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.

i agree and imo if achurch plays then he is best suited to a wide running second row position,although he is well down the pecking order presently

jjb would have also been in this category also but he moved up to the middle channel and was doing a very good job prior to injury

i expect that jjb will easily be able to step back into this role when he returns rather than try to do the wide stuff that ward and ablett do so well

IF JJB is fit he should come straight back into the 17 and either start or come off the bench at 13. He was playing some of his best rugby for a couple of years prior to his injury, having him in the side would also enable Achurch to move back out to the 2nd row, because to be honest I'm not sure he's got the ticker to play in the middle.

It's obviously too early to talk about successful transitions yet. But Sutcliffe, in particular has been a revelation to me. He started out in the team (quite rightly0 not being given too much responsibility, and performed well, but not always spectacularly. This year, when he has been given the reigns, he's been sensational. Especially considering he's just getting started. It bodes very well for the future. Stevie Ward has also been fantastic thus far. I hope his bad luck with injuries is running out.

I think the key to replacing our holy trinity is not to think about like for like replacements. It is, as people have said, all about building the next team. To carry the "next Kevin Sinfield" tag around Headingley seems an unnecessary burden for Liam Sutcliffe.

We've started brilliantly, including that nice habit of picking up points without playing as well as we can. There will be rougher patches in the rest of the season. But I think the close-season talk of us struggling to make the 8, let alone the 4, seems incredibly far fetched now. Some of our rivals have wobbled, we've cashed in to the maximum. We will probably have a wobble at some point, it remains to be seen who is in a position to cash in on that. Wigan, Wire and Saints, in particular have shown patches that suggest there will be much more to come from them.

So it isn't time to be carried away. It is time to be very pleased with how things are going right now though. We're making hay while the sun shines. Nothing wrong with that. And nothing wrong with the way some of the youngsters are coming on, which may just be repaying some of the patience our coaching staff have been criticised for.

Regardless of who plays and who doesn't, I'm enjoying watching this young and old Leeds side. Most enjoyable and interesting season for quite some time as far as I'm concerned.

I agree with that JJB has been excellent since he came back from injury in 2014

Can't fault JJB pre injury he was going very well and should be back in the mix on his return.

This is Achurch's 3rd season with the club now and im still unsure on him as an overseas signing.he has shown up good in a few games,normally right before he gets an injury so he has gained a lot of grace for that up to now but he should be well settled being here since 2012.I know he is not really a front rower and is more effective out wide but he is certainly one of the few players we should be expecting a lot more from in the 2nd half of the season.

JJB was having a very good season before his injury.

Regarding the transition it's still early days but so far so good. McDermott seems to be handling it well so far.

I think if everyone is fit we'd be running with an Ablett/Ward/Delaney back row against teams like Saints where we wanted to start with a big middle unit (Singleton filled in because Ablett had to play centre) whereas with others we'll play Ablett/Ward/Sinfield.

In both cases that would leave Singleton as a bench prop, which would be fine - actually think he's been better off the bench or in his second spells this year and he can give a good 40-50 minutes to JP/Cuthbertson's 55-60, meaning a fourth prop is not absolutely essential and we can carry a 15 minute player like Kylie or a utility prop/2nd row like JJB or Delaney.

When we start with the bigger back row I'd see our interchange as being Sinfield, Singleton, JJB, Kylie and when Sinfield is at 13 would imagine Burrow, Singleton, JJB, Delaney. Either way JJB gets in the squad.

Of course this is in the unlikely event of everyone being fit.

Frosties- I agree with the others mate Jjb walks straight back into the 17 but imo its for Achurch i want to see Yates get minutes and IF Achurch isn't getting gametime in the BR which he isn't then he's a pointless sub.

I don't think Jjb is any smaller than Yates or Achurch. Also size is not the only requirement for playing in the midfield, you need heart and he has that by the bucket load.

For me Jjb starts at loose if fit. Achurch comes of the bench out wide as he offers something a bit different. Respect to the guy for filing in at prop which he clearly isn't.

Not sure if that's a general comment or a reply to my post but i just don't think Achurch is effective at Prop it just doesn't work i don't question his heart (ala Feather) he just can't seem to play there.
Yates imo needs games to develop at this level otherwise it'll be a pointless signing and thus far although limited minutes i don't think he's let anyone down.
Jjb takes a bench spot as a BR but should we get a an injury he can cover Prop better than Achurch can imo.
I hope and honestly think we will eventually see Sutty at 13 as an extra Pivot then Mags/Another at HB then looking further ahead 2/3yrs it will be Sutty at 13 ,Lilley at 7 and Another at 6.
What i will say though is imo Jjb hasn't got long left and i cant see him starting the 2017 season still playing but i'd be happy to be proved wrong should he be still effective.