I’m pretty sure that Andrew Dunnemann was described as a journeyman but he was vital to the introduction of our young halves.

Dunnemann
Mcdonald
Vowels
Feather
Adamson
Connolly

I'm sure there's more that Ive forgotten about throughout those early years

Ah, Chris Feather - almost in the same bracket as Karl Pryce for unfulfilled physical potential!

Sinfield is absolutely about developing the youth. The journeyman-type signings that have been made have been top bracket in professionalism if not ability - he is trying to instil work ethos into the new generation; these signings on the whole have been an investment in the youth still.

His challenge is to replicate the Goldens but in a new way, because we can't look back.

Real shame the Reserves has gone before it got started, it was really good timing for us with the stage of squad development we had. I think we can trust the club to bring the youth through in the right ways; not all the journeymen have made an impact on prospects for young lads, and if they have (Donaldson?) it's probably on merit. In fact quite a few senior & journeymen players are leaving at the end of this season and you'd think the youth will absolutely fill that gap. Most still do need to improve physically for regular SL of course - they all clearly know the pathway is open and are chomping at the bit, and good on them and the club.

I think we also have to bear in mind how talented the core group of the ‘golden generation’ were its unlikely we’ll see a group that talented all come through at the same time, we have been very lucky to have witnesses it

People forget how slowly the golden generation was brought through also. It wasnt that they was in the team and stayed in. They was brought through gradually.

Didn't Sinny get dropped for the 2000?? Challenge Cup final after playing prior to it, and same happened to McGuire in 2003 I think.

Yep, dropping Mcguire after his semi final performance was pretty harsh!

And stupid.

You seriously think Dunneman, Vowles, Adamson, Connolly were journeymen? These were top top signings, nothing close to a semi retired Ferres, Thompson, or Evans.

I think they were signings that were moaned about at the time for the same reasons people are moaning about those players you mention blocking the path of youngsters, which was the point of the discussion.

Fact is Ferres and Evans won't even play a handful of games this year and the other point is in this season if we have to play a team like we did on Wednesday players like Ferres, Thompson and Evans will actually help the youngsters.

dunneman was key to rotating the golden trio, vowles had been mos , connolly won lance todd with us and sure adamson came as an internatioal , mcdonald and feather poss unfulfilled projects bar a couple of long mcdonald runs , poss a decade earlier forshaw did nowt for us then starred for bradford

You seriously must not have been around at the time. I never ever heard once anyone complain at those signings when made. Absolutely the opposite. You would be right at moaning by some on their effect at the end, but absolute fabrication to say they were moaned about on signing.

I was around Gotcha and there was moaning, I am not aiming that at you, I'm sure you were the beacon of positivity at all those signings, but I distinctly remember signings like Dunemann and Connolly being met with derision. And I can remember Adamson being called a glorified 'cheerleader' by some supporters.

My whole point is we are not in some unprecedented times where the youth are being totally 'blocked' by other signings it's always been pretty much like it is now in the modern era.

We have actually got a fairly young starting 17.

We won't agree so its a pointless discussion to be fair.

I am sorry but you are wrong, and fabricating a tale.

Connolly was a shock of a signing at the time, absolute quality.

Adamson was called a glorified cheerleader, and by quite a few old posters on here, but absolutely none when the signing was made. Very much at the end.

Dunneman was Halifax best player at the time. I am sure some might have said we could make a bigger signing. But nobody was moaning. He was a far better signing at that time for instance, than us signing Lui.

From 2000 we had a plan to introduce and when the youngsters, and no one was blocked by true journeymen from 2002. There is no similarity. We have made some poor recruitment decisions these last few years.

Gotcha, bloody hell, other people have had different experiences, back in the early noughties I used to go with a fair few people to the games including some that moaned about the signings, and I remember some on Southstander moaning but I am not talking about this forum exclusively.

You also seem to be insinuating I thought those signings were bad, I didn't, but to claim they were universally met with praise is as you put it fabricating a tale.

We have made some poor recruitment decisions throughout my time in watching the Rhinos/Leeds RLFC, it happens.

We have a plan to introduce the youngsters now, it's just that as always you think you know better than the club.

Anyway I'm signing off from this thread now - I can't be d anymore, have a good weekend.

I am in no way insinuating you thought anything. I am not in to second guessing.

I am telling you though that people were not moaning when those signings were made, categorically. And nowhere have I said they were universally met with praise, even making clear the opposite prior to you saying this.

You stated people were moaning then about those signings, the same way we are moaning about Evans, Ferris, Thompson, and I am telling you that was simply not true, not even close.

We have made some poor recruitment decisions over a longer period of time, and some possibly moaned about when signed, but not those you mentioned.

They still got regular games in SL a lot more than the current crop & their path wasnt blocked by sh!# ,like Ferres & Rhys Evans or Luke Briscoe.

Just to add signings like Connolly Adamson & Dunnemen were very good astute additions as was Furner Poching Bai & Mckenna. Feather was a younger prospect & Mcdonald was signed to add power unfortunately some didnt quite work out.
Evzns Ferres Luke Briscoe Lui wouldnt even get in that squad to carry the kit completely ridiculous comparison.
All of this was going on whilst Walker Calderwood Burrow Mcguire Diskin Ward Bsiley & Jjb were given regular games & once proven keot their shirts.
Now granted the current crop msy not be at that level if quality but they certsinly deserve a chance more than the current crop of journey men.

There's some serious re-writing of history going on here.
The players who became part of the Golden Generation were doubted all the time they were kids, with constant demands to get the chequebook out.
And the idea that when Dunemann signed it wasn't greeted with derision on here/Rivals/wherever we were then. Well, as Jeff would have said BWAHAHAHAHA.

Exactly

Seconded.

A lot of people thought Connolly was too old when he was signed, but were proven wrong (we still didn't win owt with him).

Dunemann was seen as potential backward step even if he had done well at Halifax - don't forget Iestyn Harris was still a not too distant memory as a superstar half-back and we'd already had one failed replacement attempt in Ben Walker.

Adamson was heralded as a good signing and was popular in his first season or so, until being exposed by the southstander intelligentsia as a bit of a cheerleader in 2004. Did he really need to play with the titanium plate in his cheek in the 2003 CC semi? A bit like Senior in the 2005 CC (a moment which arguably ruined our potentially greatest year that never was, but I digress), sometimes ego seemed to get the better of some of these players.

McDonald and Feather were project signings - the Kirke and Achurch of the day. We all hoped they would make it but it wasn't to be. Well, at least Kirke picked up a few GF rings



Plenty of the younger players received tons of stick before they made it - not least JJB and Calderwood.

Absolute rubbish , there was plenty of support & encouragement for them when they broke through.
There was also more fans getting into the ground early to watch the Acadamy games in the curtain raisers just to see who next prospects could be.
In fact there was more ?'s asked when they were left out ala Mags in the 03 CC Final.
As for the Dunneman signing i never heard any derision in the SS when he arrived Senior & Poching got more stick in early into their Rhinos careers.

Mark the golden generation was doubted when they was in.their prime never mind when they was 17 year old.

The abuse Chev Walker got from fans when he was a kid making his way into the 1st team drove him to tears and made him want to quit the sport.

Give over Marty, he is talking nonsense as usual, and the only one trying to rewrite history.

Nah hes spot on. Ur memory must be fading kid.