No I'm only Salford!

Im Salford.

Touche.

No we don't...why are so many convinced Leeds will achieve anything else but an early exit from the play offs ? ? Waste of time.

We might have a couple of good performances left to win the CC (the present crop of players want that one more I'm sure)...but that's it.

Forget the points ...and blood the kids for a better start to next season. Simples.

We aint gonna sign anybody of worth...those kids are the club's future. Start building for 2012 NOW.

Winners never quit and quitters never win.

I would rather finish 6th than 7th or 8th. If we make a complete b******s of the rest of our league games we could still end up 9th, which would be Bradford-esque and rather embarrassing. Losing to Salford by going there with our academy side, and playing young players in a position they haven't played since they were juniors (see Operation Hardaker) would be an excellent first step down that road.

Personally I think this season is already too "embarrassing" to be concerned whether we finish 6th or 9th ....I would have more respect for the club if it started to look to the future now.

But what makes you think that Wilson & Hardaker at stand off are the future? I've seen a couple of academy games and seen nothing to indicate Wilson is ready for the most difficult defensive position in rugby league at SL level. And what is the benefit in moving a young player who was playing well on the wing to a different position?

I also think you're underestimating the impact missing out on the playoffs would have on the club. It would be a disaster. Finishing 8th is far, far, far, far preferable to finishing 9th.

With the run in that Leeds have they WILL finish 8th regardless.

Maybe the players you refer to to will prove not to be good enough to be the club's future....but how the hell can anybody tell unless they're given the opportunity ? As for Hardaker it now appears he isn't even good enough to retain a first choice wing spot; having to make way for those scintillating test calibre centres Delaney and Ablett.

I would suggest Hardaker is good enough to be a first choice winger already at least. Along with BJB, Watkins and Hall he is amongst the best we have in the backs at this point in time.

Sorry, how did Hardaker move from the wing to make way for two players at centre?

Change for change's sake is never a particularly good idea. If the club see Hardaker's future at 1, 2 or 5, there is no value in experimenting with him at 6, even if you did think now was the time to experiment. I don't see him as a centre, so we are best playing some centres there. His competition on the wings comes largely, as I see it, from BJB and Hall. Who both might well be the future, so he'll have to fight it out with them. If they wanted to rest Brent Webb and play those 3 as a back 3, that's an experiment I can get on board with. Your approach seems to be "season's a write-off, let's try any old random s**t so long as it results in a side with an average age of no more than 21.

Your mum's Salford.

Never heard it called that before..

Well, it's a dangerous hell hole....

Aye nothing a good bar of soap wouldn't fix.

And it's well worn and over-crowded.

This is a must win game - hopefully the distraction of the CC semi will not get in the way

You'll be lucky

Now that's more like it

..I could live with that.

Can someone tell me the best way to get to Salford's ground if going by train / buses please?

The only time Leeds visited the Willows in the 1987-88 season was for the run of the mill League game (6th March 198icon_cool.gif which ended in a 10-14 loss. Quite a reversal of fortunes given Leeds had won the corresponding fixture at Headingley 60-6 some thirteen rounds earlier.

For the game from 88-89 where Gibson bagged a brace, no mention of an intercept score in either the YP or YEP match reports but the game was notable as the venue for the 1st grade RL debut of John Bentley and Sam Backo playing the full seventy minutes - could have been the full eighty but for his spell in the sin-bin..

Carl Gibson has one claim to fame at the Willows as the only points scorer in a Challenge Cup 1st round tie from February '87.

Flying Scotty
If you arrive at Victoria rail station get the Metrolink going towards Eccles and get off at the Weaste stop.If you arrive at Piccadilly again it's the Metrolink to Eccles get off at Weaste
wouldn't bother with the bus if you are intending to return to Manchester after the game tram is much quicker

4-0? I seem to remember being there.

Bloomin' heck, it must have been that one. Thinking about it now, we did go to that one, our only away game that year, and then we went to every one from the next season on.

The game you mention where Bentley made his debut was on Scrumdown I think. I recall Ray Ashton getting picked out by David Watkins before the game for his 'coach's notes' as one to watch. Oddly, Ray got MoM (IIRC). How lucky was it that David picked him out?

Webb
Jones-Bishop
Smith
Watkins
Hall
McGuire
Burrow
Bailey
Buderus
Peacock
Jones-Buchanan
Ablett
Sinfield

Leuluai
Kirke
Pitts
Clarkson

get the train to Piccadilly - there is no direct Metrolink to Weaste from Victoria.

Should be a close game this evening, your lads might have one eye on next weeks CC semi final game. And with the Reds having a new coach and all that. Should be a good game.