Actually printer, the best game I have ever seen Hall have defensively was when he played in the pack one game a few years back. He actually looked more comfortable defending there.

I would certainly put him in the pack. Not sure whether it would be this season, but you have already given the reasons above why it should be considered for future years.

Hall in the pack? Best case scenario Westwood or Asotasi, worst case scenario Tame Toupou.

Seems risky for a guy who is amongst the best in the world where he is. Briscoe is to me a natural centre it's just no one has ever taught him to be one. Would far rather see Briscoe developed as a centre than Hall moved in to the pack.

God no. Hall is one of the best wingers in the world why would we push him into the second row? Are you Brian Noble in disguise!

The fact that he is big enough doesn't mean you should just shove him in the pack. His size coupled with his pace (and skill, bravery etc) are what makes him a great winger.

He may move to the pack in his twilight but not for many years.

As for Handley, he is covering well but he is what, 4 games in? You're suggesting moving one of the best wingers in the world to an unfamiliar position to accommodate him? Wow.

It always makes me chuckle when I see things about twighlight of career.

Hall is 28 this year. Very rare there is wingers still playing at the top clubs here or NRL when into their 30's. He is already approaching the twighlight as a winger.

Whether Handley is the replacement, we won't know until he has the shirt, but Hall isn't going to be playing wing unlikely after the end of his current contract.

Stand to be corrected, but didn't he make his debut off the bench and play in the back row?

Can't remember him playing in the pack too many times after that mind.

I'm old enough and daft enough to remember Leeds trying the same thing with Jim Fallon in one game (Leigh at home?). Looked absolutely shattered after about ten minutes. The impact and work-rate is massively different in the forwards to what you experience on the wing. That said, Hall's defensive frailty is against players with good footwork when he tends to grab. Having players running straight at him might actually make it easier for him to line them up and put a shot on.

Joel Monaghan and Pat Richards are 33 and doing alright. Like Hall, their game isn't based on speed.

No chance i would move him, he is amongst the very best in his position so leave him there.As said above,Hall's game is not built round speed it us mainly power based and i can see him continuing being one of the very best wingers for at least 5 years yet.

Its good to have a good lad like Handley come in and prove himself though and he has proved he can be trusted as our first three quarter cover player going and should get plenty of game time as things are,players always get injured.At just 18 im sure he will be more than happy with that role for the foreseeable.

I'll give you Monaghan. But Richards is in for his kicking, not for his wing play.

It wasn't his debut I don't think. I think it was against Warrington aswell.

I also remember Jim Fallon doing it, and funny enough I thought he had a good game there too.

I agree entirely with your last couple of sentences, hence why my opinion was that he looked comfortable defending in the middle when he was tried there.

As has been said Handley has done well but it's early doors and he's still not finished his physical development. Looks very comfortable out there, my instinct would be to get Briscoe & Hall back in when we can (as good as Handley has been I think those two would have been better).

Definitely not DR next year, needs to go on loan for a full-time outfit where he'll be getting in the 1st team, albeit where we have a recall clause in case of needing cover. Wakefield will be playing Championship rugby next year, so quite possibly there.

He made his debut at Magic weekend vs Bradford when Tansey scored 'that' try. He only got on for the final 20 mins and his SL stats page says he did 3 carries and no tackles.

RL Project site has him listed as starting on the wing in all but 2 of his Leeds appearances with those other games being subsitute appearances in his first two games at this level. He's only made 10 tackles or just more on 4 occasions in his Leeds career in league games so it doesn't suggest he spent a long time in the 2nd row if he did find himself there at one point during a match.

I used to be an advocate of Hall moving inside to centre or second row...but now I am not so sure!!!! Hall's great assett is his finishing ability (who can ever forget his try for England vs the 'world's greatest Full Back' or in the CC final against the hapless Cas opposite number). He's the best at it since the great Alan Smith (and I don't remember him ever been moved into the pack). Like Hall his greatest assett was not speed, but he kept his wing position even when there was a faster player inside...David Smith !!

Can't Handley also play centre? If Moon does move on there seems to be a potential natural progession for the lad into the LC position. Alternatively he could keep his wing position with T.Briscoe moved into the centre position - he seemed pretty good there on boxing day. However, again I feel Briscoe is best utilised on the wing in the same way that he too like Hall is fabulous at bringing the ball back into play giving the forwards that valuable breathing space.

Golding I forsee more as a future stand off. (Surtcliffe to LF?). Again I have changed my mind about the future position of Hardaker being SO; the lad is too good at FB and as others have stated perhaps not best equipped for the passing excellence required in this position

Hall is one of the few British players recognised as world class in any position - quite possibly the only back given that sort of credit in Australia. Absolutely barmpottery to suggest moving him unless his ability on the wing drops off a cliff.

Handley looks like he has the perfect build for centre if he fills out a bit. Assuming everyone else stays, you'd have to say Moon ought to be the one making way down the track. Next season might be the toughest one for Handley - he may need to be loaned out all year to another SL club as the rotation of wingers doesn't work.

I also hope the plan is to keep Sutcliffe at 6. We look likely to be moving to a genuine two playmaker system from next year, and the McGuire/Sutcliffe combination looks like a good bet.

Ash is really impressing me with his composure from such a young bloke.

The try he got from the Sutcliffe cross field kick may have looked simple. but only worked because he was determined enough to stay on his wing. Would have been easy and enthusiastic to possibly to leave his wing and attempt to support Watkins from his break. But he didn't, he held his line and got the rewards.

Whilst Handley, who I am sure is delighted to have had an unexpected run in the first team, has done a good job covering for us, it would be insane to suggest that either Hall or Briscoe move over to make way for him. Have you all been on the crystal meth?

The back 5 at Leeds are considered the best in Super League. Some would argue the best in World RL. Who in their right mind would consider dropping or moving one of these world class stars to make way for a young kid who has been OK without being brilliant?

I think there are lots of reasons to avoid rushing things. Handley is probably going to end up playing a lot more first grade this year than anyone, including him probably, expected. It's gone very well. He will have learned a lot. He has a look of a young player who hasn't finished developing physically at the moment (as does Golding) so I think it would be reasonable to think that when the senior squad wingers are back the lad will get a well earned break and some time back in the lower grades. I think we've been doing quite well at managing long term prospects carefully of late, and long may that continue.

Ryan Hall's debut was from the bench at Millenium Magic 2007 (as others have stated) where he came on for Carl Ablett taking up station on the right wing. His first carry was from acting half around where the left centre would be positioned as he got stuck in.

His only other bench appearance was March 2008 (also incidentally V Bradford Bulls) and just to correct one thing stated earlier Hall in fact made ten starts between those two bench outings. In the March 2008 match Hall came on and played right second row tasked with defending on the inside of Ellis who started the game and remained at centre. Hall was 'gassed' in no time but that was a feature of his early Leeds career (IMO) even when playing on the wing and something that has obviously improved greatly since.

Agree. No reason to rush him and he has shown he is - quite literally - a safe pair of hands.

Going back to the original question. IMHO Ash should keep his place and Ryan should and will earn it back but Briscoe should also do the same and I would expect him to find it a lot more difficult to unseat Ash

Where do the likes of Hall and Briscoe "earn" their place back, given there isn't a reserve grade competition?

Unless you're suggesting they go play for Hunslet for a few weeks?

They've earned that place over the last 12 months (or in Hall's case, even longer). Handley hasn't done enough in his spell in the side to usurp either of them when fit IMO.

Whilst appreciating that Ash is still learning his trade, it seems to me that his positioning sense is actually better than that of Tom Briscoe. The number of times that Briscoe overran a pass opportunity was irritating given the quality of Leeds' centre play - I have not seen similar wasting of chances by Ash Handley.

I thought in the few games they played together this season Watkins And Briscoe seemed to be on a better wave length.

Fair points. IMHO Ryan would be straight back if fit but Briscoe's work rate is so much less than Ash H I would send him to Hunslet for a couple of weeks and learn how to go seeking the ball.
What I really don't want to see is Ash abandoned and then next thing he is "on-loan" to Salford or Wakefield for the rest of the season while McDermott dreams up another reason why Tony Smith seems to have the Indian sign over him!

I would suggest opening the eyes at matches in future. Briscoe was one of our top players until his injury, because of his work rate and metres made.

Briscoe was awesome before his injury. Makes great metres. I think he will join Ryan Hall in the "world class" bracket. We can kill teams from either side.