With the new campaign kicking off on Friday, is anyone else concenered we have not brought in a centre?

Yes we are playing Watkins and Hardacker, but is Hardacker ready for the centres ???

Disapointed we have not bought in a experinced centre and let the kids fight out for the other centre spot !

With Smith, Ablett and Delaney able to cover centre (in that order IMO), I think it makes sense not to buy one and give the younger players their chance. Hardaker still has work to do, but he clearly has the raw talent.

IMO Zak Hardaker will become our stand out centre, he did not look out of place last season. I am more concerned with Kallum Watkins not is playing ability though but is unfortunate ability to injured on regular basis.

My sentiments exactly.

If Watkins gets injured this year then yes, fair enough. But he has been growing into his body and is still only 20 remember. Has anyone actually seen the size of him this year? He's as big as most of the forwards! I don't think he will be getting injured as easy as he has in the last couple of seasons.

Wouldn't quite go that far, but he's certainly put on a bit of muscle. I'm firmly of the belief that people will be raving about him as England's next big thing by the end of this season.

I'm with H on this KW is in fantastic shape and will take some handling when he gets up to match sharpness looks very powerfull ,has pace ,sidestep and a great off-load hopefully he'll get some luck injury wise aswell because i reckon he could be a super-star for the next 10yrs.
In Hardakers case i've no doubts whatsoever he can handle the Centre position as shown in the play-offs and GF plus he's deceptively stronger than his wirey frame suggests.
We also have the depth mentioned above so NO i'm not at all concerned that we didn't sign a centre.

Living in the SW I've not seen any preseason games but on the official teamshot on the rhinos website Watkins does look massive[url=http://www.therhinos.co.uk/downloads/18489.php?size=a<here>[/url

JJB had awful injury problems when he was young and I'm sure plenty then would have doubted the club sticking with him...

As for Hardaker I think he has a ton of potential - he seems to read the game like an old pro despite having only had one year in the SL. I also think he has the sort of build that you can imagine could fill out a fair bit as he develops without sacrificing his pace and agility.

I don't know. He has some pretty big blokes around him in this and doesn't look out of place

He is a big lad, but he was a big lad last year too. The sort of injuries he's had (knee, wrist) have nothing to do with how big or small he is. Huge potential though if he can stay fit.

He's a lot wider this year compared to last and the chance of a knee injury can be lessened by extra muscle as the legs might not buckle as easy. The wrist though was just one of those things.

its all right saying we should have signed a experienced centre but who might have been available even for a fee that would be better than what we have?

I'm more excited about this centre combo than any I have ever seen at Headingley in 18 years. The only player I would have thought about bringing in would have been Matt Cooper because he's still damn awesome and he could have really taught Zak and Kallum a lot. Sadly he resigned with the Saints though. This centre partnership has so much potential though and as others have said, we have 3 other guys in the squad who have a lot of experience there. I'm not worried at all anyway. If those 2 stay fit then they will be tearing up defences all season.

Physique & fitness wise I'm more concerned about BJB who is now 24 (I believe) & therefore should no longer be considered to be a young kid, except in terms of game time played.

TBF on BJB his major injury was a fractured skull! You can't blame that on him. And he came back strong after the shoulder injury last year and made the England squad. I wouldnt worry about him if I was you.

Exactly.

Some people still don't see what we've got. That, i don't get.

Seeing Watkins' twinkle toes in full flight is worth paying to see alone. Just needs more time on the park. i think his bulk programme over last couple of seasons has been sensible and gradule, with keeping his blind pace alive. His added bulk will assist in collision and hopefully offer some added protection.

More than happy with the players at the club who can cover the centre position. I doubt there's a club with two more exciting talents than Hardaker and Watkins or better cover for the position than Ablett, Smith and Delaney. No need whatsoever to sign another centre.

The sorts of injuries Watkins was picking up never really worried me - it wasn't as if it was the same joint/muscle continually giving out on him.

I'm more concerned about whether he can iron out the issues in his defensive reads and pass selection, which will hopefully come with time.

Brian McDermott has enormous hands.

Just realised! Massive arent they! I bet him and Peacock have measuring competitions in the shower looking at those fingers.

His defensive reads will need more work putting in from Watkins, compared to his natural attacking flair. For me with his 'reads' his attitude needs adjusting primarily first and foremost. I can remember around half a dozen (possibly) examples last season of where he was caught of position then jogged back to get in position. For me he should be breaking track records getting back to fill the hole he created. So that's what I'll be looking at......

Kallum's growth over the last 3 years

2009


2010


2011


2012


It's been a good gradual growth over the years and remember, he is 20. In 2 or 3 years imagine the size of him. Add that to his ability and speed and I think, if he stays injury free, he could become one of the best centres we have ever produced.

Nice to see Dean Lawford and Ryan Atkins in the same shot.

This would be the same player that Leeds have just signed up for five years? The one that the medical staff have presumably examined, x-rayed, scanned and gang-probed mercilessly and found to be 100% fit?

I don't really envisage injury problems, other than perhaps the freakish sort.