I'm not convinced he has either the gas or the skill to draw in his opposing winger and release his own winger from centre.

One thing seems certain, if Lee Smith is to still be at Leeds next season it will be in the centre as Hall has one wing stitched up, and Donald has signed on for another year and will take the other spot.

After less than half a dozen starts in the centre, all of what everyone (me included) is saying about Smith is opinion rather than fact.

Where does it say the new VISA Rules weren't been discussed before that time?



Where does it say they thought it up overnight in February?

He's not replaced him adequately.



I didn't disagree with Buderus.



Did he get an upgrade?



Guffaw.



Out
Scruton an international
Tansey
Ellis an international
Toopi an international
Eastwood an international

In
Ambler
Buderus




The Leeds deal was potentially worth more over a longer period based on bonuses for winning things.



I'd utilise the money we arent spending on Ellis, Toopi, Scruton, Eastwood and Tansey.

One of the best post's I've read on here for a while. So Soliola got away. Might not be ideal, but not the end of the world for us.
And I'm fully with you that we do still have a good chance of winning the title this season and if the right deal is there I'm sure it will be done.

rubbish!! its some of the ones i pay more attention to!! flannery is gash.

Quality rebuttal. Lower than the standards you usually set, which is actually quite an achievement.

I think he's indicating you've changed your opinion of Smith.

Ah, for the halcyon days of quality signings like John Basnett, Alan Rathbone, Steve Molloy, Neil harmon etc, etc, etc.



If you do really want a quality centre from the NRL, it may help if people:

1) Look at centres rather than guys who have played the odd game there. Karmichael Hunt? Craig Wing? Are you just picking names out of a hat?

2) Avoid the ageing, injury-prone types. Adam McDougall scores 9 out of 10 for age, and 9 out of 10 for being highly injury prone. Next please.

3) Look at who is really considered quality. Soliola is being raved about on here as though we just missed out on Mal Meninga circa 1982, but is not seen as the best centre around the NRL or aything like. I suspect Leeds offered him a reasonable deal but probably not mega bucks, and if you look at his record to date, that makes a lot of sense. If Sts have broken the bank to get him they're taking a big gamble IMO.

4) Have some idea of whether the players fitting categories 1-3 are actually available or want to go to SL. Hodges and Folau would be great. But they're probably not free for years.

When you look at 1-4, I suspect that only people actually well-versed in the NRL and in discussions with player agents could even suggest reasonable names. Hopefully Hetherington is in that boat. Having said that, Leeds may have decided we don't need a centre at all, which unlike some people I can actually understand. I'd be looking at the pack before worrying about some dandy centre.

By laughing at a post where I say that Smith has never been as good a winger as Donald?



If he thinks that then he either can't read or is unable to comprehend the simplest of points...............

Never been the sharpest though has he.

Fair point.

is it a case of 3 wingers and 1 centre so we will put a square peg in a round hole to keep everyone happy?

for once DISA hit the nail on the head when he said if the pack was a dominant one the centre position wouldn't matter as much as iwe would be on the front foot

I have concerns about our recruitment over the last off season. Forwards Ellis and Scruton out, replaced by one for the future. Even if we'd signed Eastwood we'd still be one forward down.

No point signing an extra hooker as the same reasoning appplies to the centre. Dominant pack required.

We can still win SL with what we have though.

as he likes to sign over-rated,over the hill overseas players instead of young quality players still in their prime....

he was having a reconstruction at the time leeds were looking

H-T-H

Possibly yes. But Bluey was pretty vociferous that Smith would making a cracking centre so I guess we will see.

And he's right. Goodness me, I need to lie down.

A quality hooker can help make a dominant pack in terms of the quality of his distribution (read peacock's book to see how important this is to a front rower) and the front foot he can get his forwards on with the quality of his running game.

I don't think Smith is particularly slow. He's fast enough to play wing, so he should be fast enough to play centre. He has decent pace, just not blinding pace like Donald or Penny. IMO, acceleration and footwork is more important than pace for a centre. I think he has these, which could amke up for his lack of bulk.

Brad Godden wasn't pacy or big.

but his winger scored a boat load, as did innes's. its the timing with some centres, How goods gardner without gidley?

A valid point which is why Mclennan's handling of the right centre position this season has been truly shocking and which is why Smith should be given at least half a dozen games there before any changes are contemplated.

Its what he should have done from the start of the season with whoever got the nod. IMO he wants Watkins to play, but doesn't trust him in big games.

Smith was covering for Webb at the start of the season.

I'd only have one slight reservation/qualification about this point and none about the rest.

The NRL is very different to SL - its intensity and skill level are higher and alot of this is down to the way the game is played and rules interpreted. It also means that it suits certain types of player - a big star in the NRL might not mean a player whose core strengths are as suited to SL. Or vice versa - James Roby is a star in SL and well suited to the interpretations and playing styles here but would be relatively impotent in the NRL because they contest the ruck far more.

There have been some 'considered quality' players from the NRL who've failed to live up to their billing in SL and equally some who are great successes here but seemed also rans in the NRL. He who shall not be named would have said the latter were proof of the mediocrity of Stupour League and whilst he'd be right to a degree, the former prove that its also down to things simply being 'different' and that suiting some players more than others.