So it's early doors but Paul Aiton has been head and shoulders our best player this season, only Cuthbertson coming close.

I thought he was poorly utilised and under-rated last season (just see the difference with him on the field and off it against London) but as our starting hooker doing 60 odd minutes a match he's been superb. We look a lot more defensively solid and a lot more dangerous going forward with him rather than Mags or Sir Kev at DH.

Aiton

Stevie ward has been up there I would say, different class this season with the bulk he has put on.

So that's Aiton guaranteed to have a shocker tonight then.

Aiton, cuthbertson, briscoe. Top 3 so far.

Too early in season to be handing pats on the backs out.

save them for st pats night on the 20th

Don't know where this Aiton love in has come from. Think he has looked very average. Decent distribution from acting half but not great defence, not a lot of breaks, not great speed around the ruck. I don't think if he was playing for another side there would be a lot of clamour to bring him in.

Cuthbertson, Briscoe, Ward and McGuire have started the season far better in my opinion.

He's been solid. He's never going to be Camerson Smith, but he's tidy at DH, and his defense is very solid (116 tackles, 2 misses so far), but lets not go over board after 3 games.

Whilat I wouldn't have him in my top 3 so far (top 5 yes) he's been better than just average.

I think the "love in" so to speak is probably down to the novelty (by our recent history) of having a traditional hooker there at 9 and how his presence has brought better balance to the side and enabled the workload to be better shared in defence.....basically a nod to Aiton is a nod to the team as a whole.

Certainly improved on last years efforts but not in my top 3.
Cuthbertson
Briscoe
S.Ward

I think he's been superb and I don't think it's just down to the side reorganising when he goes off that our performance seems to dip. I think he's been quick and very effective out of dummy half, nearly always drawing in the A defender and so creating gaps. His movement out of DH has also helped get our forwards moving too.

I'd have him as our top player so far. Closely followed by Briscoe & Cuthbertson.

Yeah id probably agree with that, I just don't think his positioning has been all that and I don't think we have seen anything from him that you wouldn't expect from a bang average traditional hooker.

Burrow may have had some issues with some of the traditional hooker role, but he has always offered a lot more (im not a big fan of 'traditional roles' I think strengths need to be in a squad not a role) in other ways.

Aiton just seems a bog standard hooker to me, I think he is miles behind the likes of Roby, Clark, McIlorum, id take Lunt, Houghton, Pelissier ahead of him. More Millard than Diskin or Buderus.

Well this thread needs consigning to the garbage bin asap

Please don't give anyone else the kiss of death

Well I called it earlier.

Fantastic in the second half.

Thought he was very good overall to be honest, despite his forward pass in the first half he played with energy around the ruck, and he's noticeably running out of dummy half a lot more. However, that's probably down to the Leeds players playing the ball a lot quicker and creating the opportunities to run.

Great game from PA tonight

The chunk of time he missed last season won't have done him any favours.

He now looks fitter, fresher and more in tune with the players around him. He's also a dummy half that Leeds don't have to try and hide defensively.

I'd take issue with the "traditional" roles thing. As the player who touches the ball most during a game, your dummy half has to - as a very minimum - have good service from the play the ball. Even if they can't do anything else, that's a key skill. Of the options Leeds have to play in that position, Aiton is the only one who offers that ability. Burrow may do the flashy stuff that comes off once in a blue moon, but his lack of that basic skill means I'd much rather have Aiton in the side if it comes down to a straight choice.

Our attacking play looks far better with Aiton on the field, and the ball through his hands at some point. As I was flying last night and not able to see match live, just watched recording. Thought Aiton had a great game. Definitely one of top three players this year, him Ward, and Cuthbertson are stand outs so far, with Briscoe pushing very close.

Having only seen the game at the ground last night, I can't praise Danny McGuire highly enough. Scoring tries when we most need them, lovely soft hands for Abbo last week and a perfect pass to Singleton last night, and the only player you want handling the ball when you need that killer pass. His choice of pass, and execution puts him a cut above Sinny so far this season in the ball handling stakes, and he is the man you want involved for the big plays. Various other players have played defining roles in our unbeaten start, but Danny stands out for me.

I think some peoples opinion of aiton would be different if he had an English accsent. I'd have Roby and Clark over him but I'm more than happy with his form up to now. I personally thought he had a very good game last night, imo we look a better attacking threat with him on the field, andhe's not afraid to put a hit on and he'll defend all day.

Regarding player of the season so far I'd probably say aiton, McGuire, cuthbertson have been outstanding, and ward, briscoe, and achurch all look very good also.

Can't say Mcguire has been outstanding.He was awful first half yesterday,4 basic errors in one half.Granted he made amends in the 2nd period but lets not go over board.

Worrying thing for me is Sinfield.Not very effective at the back end of last year and a passenger for most of the first few games.

Everyone see's the game differently. Of those first half errors at least two came from shocking passes round his ankles with a man already on him, and a forward pass that wasn't a forward pass. As for the 2nd half, well what can you say ? Two tries for himself, two well timed passes for Singleton and Watkins to burst onto to score their tries, and drew tacklers in and offloaded for Hardaker to go clear and put Burrow over for his try. He is a massive part of what we do offensively, and we would miss him big time if he was unavailable.

I mentioned last night that a few of his 'errors' came from poor passes to him. If we are to play like that on a regular basis people will have to accept that they'll be a decent amount of errors as a result especially from our pivots, this week McGuire, last week Hardaker.....it ain't always going to stick.

They mostly came from trying to force things......if we start committing errors whilst playing basic up-the-jumper rugby then that's a worry. Warrington have often led the error count recently in years but that's because they try play a certain attacking way.