Haven't they got enough centres?

You'd have thought so but they seem to think they are the Man City of super league. Spend spend spend

Didn't they loose £0.5m last year and what about the salary gap?
We do seem to be loosing out when we are in competition for a player.Taylor from HKR and Poore from the NRL were both reported (if true!) to have turned down offers from us. GH quite rightly will mention winning 5 Grand Finals in 6 years but to some of these players that's not enough.If he's after a quality player from the NRL he will have to pay a fair sum.

So .......when does the 2013 squad get confirmed and numbers given out?
They return for training in a week or two.

You're right with the timing for squad numbers but there are still question marks over who gets the no. 4 and 9 shirts amongest others. GH said it might be sometime before he signs this quality player to replace Webb! They could leave numbers vacant or simply give any new player a number outside 1 - 25.

are numbers really that important any more ?

Not in the slightest really, especially given the success this squad has achieved over the year i.e Sinfield, Burrow and McGuire will still have 13, 7, and 6 on their back probably until they retire/move on.

Last year based on how we started the season the numbers should've been...
6 - Sinfield
7 - McGuire
9 - Burrow
12 - Delaney
13 - Ablett
15 - McShane

Also remember that Burrow had testimonial gear coming out with the number 7 on it so to switch him to 9 was a non-starter. Likewise McGuire's testimonial shirt for this year bares the number 6 on it so don't expect a change to 7.

Should be.....Player...........Actual
6................Sinfield...........13
7................McGuire...........6
9................Burrow............7
13..............????????..........9???

That's the only way around having your first choice team having 1-13 on their backs next year, but based on this year that would be Bailey and imagine if people saw him wearing the number 9 shirt.

1 - Hardaker
2 - BJB
3 - Watkins
4 - Ablett
5 - Hall
6 - McGuire
7 - Burrow
8 - Leuluai
9 - McShane
10 - Peacock
11 - JJB
12 - Delaney
13 - Sinfield
14 - Ward
15 - Achurch
16 - Bailey
17 - Kirke
18 - Clarkson
19 - Keinhorst/Hood
20 - Griffin

P.S. Delaney deserves a starting number (12) but he broke the curse of the number 15 so let him keep that

Danny and Rob will keep their squad numbers. If they changed they would have to get rid of their personal reg plates

Do you think they will keep 1/2 squad numbers vacant for any possible signings?

Only if they have a signing close to being made (which after Joel Moon hasn't happened i personally think not). We left number 20 vacant when the 2011 numbers were revealed but was given to Hauraki (much speculated) around a week later. We left 20 free again in 2007 for a new signing but eventually gave it to Ashley Gibson. Mid-season signings like Ali (29), Lee Smith (2icon_cool.gif, Lunt (31), Toopi (30), Thackray (29) had to settle for +20 numbers.

With the likes of Maurie Fa'asavalu (23) and Jamie Foster (22) at Saints and Ryan Atkins (23) in his first 2 seasons at Wire opting for +20 numbers when they could've had top 20 numbers instead it shows that numbers don't always relate to who are the first choice players at the time anymore. So that's why i won't get carried away IF Keinhorst and McShane/Hood get given the numbers 4 & 9.

Agree don't think that squad numbers mean a great deal in the modern game.
Regarding moon it seems to be a bullet dodged to be honest don't see the point in trying to get a homesick player to stay

Dave "nosey" Parker today stated in league weekly Leeds are close to signing Keith lulia from the bulls.
I know he usually makes up his rumors, Apparantly stay tuned for an anouncement this week.
Would be fairly happy if it was true

If the Lulia story is accurate I think it will be a better signing than Moon. He's a quality player and was very impressive for the Bulls last season. Let's hope there is some news this week!

Agree he would be a better signing than moon but wouldn't get too excited the rumor has come from dave parker

Moo is far better.

Everyone has their opinion but for me I prefer lulia. Add to that I don't think moon wants to be in SL from what I have read

OK, OK, don't have a cow.

Haven't seen enough of Moon to compare, but Lulia looks the part when I've seen him play for Bradford.

Godden-esque IMO, and a good player with the right experience to fit into our back line.

Hope Parker is barking up the wrong tree as usual!

He usually is, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

Me neither, usually made up along with a lot of rumors on these boards!

Is he (Lulia) highly rated at the Bulls then?
The reason i ask is because the bits i've seen of him and Moon neither strike me as that big an upgrade on Ablett and imo i dont see the point especially with Keinhorst now secured for 3yrs and showing good potential.

Yeah Ablett is miles better than Lulia. You should stick with him.



Seriously though, Lulia would count as non fed trained and on quota. I'd have thought Leeds could recruit a bigger name from the NRL than him if they wanted a new centre.

Lulia did very well for us last year.

I don't think we should be worried in any way if Hood / McShane and Keinhorst pick up first team spots, we are going to transistion in a big way over the next couple of seasons in the pack so lets give these youngsters some solid minutes, we did the same for sinny, burrow, mcguire, hall etc so why not with this group of youngsters we have. (Singleton picking up game time as well)

I wouldn't be worried if any of those players get good minutes, infact i hope they do, but i won't assume they will IF they're given good shirt numbers like 4 & 9.