i think he means, and i agree, why are we miles under the cap when the squad is in need of a couple of players. i think what with the world cup players not having an off season and having to play long spells each week,we can't rest people.

If Eastwood had signed would we have been that far under the cap?
For mine there is no point in spending up to limit for the sake of it.Other than Gleeson which other players were available mid season?

after eastwood signed we were told there was space for a signing. there were plenty available in the off season,when the squad should have been sorted

Like who?

few of the aussie clubs are feeling the pinch this season (cronulla, souths now they have signed crocker) & might be happy to release players if they can't realisticaly reach the play offs.

the club would have had a full list of OOC players halfway through last season. i don't have that at my fingertips

That's the point here. Fans know (me included) next to nothing, it's not their place to know. Club CEO's on the other hand will be well aware of player's availability and it's their job to maintain (and where possible) improve the existing squad at any given time, not least during the close season when ideally these matters should be taken care of.

Would you rather have money left unspent gathering dust in the bank or extra players available for selection to the under fire coach.

If you're going to fantasize about someone playing for Leeds that is unlikely to happen I am sure you can find better w@nking material than Shenton.

How can you post the very salient reasons that the CEO can't sign him yet criticise the CEO for not signing him?

If the right centre has been a problem its' been since Chev's departure because if it was a problem then Toopi was most certainly not the solution. Unless the solution is being rightly displaced by Gibson then missing 75% of a season with injury.

Well maybe GH-BM didn't rate or think the available players were right for the club?

Indeed.........or they have faith in the players coming through the ranks and having invested so heavily in the youth set up and enjoyed such success from it, feel entitled to rely upon it.

I haven't criticised the CEO for the non-signing of Shenton. I have expressed an opinion that Shenton would strengthen the current Leeds squad if he was available.



Toopi took time to settle at Leeds. The latter part of 2007 and 2008 (when available) his form was pretty good and Gibson far from being in a position to challenge for the spot was permanently on the treatment table. Leeds haven't had a settled right centre since Toopi's injury V Melbourne with Ablett coming closest to claiming it.



Only time will tell if the squad assembled is up to defending their SL title.

If they have such faith in the youth set up why did they see the need to target Pritchard, Eastwood and Soliola in the off season?

What isn't in question is that the squad assembled has already failed to defend their WCC title, went out of the Challenge Cup at the first hurdle at home, lost V Salford for the first time in 16 years (at home to them for the first time in 32 years) and lost away at Odsal becoming the only Bradford opponent to do so in 2009 in the process.

After reading all the posts on this subject. It seems to me that tvoc is the only one writing perceptive, sensible opinions, in marked contrast to the Hetherington cheer leaders who are ably led by G1.

So the success GH has produced at our club including saving us from being bankrupt,building the acadamy,carnegie stand etc isn't worth supporting????????????
Tvoc has his view's and fair play he does stand by them and argue his case but that doesn't mean my and anyone else who are backing the ceo and willing to keep faith in this squad are wrong!!

heard westerman is on his way to us.

The latter part of 2007 he was solid, no more. He was fortunate that the player you see as not being good enough for Leeds got injured so he could have his place back.

Just what did Toopi do in the latter part of 2008 other than be injured? Gibson was joined on that treatment table for most of 2008 by Toopi.

Leeds haven't had a settled right since Chev Walker.



Indeed.

....and having failed to land them for various reasons they have faith in their youth set up rather than simply sign someone, anyone who wasn't even on their agenda in the first place.

You don't defend a WCC because if you don't win the championship you don;'t get the opportunity. You compete for a fresh one each year.

This assembled squad have won the same number of Challenge Cups as every squad for the last ten years.

Losses in regular league games are an irrelevance and will be even more so if this squad makes history in Oct.

I read Fox had signed a new three year deal with Hull KR.

And whats not to cheer Les?

You've watched Leeds for some time. Have any of those great players, great teams ever achieved what the club have under GH's stewardship?

Why on earth would anyone with any sense not enjoy this halcyon period in the great club?

Are we still in the Halcyon period, or has it now ended?

Still in it. Still the same squad that has won back to back championships. Still the same captain that has liften 3 championships in 5 years. Still in with a shout of winning a 3rd consecutive championship, or as much of a shout as anyone.

The performances week in, week out where in excess of twenty penalties/handling errors are the norm.



How many of the 32 Leeds games in 2007 did Toopi miss? Gibson missed 22 if that helps any and you are quite correct, I see no point in retaining Ashley Gibson once his contract expires this season.



Clinton Toopi started at right centre in 35 of 44 matches (Aug 2006 to Feb 200icon_cool.gif and of the 9 he didn't start at right centre he started 6 of those at left centre, when Tony Smith experimented with switching his centres. Of course Toopi was naturally a left centre by trade anyway so another huge tick in the recruitment box.



Which players are these? Where is the evidence that Leeds have faith in them so far in 2009? This time last season (Round 13) Leeds were missing Toopi, Smith, Jones-Buchanan, Ellis, Lauitiiti, Bailey and Kirke. On Friday Leeds had arguably their first choice squad available + Bailey. It would be interesting to see what sort of team Leeds could put out with a random seven players missing as there were this time last season.



Leeds earned the right to defend their WCC title in 2009 and failed to do so successfully.



Why choose ten years when you could have chosen eleven? If you'd have gone for twelve you'd have also found the last time Leeds failed to reach the 5th round. Why aren't Leeds successful in the Challenge Cup anyway?



This squad have so far failed to make any welcome history so far this season and without something changes the chances (like the weather on Friday) are not looking that bright.



The same squad minus Ellis, Scruton, Toopi and Tansey (of which Toopi, Ellis and Scruton played a role in the GF/'s)

With the welcome addition of Buderus but that makes Diskin's role in the team confusing to say the least.

Let's hope they all stay fit this year.

:342hci7eyes, but he was insinuating being a cheerleader for GH was something negative. It would be hard to argue that his stewardship of the club has been anything but an unmitigated success.


:342hci7eYou tell me, I am sure you know




:342hci7eWhy August 2006 to Feb 2008?



:342hci7eWell, this time last year Leeds did have to rely on their youth system and they went fine. They also relied upon it very heavily when the test match was on and we didn't drop any comp points.


:342hci7e Because they fail to win the required number of games to be awarded the trophy.



:342hci7eThe chances didn't look that bright for periods of 2007 and 2008 either.



:342hci7e4 players, 1 of whom played in no GF's, 2 of whom played in 1.

:342hci7eTo whom? He looks like our interchange hooker to me. The player the club have been searching for for a number of years.

As if.





You obviously then do not know he hates Leeds.

A bit unwise for a professional sportsman to say he hates a club..


Regards

Alan Smith

If you insist. Clinton Toopi played in all 32 games Leeds played in 2007. He didn't miss any through injury and even when relegated to the bench in favour of Gibson at right centre for three games he found some real form playing interchange back row forward before Ashley unfortunately picked up the knee injury that has (for me) forever altered his future prospects at the club.




Why not? August 2006 is the point he replaced Chev Walker in the team and Feb 2008 was the point he did his shoulder V Melbourne in the WCC. Inbetween he was a virtual ever present in the side (93%) playing the large proportion (85%) of those games at right centre. Whether he was actually a right centre or not that was his role given to him by Leeds and it's a role he cemented for himself post Chevrolet.



In addition to youth (Watkins, Worrall(?) Burgess(?)) they also had a bigger first team squad than they currently have available and had brought in Eric Anselme on loan. If the same problems occurred this season we might finally see these squad players such as Ambler and Manning (and insert your own suggestions here) that are currently ripping it up in the reserves.




They didn't eleven seasons ago just missing your criteria. Shame about that. A club Leeds' size really have underperformed here in a competition they have a very decent history in even in the Caddick/Hetherington era. Why is that when according to some [i'It would be hard to argue that his stewardship of the club has been anything but an unmitigated success.'[/i



Diskin doesn't look much like an interchange hooker. He looks like just another hooker where the team performance drops off when he appears from the bench. I'd have liked the interchange bit to equal impact with bursts from dummy half against a tiring defence. You don't get that from Diskin much.

I agree with tvoc about the Diskin issue completely. Buderus looks the classic 80 minute hooker to me, and there's no doubt we've been poorer when he's gone off in the last few weeks. This isn't a criticism of Disko, who IMO has been one of our most consistent players over the years. But I am starting to think an extra big forward on the bench rather than an interchange hooker may be the way forward.