Nice praise from McClennan after a back rower plays a full game in the back row and receives some well deserved plaudits. I don't recall any such kind words from McClennan when Ablett has filled in at centre. Perhaps I missed it?

If I kept archives I'd dig through them.

Does Mclennan reserve all the praise for his players for the back pages of the YEP?

Missing the point G1. We have world class players in positions 1,6,7,9 & 13 so you suggesting we sit on our laurels and don't try to strengthen the rest of the squad?

How tall was Scott Gibbs? Or Inga Tuigamala?

Those positions have been filled by home-grown players this season.

We have the opportunity to develop another couple in Watkins and Gibson.

Or we could go out and sign a World Class centre like, say, erm, Matt King.

With Smiths alledged impending move to Saracens in June and Eastwoods visa problem will GH just go with what we have got or pull out another signing mid term ?

Good point G1 , Thing is IMO this years so called challengers are way behind Leeds / Saints at the moment and we may not need anyone anyway

5'10" & 5'11" respectively according to wiki. Fantasy RL profile has Gibson as 5'7".

This is a thread about centres, do try & keep up.

Its relevant..... to your suspect hypothesis that relative height as any bearing on skill and aptitude



do try harder

All McClennan's YEP online quotes are catalogued and cross referenced to players. If he'd said it I'd be able to produce it. Perhaps the YEP was offline that night.

I'd say that was probably Ablett's best game so far for Leeds.



Gibson offers very little and at 22 his time has passed to stand out for a leading club. Time to move on to the next big thing.

Develop Watkins yes, at 18 he has some real potential. Whether playing first team rugby week in, week out is going to be the best place to achieve that we'll have to wait and see.

Very loose against Wigan but it was only Wigan so perhaps we'll have to wait for when the tough games come round to see if his understandable inexperience costs Leeds.

Watched an 18 year old playing for Canterbury yesterday, I wish they made them like that in Leeds. How many more like him are there over there. It might be a chance for them to experience a different culture before they run up a string of convictions that prevent them coming over later on.

Not sure what potential there is coming through the Reserve at present if the results are anything to go by.

and that is a worry

Most of the reserves are still U18s. The best reserves seem to be sent out on loan or brought into the first team. That seems to have been the case over the last year or so as far as I can see.

if you'd used the same source for your information on all of those players you'd have Gibson at 5'11"

Wouldn't mind the Bulldogs number 4 from watching todays game against Manly.Looked awesome and a ridiculous hair do to boot

Gibbo looks a yard short of pace for mine.I do think though if the club are patient with him he could turn out to a solid centre.

I'm 5ft 6 and have been spoken to Gibson before and I can tell you he was a least 3-4 inches taller than me.

Did he have his boots on?

No stilettos

The same ones he wore Friday night?

Ashley Gibson IMO Looked To Offer Little In Attack Friday Night And Seemed To Be "Ragged" Around A Little Too Easy By The Wigan Defence, His Defence Did Look Solid Enough Though And I Suppose The Attacking Skills Could Come Back With Time, I'm Not Writing His Off Just Yet Although I Am A Little Concerned...

Leeds are a top team but an imporvement area would be your centres. Watkins looks a great prospect but Senior is now a plodder a la Newy in his later years.

Surely out of Gibson/Smith/Hall there is enough talent to make a good std SL centre?

Here's one from [url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leeds-rhinos-news/Leeds-Rhinos-Ablett39s-happy-to.5081966.jplast night's YEP online[/urlwith no digging required:

[i"I'm enjoying being in the back-row," he said. "It's difficult in the centre, that's not a position I'm really familiar with. I have been doing my best for the team, but I'm relishing being back in the back-row and trying to improve every week." [/i

Regards
Carl Ablett

I was hoping you wouldn't see that and, if so, you wouldn't link it to here.

How silly of me.

However, no doubt the lad is better in the 2nd row, no doubt the lad prefers the 2nd row, no doubt its' harmed the development of his game playing in the centres - all points I have readily made.

Doesn't alter the fact that he is perfectly adequate cover for the centre position in the event that he's needed and it wouldn't stop us winning a championship if he were needed there.

Gibson at least looks like a centre, as opposed to so many British players put there like Atkins, who looks like a winger trying to be a centre. From what I saw of him before he got injured he looked a classy player - and we should be thankful he's not a biff and barge merchant. If England are ever to be competitive we need creative centres.

Watkins looked physically the part, and if he fills out a bit could be very hard to stop. Errors at his age have to be expected.

One thing I did note was that Leeds generally didn't seem to create much space for either centre to shine in attack. On the left it seemed like the ball Watkins was getting was more suitable for Senior, and on the right a few moves apart the space was often taken up by McGuire. Not having a go, as it has obviously worked, but Leeds' style does not utilise centres that well TBH.