of the golden triangle who would have thought Danny McGuire woud end up being the most valuable to the future coming years of the transition?

Danny is certainly the new leader.The king is dead God save the king

Let's not get cocky about this. We've just witnessed the most successful period in the club's history. Replacing the men who were instrumental in that is going to be tough. It's not just about talent. It's about building a team that works.

Well said GCH we started last year very well and although got the CC our SL form from rd 12 onwards was alarmingly poor imo & going back to 05 we blew everyone away yet failed in both finals.
I still question our depth at Prop should we lose JP or Cuthbo for a period of time even IF Kylie gets fit but thus far the squad & Coach are doing very well.

Well the Challenge Cup will start to rear its head around the corner again as the draw for the 6th Round takes place on Monday and we find out who we play in that. Like I said in the off season though I don't think we'll throw so much focus and attention into that now those players finally won one. The likes of Peacock and Sinfield will be determined to finish with a GF win.

I agree that the Cup isn't likely to be such a target this year but as ever it all depends on the draw & GH for one will want to see us go as far as possible in it.
As others have said I can't believe how well the season has gone for us & how well we've played, something that did not seem likely after the way last season ended.
But it would only take injuries to crucial players at the wrong time to bring it all crashing down around our ears.
The form of JP, Aiton, Ward & Cuthbertson & McGuire has been crucial to our success, losing some of them at critical times could be disastrous.
Let's all just keep our feet on the ground but enjoy while it lasts.

it is interesting how the fixture list has worked out for us. Before the 6th Round takes place we have Wire (H) Hudda and Widnes (A).

Then it's the cup but afterwards the league games are 6 at home, only 2 away (one of which is the very poor Wakefield) and the Magic game.

What's been most impressive about how many games we've won is just how many have been away from home. In a league where even some of the better teams struggle for points or good performances when playing away, we've racked up 12 points from a possible 14, with a few impressive showings to boot.

The injury to Leuluai and the unwillingness to lean on Yates to do big minutes is putting a lot of miles on the legs of JP and Cuthbertson at the moment.

That needs to be addressed as the season goes on, before it becomes an issue. Unfortunately the way the cup is structured this year means there isn't likely to be an "easy" Cup game for the top 8 from last year where players can be rested.

Precisely.

gulfcoast_highwayman wrote:
Let's not get cocky about this. We've just witnessed the most successful period in the club's history. Replacing the men who were instrumental in that is going to be tough. It's not just about talent. It's about building a team that works.

very true and lets not forget the man who a lot are saying leave out led us through the good days so we have to find someone of the same make up.

Indeed. Replacing the greatest captain in the history of rugby league is a daunting thing. Those are some massive shoes to fill.

Don't get me wrong. I am not under any illusion; we might not see such a fantastic 'team' led by such a brilliant inspirational captain again for many years. It has indeed been an exceptional decade.

What I am happy about is the fact that the transition to date has been handled far better than many - not least myself - feared. As I stated elsewhere, who would have believed at the start of the season we would both dispense with Bailey and Kirke and have seen both Burrow AND Sinfield on the bench in favour of the 'lesser status' squad members?

Before the star of the season the club and the team [uhad[/u [iappeared[/i to be sleepwalking into slow inevitable decline, with its apparent reliance on the same old immovable faces signed up for a few more years to come.

Fair points all.

Kylie, JP and Sinny gone next year, JJB can't be far off and Ablett and Delaney very much veterans. Achurch is no Delaney either and still offering little. Seeing how long it took even a kid as high quality as Stevie Ward to adjust to first team rugby we don't have a lot to fill some very big empty boots in the forwards.
JP will be massively missed, thought he was exceptional on Friday. Realistically I would be looking at 3 top class forwards brought in over the next 18 months. Whitehead would have been on my list for a start.

Actually I thought with the squad we had we should have walked to our 7th SL title last year. We started very well, added the threat of Briscoe and had a proper hooker.
Our end of season form though was truly awful and in a lot of ways very difficult to explain. The fact that effectively the same group of players just 12 or so games further on are 6 points clear at the top of the league table makes last year even more baffling.

The real "transition" comes when Kev isn't sat on the bench and we can't get 1 minute, let alone 70, out if JP.

Having said that, I think it's obvious that we have some real talent in the side and will still be very competitive for the foreseeable future.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing, but maintaining the team ethos should - and I am certain is - always be considered as a priority. That seems to me to be the impressive thing at the moment.....the bad old days of signing 'quality' big name signings with no such consideration was always doomed to failure.
Maybe I am being too generous with Achurch, but the one slight criticism is this persistence in throwing him on as a replacment prop. He has undoubtedly shown he is far more promising as a wide running second rower. Indeed as I stated many seasons ago now, Delaney seems to me to be the more natural prop not the second rower [ihe[/i continues to be selected as. The guy is much better at 'running it in' and having better leg drive....but he can't/won't pass; something Achurch can do.

It wasn't difficult to explain, I've said many times and actually heard from players mouths themselves that as it become closer and closer that all thoughts were about and I quote "Wembley, Wembley, Wembley''......not saying it's right that they did that and didn't concentrate properly on the league, but that's what happened. Had this group of guys won one of those cup finals during the 2010-2012 period then we probably would've won the LLS in 2014.....probably quite comfortably too as it turned out as others scrambled over the line too.

I agree with the OP that much credit must go to the club for the obvious foresight they have put in over a number of years to prepare (ok, it's only what they should be doing but still).

It's important to recognise that we can never replicate what Sinny, JP etc.. have achieved, that isn't what transitions are about.

It's about bringing in or through players that will fit in to the ethos of the club and not disrupt the style of play or obvious good relations between existing players. Generally bringing players through is the best way to achieve this as they know the club.

I thought GH was a bit of a prat when he sent his email before the season about faith in the kids but the good ship Rhinos is clearly in excellent hands.

At the moment I can't see how JJB would get back in the squad, he could be another that decides to call it a day at the end of the season.

that's a tad harsh imo as i believe that he was playing some of his best rugby prior to his injury so don't write him off just yet

He'd comfortably get in the 17 above Yates and Achurch (and allow us to share the minutes our front rowers are doing currently better). He was having a decent year before injury.

If everyone was fit tomorrow then going from what we've seen so far my strongest 17 would be...

Hardaker
Briscoe
Watkins
Moon
Hall
Sutcliffe
McGuire
Cuthbertson
Aiton
Peacock
Ablett
Ward
Sinfield

Singleton
JJB
Delaney
Achurch

Sinfield could switch to hooker for a spell to rest Aiton or could even be spelled himself with a few back row options on the bench (or even start on the bench with either Singleton or JJB at loose depending on the opponent). Would use JJB as either prop/loose and Achurch as a 2nd rower.

Harsh on Handley but Briscoe was in terrific form previously and whilst not the strongest start to the year it'd be a brave man not to pick Hall.

Hoping we see Walters, Robbie Ward and Mulhern at some point during the year (certain we will with Walters who just got injured at the wrong time around Easter weekend.) who could force themselves onto the bench ahead of the likes of an Achurch.

What? JJB has been in splendid form this year and until his injury looked as fit as any of the squad doing the hard stuff in the middle. If he returns in the same form he will make the squad as a starter.

JJB (on best form) is a better player than either Achurch or Yates. The issue is whether having him ahead of either on the bench leaves you extremely lightweight.

Might not be so much of a problem if we hit a hot summer and agility/mobility/stamina become key for the forwards rather than outright size and power.

But the playoffs are in Sept/October when it's cooler and possibly wetter and the big guys may come back into their own.
You need a balance plus luck with injuries.

JJB might not be the biggest but he was showing he could hold his own in the middle, more so than when the bigger Achurch plays there.