McCarthy-Scarsbrook needs to stay at quinns with the likes of Clubb and Sharp if they are serious about their SL future imo.
FWIW i'd still give Ali another deal.

Senior has said he will keeo playing as long as he can. If he can remain as dominant this year as he was last then why not?

Watching leeds without Ali isn't half as much fun and he has to be kept around.

IMO LMS will end up at Wigan.
I hope they do give Ali another deal.

Buderus is saying in this weeks League Express that he feel's he could play for another year after missing so much of next season...all depends how this coming season goes I guess.

I could see Ali and Keith staying on but becoming less prominent members of the squad (on cheaper contracts!).

Completely agree G but will that decision be taken out of his hands???
We have the likes of Watkins and Coady coming through now and the club might say enough is enough ala Barrie mc,don't get me wrong if his form continues and everythings fine re-contract i don't give a flying fook if he's 43 let alone 33


Ali has to stay imo iirc he's only 30/31 and has at least another couple of yrs in him at the top.

That's the difficult decision. In isolation, whilst ever Senior is the best centre around (which he STILL is or was last year) then keep him. But we must develop Watkins.

As for Ali, when not suffering injury he's a game changer. I don't know why everyone on here as gone so cold on him. He changed the complexion of the Grand Final in just 5 mins, not to mention changing the complexion of the 2007 grand Final when introduced. Why would anyone consider letting him slip away?

Good points,re-Ali we'd be mad to let him go and i'd be happpy for him to get at least another 2yrs.
With Watkins showing versatillity being comfortable on the wing,at centre and now it seems he's pencilled in for the cover at FB it may hold back his development as an out and out Centre.
I'm sure the Coaching staff have a plan in mind and will impliment it successfully.

I personally think we are a bit short in the backs. There is little cover in the halfs which could be a potential problem.

That's where the versatility within the squad comes into the equation with the likes of Sinfield,Ablett,Webb and Mcshane all able to deputise there.

We have plenty of out side backs, several of our players are capable of playing in the halves.Obviously long term injuries to Burrow and McGuire would hit us hard as it would any other SL side if they lost their first choice half backs.

Been like that since Dunemann left, but we always seem to get by.

Anyone else see Ryan Bailey leaving at the end of 2010 season? looking at the squad it will be hard for him to get into the team with Burgess and Kirke IMO infront of him for the bench spot.

I think Ali will get another year. The dilema would be do we keep the 3 hookers again next year. McShane wont hang around forever playing 3rd choice. So do we let Diskin go or Buderus providing Buderus is still fit to play another year? As for Keith that too depends on how he goes this year,

I would rather let Buderus go than Diskin in terms of how long they have left in the game and how they play the game. IMO Buderus will have his last year at Leeds this year.

Like i said on a previous thread there's room within the squad for all of them,Peacock and Kylie aren't getting younger and their gametime will be shortened and when you consider injuries squad rotation then there's plenty of room and no need to let either of them leave.

All depends how he performs this season as is the same with any other player off contract this season.
Neither Kirke or Bailey have played this season so why do you put Kirke ahead?

I'd agree with that.

I also think people are always too quick to dismiss Bailey - how many years has he been a member of our first choice 17 now?

If it came down to a choice of keeping one of Buderus and Diskin, I'd have to go with the 4-time GF winning hooker myself. And given what Sinfield et al have to say about team spirit, I suspect the club would see it the same way.

The centre issue going forward will be an interesting one. If Senior continues his gradual decline then he could well play another year after this for Leeds at a good level. But at some stage he'll have to be replaced - ideally with Watkins. If that's the plan, then Watkins would need a lot more game time this year, which would possibly benefit both of them, with Senior not being overplayed also.

Full Back - Webb, Donald, BJB, Watkins
Wing - Donald, Hall, Watkins, BJB
Centre - Watkins, Senior, Ablett, Eastwood, Delaney

That's 9 players for 5 positions. How much cover do you want FFS?



It's been the same for the last 3 years and we've done just fine IIRC.

Not that the other person is right Danny, but BJB is away for the season with no recall clause is there?

Before last week nobody on this board would have put Watkins name forward for fullback, Nobody. Not to say mind after last week that he couldn't be a good deputy.

Donald is as poor a fullback as you are likely to see, in the couple of occassions he has played it for us. I would rather have Michael Platt there and thats saying something.

Again for the wings you have BJB. Although on his encouraging display on boxing day perhaps young Bush is quite capable of deputising.

And as for centre. Come on. I know I said it when we signed him to bag up his signings, but we are never likely to see Eastwood at centre.

Ok, take out BJB (I got that one wrong) but as for the others it's cover nonetheless. I didnt pick any academy players as I felt the point could be made with just the first team squad although I'm aware there is cover there also.

Eastwood can play centre, and if needed im sure that he would not mind dropping into their, isnt like we cant put someone else in his place for SR on the bench like Pitts, Kirke etc.

I know that me and HHT dont get on very well, but with the quoted post from him, he does have a point, but he missed out Coady for Centre, Wing and im sure he can play Fullback. Which would make it 10 players for 5 positions bar BJB?

My post was full of holes.

Surely every loan has a recall clause. I would guess that a year long loan would as a minimum