I hope Bentley does have a good season - maybe the competition for places at Leeds has made him think a little bit.

I don’t believe any professional player takes the field in a SL game and doesn’t try hard; but how you prepare off the field gives you the right to contribute on match days.

I am still confused why we didn’t go for Eseh or someone else but I guess Hudson was our Eseh player. We’re likely just to run with what we have and then next season I’d expect some tweaks.

Every team builds confidence before the new season: I think Leeds have to start strong and do well in games from the off. A bad run of losses and the pressure will mount very quickly but I’m not sure, prop aside, what more we could have asked for in signings really.

What's your thoughts on Miller? Do you think he has the experience to be a 'proper fullback' yet? He clearly has the skills to be a great attacking player, but I don't know enough about him to know if he will be up to the defensive side of the role.

You don’t play international 7s without being a good 1 on 1 defender. One major blunder aside he looked good their for the knights last year too and arguably only became available when Ponga became too fragile to defend in the line.

I think he’ll be a superstar in SL.

All about opinions Chris.
I don't disagree on Ackers, he will be very good and a big upgrade on what we have.
And our recruitment on the whole has been excellent.

Just my point is that I think we are short in the front row.
We're relying on a number of factors to all go in our favour.
And if we don't compete through the middle, our new flashy backs will have no platform.

As I've said before, I hope there was no need for concern and it all comes together.

Don't get me wrong I would have loved a big nasty metre making prop to come in, I just think with the surgery required to the squad it was unrealistic. - lots can happen during in the season and we may see more additions/departures before the year is out.

What I like about the recruitment this year is every player is an upgrade IMO

Miller > Myler
Momirosvski > Macdonald
Croft >>> daylight, Austin
Frawley > Sezer
Ackers > Leeming/O'Conner
Goudemand > Tetevano

The only loss is Walters, but Hudson may turn out to be a good signing if he can get fit.

I am concerned about prop and believe we needed at least another one, however, we have in my opinion signed the best hooker and stand off in the league and our new centre seems to be well reviewed. I am hoping Miller will be in a similar mould to Field / French. We have on the whole seemingly recruited quite well.

Agree on Mom, Croft, Frawley and Ackers.
Miller remains to be seen. Bit of a gamble with limited experience, but could honestly go either way.
Could be a star, or we could miss the dependable consistency of Myler.

And if Goudemand is the official replacement for Tetevano, then it's very underwhelming.
He's a squad player like Donaldson, not the impact prop we need.

I'd include Holroyd in the list of who we need more from too. I'd be interested to see his yardage stats if anyone can find them.

Tetevano was pretty much rubbish for his entire Leeds career, Goudemand will be far better, which was my point.

Agreed, Tetevano had the potential to score 9 out of 10 but rarely did for us and often he’d be 5/6 out of 10 and was missing often whereas Goudemond I think will be much more consistent on a 7/8 out of 10 basis more often than not…yes not a metre muncher that we could do with, but neither was Tetevano but Goudemond will be a solid grafter for us with few mistakes in him

Yes Tetevano was poor.
But he was signed as an NZ international, marquee, impact prop.
I want what we were hoping for (and expecting) with Tetevano, rather than a 7/10 squad 'middle'.

But what if we signed another NZ international, marquee, impact prop and they turned out like tetavano?

that's the risk you take in every signing.
if the coach doesn't want a forward based game, as in some games last season, it doesn't how many forwards good or otherwise you have.
I think it's wait and see.

Oledski looks in immaculate shape going into this season, hopefully a big injury free season for him

Absolutely, every signing is a gamble - especially from the NRL.
But if every signing was a Goudemand rather than a Tetevano, it would show a distinct lack of ambition.

Said it before, Tetevano was exactly what we wanted on paper. Just didn't work out.
For all we know, his heart issues may have been holding him back for a while.
Goudemand may well be a very useful back up forward, but he's not the impact prop we need.

Tetevano was never an impact prop. He was a very reliable rotation prop - the NRL equivalent of Ian Kirke. Just because he was a Kiwi international doesn't change how he played. Goudemand is a like-for-like replacement for who Tetevano was in reality, not what anyone might have wanted him to be.

I don't disagree that we look light up front though, or that a big yardage forward would fill a gap. Aside from Lisone none of our props make enough yards, especially the bigger lads.

My point is that we shouldn't be replacing what Tetevano was.
We should be replacing what we expected him to be.

Couple of injuries up front (which is very possible) and we are up against it.

Id say every team maybe bar Wigan would be up against it with two injuries to their starting front rowers.

I don't disagree we look a bit light, although I wonder if Ruan could play up the middle. He's certainly big enough.

Heres hoping.

Led the way season before but I dont think the injury he picked up late in the season, then putting off surgery to play for England did him any favours and he looked a shadow of the player we know he can be last season.

Is signing a big metre making prop the way to go? Definite benefits this year but what about next when any tackle above the scrotum (ok, I exaggerate) will draw a penalty? These big men might be a total liability defensively if/when the game changes.

ive heard that tackling will be restricted to the scrotum only from 2025. Tackle bags will be replaced with ball bags in training.

Would Sam Kasiano be worth a punt? He’s just been released by Warrington. Might do a job for a season

If you want to have a player who will be pinged for high tackles a-lot and maybe banned a-lot, and is blowing hard after 10 minutes then yeah go for it.