The good news is that JP and Sinfield, have given GH a decent amount of time to plan and recruit for next year.

Agree with the above that a top class forward should be number one priority. I simply don't see Rapira fitting that particular bill, although as a squad forward might not be too bad.

Someone who might be willing to jump ship earlier is Galen, although TBH he's completely up himself and a complete ball hog in attack. I'm not sure he'd go that well with the squad ethos.

The issue of the squad mentality of Leeds is vital, particularly with JP and Sinfield missing. Its another reason why it will be important to keep McGuire, Ablett and co around for a while yet. Genuine team spirit is mysterious, hard to develop but really easy to lose, and its been a huge factor in Leeds' success over the last decade.

No but you'd imagine Galen would steer a ship, and Leeds may need that.

I'd take Galen in a Leeds shirt.

Gal has been quoted that he'd like to finish his career with a couple of years in Super League, but he's adamant of 1 more year in the NRL and it's the Sharks 50th year next year, so he'll want to be part of that celebration - plus he's still an absolute shoe inas Captain for NSW and would be next year too.
Would be a terrific signing though - but highly unlikely for next year.

And please, not Sika Manu... Another example of a forward who looked a world beater in the Storm set up, playing a Bellamy style simple game outside 3 superstars, who when he's moved elsewhere hasn't even been average - he'd be a monumental waste of cap space.

JP and Sinfield leaving at the same time is as big as it gets in terms of departures.
First of all "Sir Kev" is the Clubs greatest Captain bar none and i'd hope in time to see a big shiny Bronze Statue of the Great Man outside HQ.
The HB pairing imo will be Mags and Sutty for the time being with DM taking the arm band although i'd love to see Brierley eventually come in.
In terms of recruitment we need at least 1 Front-line Prop and a HB as i see Sutcliffe taking the 13 shirt as an extra pivot ala Sinny when he broke through.
The recruitment has to be top notch imo no more projects ala Achurch or "veterans" ala O'neil/Cross.
We do have some top potential youngsters like Lilley & Golding then further back Smith ,Oledsiak etc but they will need some quality experience around them in their prime that's where the incomings have to be of the calibre as Cuthbo or better.
The end of an unbelievable era and i do hope whoever gets the 10 and 13 shirts aren't lumbered with unrealistic expectation that they are somehow "replacing" the Club immortals who wore them with such distinction during the greatest period of the Clubs history.
Whoever comes in/gets promoted from within should be judged on their own merit and allowed time to make their own history/legacy in the Blue n Amber.

I agree I think somewhere down the line there should be some kind of permanent tribute at the stadium to Both these players

Subject to other signings coming in, but I'd expect Cuthbertson and Ward to take those shirts for 2016. Both established players who have already established a decent rapport with the fans and won't have too much expectation on their shoulders.

Think that's a fair call.

Should the club retire the No13 shirt in Sinfield's honour?
No more statues please but does the club have a "Hall of Fame"?
If not time to institute it surely?
I'm happy to have Harry Jepson make the initial nominations from the past 125 years, followed by annual inductions to those befitting the honour.

No I don't care for this retiring of numbers. As I said when talk of retiring Peacock's 10 shirt, at most leave the number vacant for one season as a show of respect etc. but then use it again after that season.

In the MBL clubs like NYY 's have retired numbers all over the stadium .At the Phillies Stadium they have a wall of fame and very classy it is too Citizens bank is a relatively new stadium .Every year a former player or a number of ex players get inducted to the Wall and there is a pre game ceremony it's very good.I think the Leeds club will surely have something in mind for the fair well to Kev and Jamie

That's baseball though where they can have anything between 00 and 99.......in RL I want my starting props wearing 8 and 10, not 35 and 43 because we've starting retiring the usual numbers.

I agree I am not in favour of retiring numbers ,but a wall of fame with a classy bronze plaque yes

Definitely not in favour of retiring numbers, I don't like that. But I'm hoping as part of the redeveloped North or South Stands in the future that there'll be some kind of museum/Trophy Room/whatever you want to call it where there can be a fitting tribute to the likes of Sinfield and also show off our entire history as a club.

widdop was the player who sprang to my mind. Dont know whether its feasible but he'd tick every box

Apparently we sounded him out before he moved to St George but he wasn't ready to return to England.

Id have no problem with retiring shirts. don't care even slightly what number a player wears. Its one of the things RL insists on that most sports don't really care about, and its where we miss out somewhat in terms of branding.

Saying that, there is a limit to how it can be used that aren't apparent in US club sports where they generally go through a lot more players anyway. If we are doing 10 and 13 for Sinfield and Peacock, pretty soon we will be struggling to find numbers not retired. Especially with the amount of legends retiring over the next few years.

Personally I think we should look outside of headingley and find a way to get our legends names dotted throughout the city. Whether its buildings or plaques or some brilliant idea someone smarter than me thinks of it would be nice to honour them outside the RL bubble.

Sinfield though is something special, first captain to take us to championship since methuselah was a lad, most successful, came in at 16 and played his whole RL career here, captained Leeds, captained England, won at least one of every medal he could have, and handled himself eloquently and brilliantly throughout his career. The legacy he created still has a use for us as a idol and an aim for every young player who comes through our system. So, I would vote for instead of retiring Sinfield's shirt, we use it. U19's player of the year wears the first team 13 the next year presented to him first game of the season, with Sinfields stats stitched in. The best young player we have, in the year he makes the step up, gets Sinfields shirt number as a marker of what is not only expected of him but of the potential available to him.

Nothing like putting pressure on a young kid.

Fantastic idea. Love it.

I don't believe that any young player wants to be the next (insert name of previous great player), if they've aspirations to greatness they should want to be the first (insert name).

I get what you are saying but how many appearances are our u19's player of the year making the next year?

I get what you are saying but its less about putting pressure on them, and more holding this shirt up as something to be earned. Something the best earn.

IIRC Rob Burrow has his name on the side of one of First's newer range of buses. They've named each one of them after people with connections to the city such as Liz Dawn for example.

The Kevin Sinfield South Stand?

The Jamie Peacock North Stand

Doesn't have the same ring as the Ian Bell end.

It certainly doesn't, I'll give you that.