Based on his performances in 2011, I would say probably not. I think he would do a job and possibly better than a prospect, or someone filling in, but I think its not a long term solution.

Also, it would be sad to see a once great player struggling to carry on. Its kind of like seeing a much loved grandparent suffering with the onset of age, and the frustrations which go with it

If it were me in Keith's Boots, I'd want to be able to try, rather than others telling me what I can and can't do anymore.

This is officially the most I've ever agreed with Gotcha...

If we are left with a gap at centre (which it looks like we are, at least at the moment) then there are a variety of ways it can be filled. But signing Senior back is a big backward step for me. As a player he can have had few bigger fans than me, but everythiong about the pro-Senior debate in 2012 is in the past tense. I want to see Ablett playing in the back row as often as possible, but when you need a stop-gap centre, using one who is probably actually the best centre at the club (just an even better back row, as said previously) is a good start, at least for the next couple of games.

Thereafter, if Watkins isn't back then it might become advisable to take a punt on a riskier option. If that's the case then we could take that punt on Senior, which is a purely short-term measure, or we could take it on a young player (maybe Keinhorst, maybe someone else, I don't see enough academy games to know) which has the potential to pay off at some future point. Neither option is guaranteed to be able to get the job done in the short term, only one of them could potentially have longer-term benefits.

IMO of course.

It's up to Keith, Gary and Brian.

No Kieth, it's up to Gary.

Why not Smith to centre and BJB on the wing?

I'm not Kieth. Kieth doesn't exist.

Neither am I Keith. If you examine my posts, I don't refer to anyone as Lad once.

Not quite true. Keith has no say in it unless Gary and Brian decide to offer him a deal, so they're not decision-makers on anything like equal terms.

Besides which, if we didn't bother discussing things which were up to Gary and Brian, there wouldn't be a whole lot of stuff for me to waste my time reading on here would there?

Because Smith is Garbage.

does anyone know how badly Kallum is injured?

It's only a minor strain. Should be back just before the play-offs ...... for half a game.

Up until his injury this time last year Senior missed 27 Leeds games out of a potential 392 which I make an absence rate of 7% Not sure how many of those 27 were missed through International appearances but I imagine there were a few that fell within that category.

Since the start of 2010 (and Watkins started in six of the opening seven fixtures of that campaign) the new kid on the block has missed 55 of a potential 89, an absence rate of 62% Granted not always through injury.

Reminds me of Van Persie, who's been basically half a player for most of his career given the proportion of time spent in the treatment room, but get him fit for a full season and you can build your team around him.

Press Release:

Leeds Rhinos have been handed a boost with the news that England centre Kallum Watkins will only be out of action for four weeks after minor surgery on a knee injury suffered in the Magic Weekend win over Bradford.

Watkins had the operation on Tuesday and is expected to be sidelined for up to a month however that is much better than first feared following the game.

Head Coach Brian McDermott commented, "I am delighted for Kallum and look forward to having him back available in a month. He is a tough character who has already had a number of set backs in his young career but I am sure he will come back even stronger. Even when he was injured on Sunday he still got back into the defensive line to stop a try which says everything about him."

Cheers Jonny i just hope the kid can come through all this and stay fit when he does return.

Haven't read the previous six pages, but you can't fault the kid for bravery given the two defensive efforts he put in immediately after the injury.

And what percentage has Senior missed in the same period tvoc - just to demonstrate that statistics really can be used to show whatever you want them to?

Watkins has everything you could want from a player - except durability. I genuinely hope he is not as fragile as he seems and it has just been bad luck.

Lets not compare Senior to Watkins, as Senior was superior to Watkins in every way. True Story.

You really [uare[/u obsessed ...



The word 'was' is pertinent

And you [uare[/u Obsessed with Kids



Kettle calling Pot Black my Friend hahaha

He's just been very unlucky. He has all the potential to be the best centre we have ever produced, IF he can stay on the field. At only 21 though he has plenty of time to rectify this and hopefully in a few years time people will forget he was ever injury prone in the same way that we have about JJB.

On another note though... I hope when he does come back, we get the ball to him more that 2 times a game. He makes easy metres every time he touches the ball and I really dislike the fact Hardaker seems to get the ball at least 5 times to Watkins 1.

I agree. Hardaker gets the good ball, and does hardly anything with it.

Every team gets the majority of it's ball to it's left hand side. Saints even did that when they had Lyon on the right.

Where we lack, if just how very little we get to the right hand side.

Well maybe we should get a better Left Centre then?

Our current left centre is better than the left centre we had for the first third of last season. FACT, as seem as you seem to like them.