I can't believe all the clamour for signing a replacement for McGuire after his injury. Danny will recover from this injury, he has already said publically that he expects to beat the "return to work date", so we are looking at somewhere between 6 - 9 months out. Given that we will have 4 months of off-season, he will miss (upto) 5 months of the season, which is around half of it.

We have at least two very capably players to fill in for Danny in Webb and Sinfield, who both have equally competent replacements for the positions that they would vacate to fill in for Danny, in BJB and Clarkson, so it's ridiculous to start claiming that we simply have to replace Danny.

One of the best things about this team is its spirit and character, which in the main is created by local players being looked after by the club, and this starts with when they are injured.

The only position we need to really need to strengthen is Prop as already indicated by some on here, anything else is pure folly, including those who seem to believe that Benji Marshall would suddenly have improved everyone else in the team by 15%. Only Danny Buderus could do that...

Who said anything about " replacing " him ?? I didn't

Some might wish to compliment our existing half backs..... I would prefer to complement them.

( actually I would like to do both )

Seems some on here ....more in the know.....know the club is covering the bases with young uns....and more astute signings. That will do me.

I really hope Danny does beat the medicals predicted date but he equally could take longer and some just never recover fully from this injury. I am not suggesting to replace Danny but for such a key position we do need some cover either a youngster (prefered) for the long term or a proven 6 on a short term contract. In the course of DM's absence its sods law that one or other of our playmakers will also get injured so its just good management to provide an umbrella in case it rains.

Genau ! It does appear that has been done. Good management Buderus excepted continues to prevail.

For mine Mcguire has never regained his electryfying pace of 2004.

At the start of 05 he picked up some sort of hamstring injury and ever since then he's not been as fast and his game has been evolving ever since.

I can only assume you have had your eyes closed this season.

Batley Rhino, finally you're starting to talk some sense.

Acceleration not what it was in 04. In 04 he was [iblistering[/i. Watch that try he scored against bradford in the first 40 seconds at headingly. He can't accelerate like that now. He picked up an injury at the start of 05 which was when burrow finally became the regular 7 and not an impact sub.

McGuire's still pretty quick. Even if he comes back permanently a bit slower I'd hope and expect his game to change to compensate as it would have had to do anyway through age.

The only interesting thing about the Marshall comparison is that Marshall on his day is the best in the world creatively, and probably shows something like what McGuire would have turned into had he gone to the NRL 5 years ago. However, Marshall's genius is quite temperamental. A lot of games Wests lose he gets a lot of stick for.

I've no idea why anyone would actually contemplate signing anyone other than possibly a kid from another club to backup halfback. At this stage all we know is McGuire can come back next season, and as Batley said, a huge part of Leeds' recent success is down to team spirit, which comes in part from the club showing loyalty to players.

A short term aussie signing is unlikely, due to logistics etc. Certainly not at the start of the season. Best hope would be to get someone from another SL side, though I can't see there being too many halfbacks who would come on short term loan from another SL side.

For me, we need to make do with an academy product in the scenario that one of Danny's replacements also gets injured. I don;t see that any of the other options would yield a decent solution

Any academy prospect will have a full preseason to work with Burrow (it's not like he will be going on tour), which gives plenty of time to get some things sorted. Then they can put it into practice with the preseason games. If it doesn't work we then go back to plan B of Sinfield or Webb.

Are you suggesting that Sinfield to stand off won't be Plan A for the start of 2011, assuming McGuire doesn't make a quicker than expected recovery?

I don't know why Gotcha is concerned with anything regarding 2011.

It's a write-off remember.

Gotcha, with a face like a bruised apple.

That's not him in his avatar you know Joe?

You think?

Watch his try against Wigan (from Webb's pass), Watch Leuiluia track him and get between Webb and McGuire. Watch McGuire glide right past him and Tomkins. McGuire's got plenty of pace.

No, I am suggesting it shouldn't be plan A. It's not like it is mid season, I was talking about preseason. That is where the best opportunity is to experiment and see if something else works.

If it fails with the youngster then revert to Sinfiled/Webb at SO, but IMO that should be plan B.

Ward will be 17 next year, Mcguire was 17 when he made his debut. Im sure we have enough with Ward, Webb and Sinfield to cover 2 or 3 months of next year

I cant see the sense in giving up a squad place and cap space for a player whose position would be secondary after 3 months, especially when we have gaps in the forwards

Danny McGuire was nearer to 19 than 18 when he made his Leeds 1st grade debut.

Maths was never my strong point



Point still stands, 17 isnt ridiculously young for a player to get a couple of games, Chev was 16 wasnt he

Leeds SL Era Debuts:

at 16 - Chev Walker, Kevin Sinfield

at 17 - Kallum Watkins, Garreth Carvell, Terry Newton, Nick Scruton, Jamie Jones-Buchanan

at 18 - Rob Burrow, Jon Liddell, Carl Ablett, Danny McGuire, Danny Allan, Ryan Bailey, Lee Smith, Karl Pratt, Andy Kirk, Gavin Brown, Nick Fozzard, Jason Netherton, Adrian Morley, Adam Hughes, Danny Ward, Richard Mathers, Ashley Gibson, Gareth Morton

slater and inglis and the Melbourne winger couldn't run mcguire down. Slater who is the quickest out of those couldnt make ground on him.

which makes him pulling down Carmont even stranger

Let's say McGuire lets him run and tracks him as he supports Richards on the inside.

Richards gets to Donald, draws him and passes inside to Carmont.

McGuire makes the tackle on Carmont, who as he's falling pops the ball inside to Sam Tomkins (or someone else) supporting up the middle of the field, who then streaks in under the posts to win the game for Wigan.

Taking out Carmont solves the whole problem - if he isn't there, Richards has no-one in support and is forced to kick.

Now put that whole sequence of thought into the second that McGuire had to make his decision on what to do next.

Yup, why risk the imponderables when you can make the easy decision and give away the penalty in the dying seconds in your own half.

I was a bit surprised to be honest that Richards was so greedy and tried to put in the miracle kick down the touchline for himself. Aiming it a bit further infield would have given his team-mates a bit more chance of getting to it even if he didn't, given that there wasn't much in the way of cover coming across from the Leeds left hand side.