Fekwittedry in seeing the grass greener on the other side of the fence

Sheriffes quite obviously the best winger in the league.













I couldn't even pull that one off

He was until you signed him and coached all the ability out of him

Well at least Tadulala's playing well

.

Very well put - he is developing into an NRL type athlete - his ability to catch the ball over his head consistently requires some serious hand to eye coordination add that to the confidence that comes from an extended run in the side and you have one hell of a player under the high ball

Agree entirely G but if/when he makes a mistake(s) he will be villified by many again!!!
As he's learning his improvement is there for all to see and long may it continue!!

I dont know who G1 is but I agree with all he has posted here. The others who want to discard everyone who is not an instant superman have got no idea.

I was building a three-quarter line for next season with Smith and Shenton on the right and Senior/Watkins with Donald on the left.

Others are free to build a three-quarter line without losing anyone from the present set up but the reality maybe that someone will have to go in the other direction to ease a player in. I gave a view of how I would be prepared to do that using Hall for the greater good of the squad while acknowledging his contribution so far this season.



People weren't it was just me for the reason I have given above. Or are Castleford desperate for a few quid which will be the likely Leeds cash offer?

I thought Smith's preferred position was Centre? Surely Smith/Shenton would be better in Centres than Gibson or Watkins?

Smith's preferred position (you'd have to ask him) but from a viewing perspective he's always looked most comfortable at full back.



Leeds' lack of finding a replacement for Toopi in the off season caused McClennan to trial Smith at right centre for 2009, not a position he'd ever started in for Leeds prior to being given the number 3 shirt.

Agree he's only 21, work rate is great,he's very good under the high ball but more importantly for a winger he knows his way to the try line.

The more I see Hall play the more I’m convinced he’d make a great centre – still don’t think his natural position is on the wing, his work rate is akin to a centre and when he starts getting bored he starts coming in and looking for work.

Sounds like an imigration blueprint for the Poles.

Glad everyone can see the value of having wingers with work rate. Maybe we should look to snap one up or give watkins the job for the right wing next season.

It was 100% him!

On the Shenton note, it's good to see how many Rhinos highly rate him. Potentially, as i've argued before, Shenny could be one of the best centre's in the world. Unfortunately, he's not playing very well this year and his usually immaculate defence has become a bit suspect - sure he'll get over it though (he has before).

Back to Hall : looks a tremendous prospect - i'd play him internationally now.

yes I pay particular attention to the strapping on his thighs!!!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Didn't he start there against Cas last season

Always?

He didn't look too comfortable there in 2006.

He looked very comfortable there for 1 very big game in 2008 and four or five games at the start of this season.

Smith, for me and, it would seem, the coaching staff, is still pretty unproven in [ievery[/i threequarter position. He's a quality player, no doubt, and hopefully he'll eventually solidify one of the threequarter spots for his own in due course.

He may have been a victim of circumstances but with Halls emergence he's fallen further down the pecking order for a wing spot so the pressure is now on him to make that right centre spot his own or where does he fit in other than cover for positions 1-5?

Hey, you know what, it strikes me we now have some depth in the threequarters and some competition for places. Even better, its' being provided by quality young British players from our Academy.

Why would Leeds move heaven on earth to fill the void left by Toopi's handful of appearances in 2009?

Left centre IIRC. Not sure which centre he played in against Warrington away, his only other start in the centres for Leeds.

No. Prior to being given the number three shirt at Leeds Lee Smith had never started a first grade game for the club at right centre. His two previous Leeds games at centre were on the left:

10th September 2005 SL 10-27 Warrington Away
and
28th June 2008 SL 13-19 Castleford Home



He's always looked more comfortable at full back to me than on the wing. Centre doesn't really come into it at this point based on his four appearances there against the twenty two at full back and fifty three on the wing. The full back position allowed him greater opportunity to be involved in the play where his work rate can be best utilised.




Unproven? Brent Webb is in his third season so injury aside Smith isn't going to be first choice full back at this point at the club. In the meantime (during Webb's tenure) Smith has played thirty nine times on the right wing - Hall twenty two and Gibson five - and gained International recognition under Tony Smith in that position.



Victim of circumstance. Prior to Webb's injury at the end of last season he had played the previous seven on the right wing and would presumably have got the GF gig there also but for Webb's back injury in training. Hall has grabbed his opportunity with both hands though and come on in leaps and bounds this season leaving Smith needing to carve out the right centre spot as you say.



I don't see Gibson at Headingley after his current contract expires this season and Watkins (as I've consistently stated on here) is eighteen months away from being ready (for me) for the week in week out grind of SL, leaving McClennan to use him sparingly this season. Unfortunately as SL evens out the easier Watkins type games haven't worked out that way. What we have at Headingley is seven names to fill the five positions but I'd stop short of calling that true competition.



Because the right side defence was an acknowledged weakness, both within the game and within the club (hence the reasoning behind the Donald switch to his opposite wing of choice for this season.) The obvious solution to the problem (while Watkins becomes ready to replace Senior on the left - that's a plan that works for me) was to source a ready made right centre for this season using some of the spare cap money available to the club. Then Smith (and Hall) could have provided some serious competition and back up to the three-quarter line. Building on recent successes (rather than resting on their laurels with cap money sat in the bank gathering dust) would have been my way to go had I been the CEO.

Always? Even in 2006 when he was displaced by Tansey? That you would say that doesn't speak volumes for his wing play but I agree, recently, full back has looked his best position.


Yes, unproven. As you have shown, during Webb's tenure, he has failed to cement the wing spot as his own, unlike Hall this year who has made himself pretty much un-droppable on the wing.


You seem to be in agreement with me here. As you say, had Webb not got injured Smith might've had a chance to cement that right wing spot. Now, because of circumstances not of Smith's making, he needs to cement the right centre spot, as Hall has sewn up the wing.



How is it not. Yes, nobody has yet won the competition for the right centre but the competition is there. Hopefully, Smith will nail it but if not I am sure Watkins and Gibson will be itching for another chance. How is that not competition?



The right side defence was not necessarily acknowledged as a weakness. They wanted to strengthen it. It wasn't a strength.

Sourcing a ready made right centre is an obvious and easy solution. They did make efforts to land one (Soliola). That didn't come off. They may have other irons in the fire so felt singing whatever and whoever was available would not be necessary or even an upgrade on what we have.

There's a dearth of quality centres out there. That why our main rivals for trophies have thrown an ageing 2nd rower and then an inexperienced stand off in there this year.

Of course, if you were CEO these wonderful right cenrtes would've become readily available right now I assume.

What price a modern day Rob Ackerman to solve all woes?

Ahhh if only. Ackerman in the right centre and Norman Francis outside him and we'd be unstoppable.

And, linking threads, some lower league gem like Ian Scott to dominate opposing packs.