This I agree with.

Thats just dumb, If he isnt with Buderus, Diskin and Burrow out of that list, who is he with? I didnt even say he was with those, i said he was closer to McShane and Millard than Buderus, Diskin and Burrow.

There is a big difference between those players, 1 of which is a rugby league legend, 2 are leeds legends and the likes of Aiton.

We would see an improvement in our performance if we replaced AIton with Roby, Clark, MciLorum, Milner, Robinson, Houghton, and id say Pelissier nor Dwyer or even Henderson could replace him without a significant drop off.

Has Cuthbertson been the same player since Aiton was injured? No he hasn't and yes I'm seriously saying that!

No he definitely hasn't. If people cannot understand how Aiton - a very good hooker, whose distribution, pass selection and ability to draw in defenders before passing enables the players running off him to win the collision as they are getting quality ball in more space - has been very influential on the players around him, well they don't understand the modern game.

If he came through our Academy he'd have a big collection of winners medals and individual awards. The fact that we signed him from Wakey when he was in his late 20's seems to lead some to think he mustn't be that good.

Well, the whole team was pretty off colour after Wembley and he was superb again last week, check the stats.

Fair enough, your entitled to your opinion, but mine is Aiton has little to no bearing on whether Cuthbertson performs to a high level or not.

That last paragraph is embarrassing. You've come to a conclusion about Aiton's ability on factors other than his performance levels.

Wouldn't waste your breath. Par for the course with him unfortunately.

Your previous post a very good one by the way.

So the hooker, the player who touches the ball the most, the player who feeds the forwards with most of the ball they receive has no bearing on their performances?

We click better as a team no doubt with a proper hooker, and Aiton has performed admirably this year i agree.The whole team has dipped though since wembley up to last week, we were quite abysmal at times from 1-17 in the games against Catalans and Cas. IMO, and of course it can't be proved, but things wouldn't have been much different had Aiton been playing or not we were just not at the races. And on Cuthbertson, i will say again his main game has revolved around his offloading and ball handling skills, Nothing to do with Aiton although i take your point his service from dummy half helps.

Opposing defences have been able to wrap him up easier since Aiton's been out. Don't get me wrong, I think he's got an outstanding offload game but a set defensive line who aren't made to 'think' are able to minimise the space he gets the ball in and clamp the ball, or at the very least slow our attack down.

Fair enough pal.I do see your point, i think Aiton been great this year for the whole team, but also think he is replaceable and he is being a little over rated on here due to our team drop off after Wembley.

Aiton allowed the team as a whole to operate much more smoothly. His dummy half play this year was sublime at times - far above some of the nonentities he's been bracketed with in this thread. He never had the all-round game (particularly running out of dummy half) to be a great player, but that really wasn't what was needed by Leeds. With our back division what you want is space and time for the halfbacks to get the ball wide (including by getting good ball to forwards who can in turn get a quick PTB). A quality hooker like Aiton makes this look simple. When you replace them with someone who's passing is erratic the difference is frankly obvious.

Tbh it's not just the fact Aiton has been labelled a journeyman on this thread, but also the likes of Moon, Cuthbertson and Leuluai being called it too is again ridiculous. Seemingly based on that you can name some of their teammates better players.

For me the players we've had at this club recently who the title 'journeymen' is more appropriate are the likes of Moore, Huaraki, Griffin, Tansey, Gibson, Clarkson (who I think will turn out to be one over the years), McShane.

Guys who will/have bumped around from one club to another making up the numbers. Not somebody who has been a starting prop for us for nearly a decade and won loads of titles whose crime seems to be that he isn't as good as Jamie Peacock.

Cuthbertson was pretty bloody good on Friday, and against Wigan, and in the CC Final.

We are a very good team, we have some outstanding players, some legends even. We also have some players who aren't amongst the best of their contemporaries, not every player we have is top class. In fact most of them aren't. Aiton isn't.

What I am trying to say is Aiton does the basics that you would expect from a competent hooker - passing the ball quickly and accurately. There are a host of competent players out there that could fill that role. He is a solid player but as has been accepted by his supporters he is no Roby or Clark and he certainly isn't a McCullough/Ennis etc.

That could be said of the team in general tbf.
Personally i think it was more notable when we also had Burrow missing ,in that Sinfield playing 9 meant we effectively played with 1 HB and lost Cuthbos impact at 13 and or prop.
Having 9 ,6 AND 7 playing makes a big difference to Cuthbertsons impact.

I'm with you les. massively under rated. been a key part of our good form this season

If Aiton was a journeyman hooker, and any hooker could contribute what he does then how come we've struggled so much since Buderus left to find a replacement. Lunt, and McShane were nowhere near Aiton's level this year, and Burrow has struggled at times, too.

We struggled for two reasons:
1. Inability to spot and bring through junior talent - Hood, McShane and now Ward all departed
2. Recruitment/availability of players of the required standard - if we had signed Clark instead of Warrington signing him this would be less of an issue. Aiton wasn't great season 1!!

Stevo said before the start of tonight's game he has heard Aiton will be fit to make the bench if we make the final. Interesting to see what happens there.

He's took some stick on here this season, but for me (some may disagree) rob burrow was one of the best on that pitch tonight going forward, his kicks were brilliant.

Burrow's been excellent in the last two games.

Meh I wouldn't hold out hope. I doubt announcing that he'll miss 16 weeks due to the wrist injury was s tactic to unnerve the opposition.

I'd say not ruling ward out is an unerving tactic, no way I can see him playing

I agree, sounds far fetched he will play but you just never know.It has opened up the debate now anyway until Leeds come out with an official statement ruling him out.