we do look weak at that side as shown against Manly - it was just a thought about Hape

any side would look weak when down to 12 with the manly players running the lines they were

This is a very good point. How muchg experience does a young player gain by being replaced in the team by an older player?

I wasn't Hape at the match the other night.

And I didn't pull my pud at the match the other night either.

- ha ha

Were Leeds down to 12 men when Manly scored three tries in seven minutes just after the start of the second half all down Leeds' right hand side?

One of the trys was from Bailey & someone else's missed tackle that ended up with baileys sub and shirt throwing strop.

JJB

Everyone expects Jamie Lyon to return to Scousers when his Manly contract expires. I thought that maybe Leeds would be interested when Senior retires, but now I'm not too sure.

When he signed last time, he used Scousers to earn a contract back in the NRL, and it worked. I can see him back there when he wants a final couple of seasons on big money for little effort.....with tips from Matt King.

I'm still looking forward to seeing Smith at centre. Not too sure about Ablett being there long term, he's more 2nd row, but the Academy lads are the future!!

The tackle was missed in the middle and Leeds' right hand side defence failed to deal with the break. Meanwhile the other two scores went straight down that side and all three came at a time when Leeds had a full compliment on the field (which was the comment I was replying to.)

Leeds' problems on the right were highlighted last season and Watkins hasn't provided the answer to them and at 17 I wasn't expecting him to.

That is why you weren't Hape. I did and couldn't stop smiling all night.

Too injury prone, too old, and not English.

No thanks

Ablett isn't the long term answer for .He's ok going forward but his defence at times is awful.

What, you pulled my pud, thought I could feel something.

Foreignist.

And I know what you're saying about his age. I'm surprised his hips are still intact at the grand old age of 28.

If he si only 28, then it is tragic considering thee inhjuries he has had.

In terms of foreigners, how many do we want in our team???

We don't need him.

Taking cast off's is what we used to do in the mid nineties and look where that got us. Where does all this talk of defensive frailties down our left hand side come from?

yes we conceded a few tries to manly, who were awesome on the night, but that was after we had lost one of our best defenders and Diskin, another of our best defenders, was off the pitch.

Aside from that game we have conceded two tries this season both from kicks. One was down the right, against Celtic, and the other was underneath the posts.

Putting the kids in is tried and tested and it has brought us three titles and two World crowns. Besides Hape was Cr@p without Vainikolo anyway

Thats no way to speak about our new No 9 , oh hang on .....

:



when he plays!!!!

It does surprise me that after 3 titles in 5 years based on a team of homegrown players who have all come through the ranks, that as soon as a squad place becomes available for whatever reason, people are desperate to fill it with an expensive and risky antipodean

Lord knows but there again it is generally considered to be Leeds' right that's the problem.

Bath would probably pay us to take Hape and then pay us to make sure he didn't come back. You would have thought they would have learned the lesson from the last RL centre they signed.

I would personaly like to see Donald back outside Senior, if Donald is on the right to improve defence then I think it's a waste. If a top class centre was available and affordable I suspect the club would/would have signed him - obviously this is not the case (I suspect that wisely we have refused to pay silly money) . We are a back row forward down at the moment and Ablett would be my man to fill that slot rather than replaceing Eastwood (or in reality Ellis). We have two young guys (although Gibson is young in experience rather than years now) who are centres - one looks like he is broken and the other is only 17 and not ready for full time 1st team footy. Some would say that a quality middle back signed for 18 months would be a good idea. Is Hape "quality"? He was, but now I couldn't say.

Thank you for the correction I get bog eyed after half a Carlsberg.