Having seen him play from junior level, I’d say that as well as the general improvements that all young players make with experience, the only thing Corey really needs to work on is his physicality. He’s a bit light for the 1st team at the moment, but given a good period of gym work, you’ve got a very good hooker there.

Which would be a waste of a very big talent. We had the previous idiot coach who saw Smith as a prop, ruining his development, and making him start from scratch again. Let’s not ruin another, holding him back. The Leeming signing is more a panic signing for no faith in Dwyer, rather than Corey, IMO.

Totally agree. Talented youngster does not equal 1st team player let alone a good first team player.

What we need to be better at is creating the pathway into the first team to give these talented kids the opportunity to show their true potential.

Dwyer on a 1 year and Leeming on a two gives Johnson all the opportunity in the world to progress if he can show he is good enough. Quite honestly, if he can't get past Dwyer by the end of the year, the guy who tries his very hardest but is a total headless chicken, then I would be a bit concerned for Johnson tbh.

Reading between the lines I would say the Leeming signing suggests the club don’t think Johnson will make the grade. Right now Leeming is obviously the better option . Can’t believe people are underwhelmed. He has the complete package for me and British too. Leeming and Mellor are better signings than Merrin and Hurrell were imho! Taking salary into account too .
Also Dwyer is a good player . Perfect player to bring in against a tiring defense. Can see these two being the long term options now. Parcell was already talking about returning to NRL before he signed!

I reckon it’s more to the point of giving him that level of experience at Featherstone which I reckon he will spend most of the time since they’ve released King and Jones and only have Parata.

Please explain your opinion and how you came to this concussion?

Anyone who has actually seen Corey play knows that he is the most talented 9 at academy level and once he has played mens footy for a season he will make the 17

If Corey progresses as we all hope then he will be the starting 9 for Leeds within 2 years IMO

Just needs to fill out a bit, otherwise he’s almost ready to play against fully grown men each week.

I've only seen him when he did the cameo for the 1st team so very hard to judge but looked a way off the 1st team.

Would like to seem him get some good game time over the friendlies but in reality we need to build Leeming into the first team so not sure how that will work out.

Looks to me like good succession planning - Leeming to start now with Dwyer off the bench for impact, with Johnson to come through in a couple of years after some time learning his trade at senior level on dual reg (by which time Dwyer will be gone). On the basis that no-one realistically expects us to win anything this year or next I'm happy with the 9/14 shirt for the foreseeable future.

Was Parcel IIRC he said he would like to play in the NRL again one day but he would definitely see out his contract unlike Segeyaro.

No reasoning I’m afraid . Just find it bit odd that we sign a 24 yr old specialist hooker when we may have a young special player on the books. I’ve never seen Johnson play, so you clearly are more informed on his chances than me.....

Johnson will replace Dwyer through the season i think and him and Leeming will be the 9s from then on. Quality kid.

Because Johnson is 18 and has virtually no Super League experience, he’s not ready to be our 1st choice starting hooker.

People are far too quick to call for youngsters to be thrown in at the deep end, then to be written off when they don’t meet their unrealistic expectations.

How the hell can someone comment on a player negatively, based only on a 10 minute appearance where his distribution in that period far exceeded the player he replaced, ended with a try assist, and very close to a try himself?

Crikey, what must you have thought of virtually every player in the shirt over last two years?

I do think he should have played more first team at this stage, if he was that good. Diskin was an 80 minute first team hooker at 18! Does worry me about when we are talking dual reg etc when we have been rally poor at hooker last season.
Hope I’m completely wrong though as I’d love any local lady’s fine good !

It’s called relegation. Coaches dare not promote under this. No balls.

Also worries me whenever people are talking abut players needing to ‘bulk up’. This never happens naturally and if a players natural shape isn’t right for their position you can’t really change that. Backs can get away with being lean , look at Gildart and Hardaker, as class can still rise. However hookers are expected to defend like props, and this game is the most brutal team sport in the world.
Out if interest has Cameron Smith ever played hooker? He looks to have the Terry a newton type of build , good skill set too?

He played hooker last year for us. He isn’t an hooker, and the lad has been treated badly played out of his natural role continuously. Just like these people that say he can’t defend, purely on the basis of playing at stand off, where he missed some tackles. Tackles that halfs miss every single week, and yet he made double the tackles in that match that halfs normally do.

On Corey, he doesn’t need to bulk, it will happen naturally. He is no different to Daryl Clark when he came on the scene, exactly the same, with the same skill set. Some coaches have faith though.

Diskin didn’t make his first team debut until he was 19.

Diskin made his debut when he was 19...Not that it matters in any regard to Johnsons potential or ability, which are both extremely good.

Well explained. Thanks

I think the days of seeing players at 17-20 years old regularly being able play first grade week in, week out are over, especially in the forward, with the odd freak like a Sam Burgess being the exception. The game puts a great demand on the body than ever before, most young players are way off the required physicality when they're teenagers.

I honestly think as a club we’ve become to cautious with young players. Not sure I buy the physical maturity excuse. Surely the body can absorb more punishment at 18 than 30!
We are at risk of getting totally left behind by Wigan and Saints who seem to have no issues with turning to youth......

I think part of it has been a lack of actual quality to work with coming through the Leeds set up. It's only now that we seem to have a decent number of academy kids looking like they might make it. You can't promote what you don't have.

For me this is the biggest issue with mcds tenure, not saying it is his fault as I don't know who had responsibility for what but we stopped producing our own talent in any quantity.

didnt McDermott take over the academy and ruin it? those who watch it will know but sure I heard that.slso that the quality only started returning when the 2 macdermotts had left the academy