Hopefully Wakefield don't sign Kirke who is past his sell by date in my opinion.... Trinity have looked towards your victors Catalan Dragons for big, powerful and mobile forwards in signing Lopini Paea and Mikael Simon.

I'd rather a young keen fringe Catalan prop/second row like Antoni Maria is also signed by Trinity than risk it on Kirke who (unlike Lauitiiti did) would not add anything. The Championship looms for him. You're right though it's time for Leeds to bring in some fresh faces into the squad.

Because ppl HOPE he'll be leaving they've automatically assumed he will be leaving.....yeah I know, it's great thinking.

No the last I heard he had a 2yr contract and was with us for next year.

Cuthbertson should be a very good signing but I won't hold my breath not many decent Aussies sign for our club!

For me we have 3 very good young props who I would hope to see pushing baldwinson (hope he fills out a bit), singleton (again less puppy fat more muscle) and the one I have been most impressed with physically Mulhern.

Would like to see kirke go and some of the above given decent spell. Bailey for me I would have got rid but we seem to have left it too late so last chance saloon for me.

Not convinced by Aiton as hooker not impressed with his distribution.

Halfbacks including burrow in this need to be shaken up, personally for me Mags to be moved on and retain burrow but can't see the club doing this, all 3 will be here till they want to be. Ward is a massive dissapointment and I am not convinced by sutcliffe at halfback.

It's been a pleasure to watch a large group of talented local lads all break through in the same generation and achive and we have Been lucky to see it. Seen plenty of crap years to appreciate it. Unfortunately that brings the dilemma we have now all bowing out and fading at the same time and it is a massive challenge for those in charge. Worth it though.

The biggest minimum change I would like to see at Leeds next year is a decent number two with an eye to take charge the year after. Not saying he is crap McDermott out etc but I feel he has run his natural course as mgr and would like to see some fresh ideas come into the squad

I didn't say it had been announced, but that I couldn't see any reason he would stay on.

I can't see any reason why Cheryl Cole wouldn't leave her new husband for me instead...,.doesn't mean it'll happen in reality though.

Ive said for a while when peacock goes the whole frint row needs to change. Next year may see part of that transition.
Regarding kirke, woulnt next year be his tenth with us, and therefore his testimonial?

(Stands back and waits for fireworks to start)

Peacock & Leuluai are going at the same time so clearly 2 new props will need to be brought into the side at that time.

I was thinking earlier that by introducing Cuthbertson and potentially Ratchford, and starting Sutcliffe at LF and letting Delaney go into the SR our attacking options across the field would actually drastically increase - especially because we'd have a LF who could pass and wasn't just another prop, and because we'd have a stand off who could run at the defence.

Something like:

1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. Moon
5. Hall
6. Ratchford
7. Sinfield
8. Cuthbertson
9. Aiton
10. Peacock
11. Ablett
12. Delaney
13. Sutcliffe

14. Burrow
15. Singleton
16. Leuluai
17. Achurch

It's clear changes are needed the back line was criminally under-used and CC aside we have plodded through the last 3 months of the SL.
Of course there is still plenty of quality in this squad but there are players surplus to requirements and those who are not as effective as they once were irrespective of reputation or success!
In terms of numbers we have a pretty big squad signed on for next year but scratch at the surface & there are plenty of unproven youngsters and more than a few old veterans in the twilight of their careers.
6th isn't good enough for this Club that isn't arrogance or an "expectancy" to win every game or Trophy going its a fact which every member of staff at the Club will echo.
More concerning are the levels of performances in the past they have managed to snap out of a rut and "come good" but not this year.
Whether Mc.D stays or not the Coaching set up needs addressing/freshening up but more importantly this squad needs to start the next phase of transition if that means 1 or 2 barren years or even 3 then so be it we have been through much worse.
The Team needs re-building and with the intention of getting the best out of Hardaker ,Moon ,Watkins ,Briscoe and Hall.
The likes of Kirke Clarkson & Bailey need moving on whilst we also need to be less reliant/reduce the playing minutes on the likes of Kylie ,Jjb and the other elder statesmen.
The Aiton situation needs sorting asap one way or another and I think it's time certain players stopped getting a "free pass" when playing poorly again irrespective of pass success.
I don't mean 1 poor game and you're gone either before we have any "but he has 6 GF rings etc" the time is right to start the changes the back line is set so the other areas need addressing over to you Mr Hetherington.

Ignoring wish-lists of stars (Ratchford wouldn't be anywhere near top of a wish-list IMO), I think the clear-out of some lesser players can be started this off-season.

Our squad has simply too many average forwards and virtually no experienced cover for the outside backs. If our starting pack is Peacock, Aiton, Leuluai, JJB, Ablett and Delaney with Cuthbertson on the bench, then that leaves Clarkson, Ward, Achurch, Singleton, Bailey and Kirke - none of whom convince me much at all. Not to mention how you fit in younger players - Walters, Baldwinson et al.

Next season rather than looking for some miracle signing (this late in the day I'd be surprised if many players were available), I'd rather see a bit of a cull of those 'second tier' forwards, which would free up spce for younger guys to have a bash.

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The problem with culling the 2nd tier is once they have gone,they have gone.So too has the experince,we have got to have something better to come in and replace them.At the moment the up and coming replacements do not cut it,they are simply not good enough IMO.Sutty no pace at half back should be a loose forward,Singo as someone previosly said too much fat not enough muscle or punch.Yates the jury's out forever injured,we don't know if he will be any cop when and if he's fit.Walters looks to show real potential out of a mediocre bunch .Clarkson not SL quality.Too many english forwards in our pack need replacing at the same time,so i cannot see the transition going well unless the cheque book comes out.

Ratchford still has a 2 yr contract I think

The contrast between the first half of the season and the second half clearly suggests that the age of the squad affected the 'staying power' of the team. First half of the season the team came strong in the second half whilst the last few games we have lost out particularly at the end of the game. Mental and physical fitness is open for debate.

I agree we need to blood new players and draft a couple in - Mainly at the expense of Kirke, Bailey and Maguire but we cannot lose the experience that can change matches when things do get tough.

Finally, I still dont get why we dont make full use of the bench - That surely adds up the level of fatigue at the end of the season?

The reality of 2014 is that we lost 10 league games and finished 6th, totally not good enough !!! The defence has been good this year but at the expense of our attacking side. I believe we have the best backs in the competition but I dont believe the coaching is good enough. We were only 7th in the try league which with backs like ours is indefensable. We need an attacking coach urgently. Every team but the Bulls kicked more 40/20's than us. When you also realise we made more tackles than any other team it just shows how much defending we've had to do !!! Our attacking flair is simply poor. When we have a scrum, there doesnt seem to be any plan whatsoever, no set moves,lack of imagination, our only success seems to come from kicks to the wingers on last tackle. Please unshackle these brilliant backs and allow them to show their class

Some posters really need to have a think when saying things like 'Stevie Ward hasn't shown enough, we should get rid'.

Stevie Ward isn't yet 20 years old, has made a total of 54 appearances. This year was his *most involved season to date* and most productive in terms of tries. For reference, at the same point in his career Carl Ablett had yet to make a start or score a try in a Leeds jersey.

Even Clarkson (not yet 25) is well short of where you expect to see a forward's best years come out, and has never had the run in the second row to demonstrate his talents. Singleton's not yet 22, Sutcliffe 19. To say they should be cleared out for youngsters (especially the likes of Tonks, Baldwinson & Foster - who couldn't get into the Bradford or London teams) is lunacy.

Achurch was impressive early doors when given a run starting in the second row - something he's not had since then. SR is actually somewhere we're pretty strong with JJB, Ablett, Delaney & Achurch - there's an argument for moving Delaney to the front row (his play at LF has basically been as a third prop anyway) so that Sutcliffe can play loose and Achurch in the SR.

We face a task in transitioning the pack, but those calling for wholesale replacement of the forwards are wrong. Kirke must be gone end of this season, Peacock & Kylie follow end of next and JJB the year after (at latest). But in Stevie Ward, Ablett, Delaney, Bailey, Clarkson, Achurch, Sutcliffe, Singleton, Walters & Cuthbertson we have the basis of a pack that'll be good for several years yet.

Kirk,Clarkson,Singleton, hardly put the fear into the opposition forwards;Stevie Ward(injuries) and Sutty who is played out of position I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt .We need a couple of aggressive forwards,and a decent half back,maybe GH can dip into the CC chest and splash out on Kieran Foran since he is available perhaps?

Brad Singleton isn't yet 22. Jamie Peacock didn't make his *debut* for Bradford until he was 22. Singo's shown a lot of promise and him not being the finished article so early in his career is understandable. No-one is saying he'll be a first choice prop next year. But he might be in 2-3 years when, at 25, we should be able to get a handle on his career.

Kirke I've already said should be on the way out. Clarkson I'd give 2 more season to at most. Again, he's only 24.

We've already signed Cuthbertson who'll be a starting prop next year, and I agree a new stand off is needed. I'd be delighted with Foran but can't see it - I think Ratchford is likely to be the best available.

On the forwards, Singleton is 21. He's shown, for me, enough this season to suggest he'll be a good player, and he should have got a lot more game-time than he did. He was certainly our best forward against Wigan, and was rewarded with being the only pack member dropped. We've already lost a pair of very good young props in Amor and Luke Burgess under McDermott's tenure, I wouldn't be keen to lose another.

Clarkson is nowhere near Super League level and never will be. Ward is worth another year to see if he can kick on. He was a star as a creative player at U-18s and I'd like to see him at 13 and given some playmaking responsibility rather than running into brick walls in the 2nd row (which in our set-up means running like a prop).

On which, move Delaney up to the front row. There's no point pretending he's a wide runner and the team certainly can't carry two similarly straight-ahead inside runners as JJB and Delaney in the same back row. What we lack is strike and offloads out wide. Lauititi types don't grow on trees, but that's the whole in our pack (other than hooker). If Achurch can do this then great, but wish we'd have signed Whitehead when we had the chance. Kirke and Bailey will hopefully have takers in the championship. I'd offer them and cash to Bradford for Gaskell who can cover pretty much all the positions in the back line and could still make a very good half-back.

For props next year our first four should be:

Peacock
Cuthbertson
Delaney
Singleton

with cameos from Kylie and integration of Mulhern/Yates

Second row

Ablett
Achurch (or new player)
JJB

with Walters and Baldwinson developing

Loose forward

Ideally Sinfield, easing Sutcliffe (or Gaskell) into stand-off, but Ward/Sutcliffe if he's not going to move back there.

And if Burrow plays he plays at scrum-half or as an impact player off the bench. But that's been obvious for years.

Eh?Gaskell no way hose;such a bad injury record,only surpassed by Gary Wheeler.We would have to strengthen in the physio department if we were foolish enough to sign that crock.

It was a suggestion because I don't know who's available and he's versatile, has a good kicking game and would tick a lot of boxes (and hopefully also allow us to palm some Championship-level dross off on Bradford). Not sure his recent injury record has been that bad either?

Other signings I would have looked at have been made already. Clark, who I was screaming to bring in two years ago when Lunt left, obviously. Bateman, Whitehead last year. But also I've seen a bit of London this year and even in an awful team there were three players who would have obviously improved our squad. Caton-Brown, who fair enough probably wouldn't have wanted to come as back-up, McMeekan, who's going to be the next Ferres/Whitehead offloading second-row that we needed and is going to Cas, and most of all Vea, a younger, fitter, faster Kylie who Saints have signed. You snooze, you lose. And I have a feeling someone will be going for Gaskell.

Watching Gaskell throughout the second half of the season he is definitely over his injury problems and playing some fantastic stuff, for me I would be quite please if he came in, he would definitely add to our attacking plays.

Does anyone think that Ward would make a better stand off than Sutcliffe who I think is a better ball playing SR or LF.
The slowness of our half backs this year is only going to get slower next year.
Our pack who struggled to make in roads or run at pace towards the second half of the year will struggle even more next year.
We need to play Aiton at hooker and either play Robbie Ward as back up or Burrow.
If we don't start bringing players in next year we are going to find it hard to get into the top six.

Certainly, a ballsy approach for McDermott to take would be to retire McGuire & give Sutcliffe the 6 shirt, starting Ward at LF with Achurch & Ablett in the second row and Cuthbertson starting up front alongside Aiton & Peacock. Leaving Burrow, Leuluai, Delaney & Jones-Buchanan on the bench.

If we look internally for a replacement in the halves then if Ash Handley can press forward a claim to become a starting centre then put Moon in the halves.

That's a pretty big if.