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.

Absolutely agree, he has been back to his best. Primed for a 2011 GF performance next week against the pies

Can't figure out why Leeds changed it around for a spell in the second half, with Sinfield jumping in to dummy-half for a period that coincided with Saints most dominant bit of the game. Once Burrow got back into dummy-half, Leeds started to wrest control of the game back and looked much more fluid and organised in attack.

too many locked in to a view that Burrow isnt a 'proper hooker', he has been great for a months. But if after all he has won up to now isnt going to convince people, this isnt either. Seems a mystery to me that some were so blase about seeing him go.

It's a shame we won't be able to sign Andrew McCullough from Brisbane, he's exactly the type of hooker we need.

Correct. Many were saying we needed a "proper hooker" or what an error it was to only have one hooker at the club, or even the hilarious idea to move Moon, our most consistent centre, to hooker

Many said our dip in form was solely down to losing Alton forgetting losing other key players to injury too.

Almost all forgot Robbie Burrow and his unique abilities that for so many many years have more than compensated for so called "proper" tackling in the middle. He has accepted playing second fiddle to an inform Alton this season and when fit has quietly got on with making the best of his limited minutes and IMO has made good impact for most of that time.

I predicted some time ago that Burrow would get to play a positive key role this season and he has not let me down.

Burrow started defensively with McGuire on the left pushing Moon to fourth man in. The opening St Helens try resulted from probing and picking apart that defensively weak flank. IIRC Burrow was then shifted to defend alongside Sinfield on the right.

What's all this talk from Stevo on Sky about Aiton, who might run out as Hooker from the Bench in the Grand Final?

you believe him??????????????

No, I was just amazed he came out with it haha

so was I. he's a clown

Can't see Aiton playing at OT. I think it will be same line up with Delaney on the bench or if he is injured one of Achurch or Walters.