Interesting interview with McDermott in the league weekly this week. Intimating that burrow could continue on in the role he is currently playing and all seems fairly positive.
Also special mention in there for Lee smith who is impressing in pre season. Alludes to a meeting last year where things were said and maybe smiths head wasn't in the right place something along the lines of he has won it all but needs to train and have the hunger of a new player who has won nothing. Things seem to have changed and now impressed with his attitude. " think he would play prop now if we asked him to".
Seems he might have had his head up his back side last season but has at least come back with the right frame of mind.

2012 is a very big year for some Rhinos players to make a name for themselves

IMO the Hooking role is the major concern this coming season, and McShane as heir apparent is stepping into the biggest shoes to fill bracket of the lot, I hope he gets an extended shot in the side to prove he has what it takes to guide us around the paddock, and for years to come too.

As i have previously posted, I can imagine that if the Rhinos make a final or a big play-off game and they put their strongest 17 out, then possibly McShane could still be omitted from the match day side if he is not as commanding in his role as other potential suitors

Looking at how Brian Mac sees things, i envisage that Rob Burrow could be again utilized in this role when the big games come around

I'm still a big fan of Liam Hood and if Macca doesn't make the 9 shirt his own, then this kid could eventually gazump him

I'm not too concerned about how many SL games Stevie Ward actually gets this season as i still believe that he will have a very long and successful career at the club, he is without doubt the best academy player that i have seen in the last 10 years and throughout all clubs too

Zac has absolutely everything going for him, he can be anything he wants in this game, he does look like a Rolls Royce player to me and one who can play in almost any back position on the field and with equal effect too

And wasnt he chuffed to get a SL ring when he thought he would still be with Fev

A fantastic end to his first SL season

how many apps has he had up to now ?cant be many,but I am very excited about him

After the GF I think Mr Burrow will have a great season.
As for the rookies, I think they all have potential but I think McShane will come to be a great No9 (I refuse to call them hookers out of respect to the great hookers I grew up with when it was a real skill).

Re Lee Smith, am I correct in thinking that when Tony Smith coached the international squad he used Smith as an impact hooker or at least dummy half off the bench?
Or was it Cullen when he coached England under Smith (Tony not Lee)?

Smith's last appearance at international level was at right centre IIRC against Australia at Wigan.

Can't remember him being used in the dummy half role at that level.

Ashley Gibson was used as a dummy half off the bench IIRC when he played for England in the European Championships - when England was the second tier national side.

I hope Smith sorts his attitude out because he deffinately has the talent. Also means that our back line, baring Possible injuries to Watkins, should be set for the next 4 or 5 years.

As for Clarkson, I'm a fan of his and his work rate is awesome, but I think he moved away from a few of the things he did well in his rookie year last season. What really impressed me in his first year was the lines he picked and the holes he hit. Last year he seemed to move away from that and wasn't too effective with ball in hand. For a guy of his size he really needs to get back to that 1st season gap running style.

The person I'm most looking forward to seeing though is Zak Hardaker. By far the best young talent I have seen at Headingley in the 17 years I have been watching Leeds. If he continues his development he will be a star for years to come. Well worth the reported 100k fee too if you ask me.

One to watch? Aside from the ones who have been to watch for many years, who I wouldn't want to forget....

Hardaker finished last season really well, and if he kicks on he could be one to get excited about. Likewise Kallum Watkins if he can get injury free. I think his biggest problem when he does play is a touch of inexperience, and a good run in the side would go a long way to iron that out. Elsewhere in the backline, BJB also needs a bit of fine-tuning but is an exciting prospect.

On the subject of Stevie Ward, I haven't seen any academy games for a while, but the news is that he's got all the makings of a big star. My only advice would be, as is the case with any promising youngster, that you bring them into the team at a rate that suits their own physical development. It isn't purely an age thing, so you can't just say "so and so played 72 matches a year when he was 9" or similar. Young players mature physically at different ages. If he's ready, give him a run, if he needs to be brought on slowly, let's not panic. If he's going to be a super star he'll be around for a lot of years, there's no rush.

A fair few posters make this point. Any evidence to support the notion that it's Smith's attitude that's the problem? Or any to support the notion that he's still got the talent, come to that?

It may not be his attitude, could be something else, but his fitness appears to have declined rather markedly since 2009. Be it attitude, injury, something outside work or whatever, something caused that, and I hope it can be resolved.

I still hold the view that talent ([unatural[/u ability) is not something you lose. You can lose form, you can lose focus, you can lose fitness, you can get out of practice, you can lose confidence, but talent by its nature is hard-wired and I don't believe you lose it. You only lose the ability to use it.

Hmmm...maybe...

That's a moot point. How can anyone know whether said talent still exists if it can't be expressed?

Either way, I haven't seen much evidence that Lee's about to return to his former level. It should go without saying that I hope he does but it already feels like the club has shown a great deal more patience with him than is sometimes the case.

We're at risk of philosophising here, and it is to some extent a moot point.

Bot s0d it, what are Thursday mornings for?

I don't think I can know, but I would point to the fact that sports people (being a group whose performances are publically visible) can go through long periods of slump where their form declines, but then somehow re-capture past glories, as some evidence that talent never goes away, and can be re-realised.

A very determined Ian Kirke wanting to prove his critics wrong.

I don't think talent goes away, certainly not at his age. Its his fitness / conditioning that has looked off. Thats down to attitude IMO.

Equally, I could give you some examples where previous glories were never recaptured. Maybe there's no universal truth on this one. However, on reflection my general perception is that even where past glories are recaptured, the resurgence is more often a flash in the pan rather than a pattern of sustained success. Just my perception, note; your perspective may well differ.

I'm guessing your opinion is based to a greater or lesser extent on your experience as a coach? If so, I've some questions:

To what extent are coaching staff responsible for a player's attitude?
If the fault lies predominantly with the player, and my guess is that it may well do, what would be a reasonable time frame to hold off before moving a player on, assuming there's no improvement in his attitude?

It was Bluey who used him at dummy half in a Super League game where he fielded a team with no hooker. I think Lee Smith was the fullback at the time and would scoot up for the play-the-ball.

I can't remember who it was against, but I think it may have been in 2009.

It was against Wigan, and JJB was named as hooker but Lee Smith and Brent Webb took acting-half throughout. We won convincingly, fwiw.

No question, the 2011 Lee Smith was well off the boil in terms of fitness. He wasn't close to being at the races.

But to me his fitness and attitude are one and the same thing.

Before the 2011 season he had a full pre-season to get himself physically ready to get ripped and to fight for his shirt. Through the season he struggled to get selected and his form when he did play backed the coaches decision up. So he wasn't heavily involved in game time, so his fitness should have been nailed on. Failed application of mind and body. Unless there was an injury for a full season.

And those who wax lyrical about his 'excellent' performance at full back against Wakie (who had their cue on the rack) need to look at themselves for reading anything else into a strong performance against a weak team amongst a side where everyone looked strong.

Nor is this the first time Smith has failed to take opportunities to establish a spot in the 1st team. Remember, he was given the full back shirt after Mathers injury then lost it to Tansey. A pattern is emerging of a talented player who appears to be sufficiently motivated on an inconsistent basis.

He is, quite rightly, down the pecking order with the young, fast, talented outside backs we have but if they can keep him happy and get him motivated he's a handy lad to have around

Didn't Tony Smith once drop him and made him water carrier and he came back strongly and got international recognition

All I am wary of is questioning his general attitude and commitment when none of us know what his personal and/or health circumstances have been. There are all kinds of reasons why people don't have their "heads in the right place" and assuming laziness and arrogance should not be the first recourse, particularly when peering in from the outside.

As I mentioned previously the interview in the league weekly from Brian McDermott it alludes to the fact both his fitness and attitude were wrong and that they had a meeting were the air was cleared.

He states he has been going well in training and appears to knucled down. And would play prop now if asked to although he prefered spot is full back.

Something along the lines of "he has won alot of trophies but needs to have the attitude of someone who hasn't won anything