Who have we got coming through the ranks at halfback?
Finding a championship halfback capable playing SL is for mine easier said than done.

I'd have thought that McGuire, Burrow and Sinfield is about as good as you could expect. I would have hoped that the Academy would turn out some kid to put pressure on the incumbents every now and then though.

Add Danny Allan as cover for 6 and 13. The Academy has turned out a few couldabeens (Gale, Moore, Briggs etc) but they were not going dislodge the incumbents so ended up moving on elsewhere.

You won't find many 19-20 year old halfbacks these days who would be happy to sit in the reserves as a backup player, they'll want to be playing every week even if it's at a lower level.

Tansey & Murrell

McGuire and Burrow have 6 & 7 sewn up. They're internationals and in the top two or three players in their positions in this league. That is NOT something to whinge about. That's the kind of continuity in a key position that EVERY manager dreams of within his team.

Because they're the best and they're here long terms there is little need to devote cap space to players in their position.

As we've seen and has been mentioned, quality players behind them have recognied this and moved on. Gale looks like he can handle SL but he was never going to oust our 6& 7. Same with MUrrell. That is why McNally chose Hudds.

So, if they get injured the cover is provided by Sinfield who is, himself a very accomplished half (we won a GF with him there you know) or a junior.

I really don't see your beef. The club have got two young British halves at the top of their gameand they're signed up long term.

You asked about Saints. Well, in 2007 at the GF they dumped a promising young kid from the GF team for a half fit Long who had barely played.That is how importantly all clubs view their seasoned half backs even the lofty Saints who some of our fans put on a pedastal when they do things pretty much hthe same way as us.

Where do you think Amor will fit into the team next year?

It's hard to say IF he was here now i'd say he'd probably take worrall's bench spot.
Next season he'll more than likely start as 18th/19th man but i'd still expect him to get plenty of game time and put pressure on the starting 17. When injuries bite or bluey rotates his squad like he did in his first season i'd expect to see more of him and the likes of pitts,coady and manning.

For mine, Manning will take Worrall's spot in the squad next year and will progress from there.

Hopefully Manning will progress,never rated Worall.

They have but with no chance of getting into the first team they move on.

i agree with you, we arent going to find a specialist half back willing to accept next to nothing in wages and happy to play 2 or 3 games a year who would do a better job covering the halves than sinfield or allen,

but it does show some of the weakness in the a) the player poor and B) the structure of the game that all the teams in the league are forced to have such thin squads

Due to the SC, 20-25 rules, and academy/reserve structure it makes no sense to have a quality back up in the halves, because you will be spending maybe £60 - £70k just to have someone absolutely kill it against kids and those not good enough,

this is why we struggle to produce the real quality in the speciality positions

I'd disagree there smokey.

If it weren't for the sslary cap we could afford to keep the likes of Tansey, Murrell and Gale languising in our squad as cover and there's three young halves that wouldn't be playing regularly 1st team SL if it weren't for the SC.

I think I have been misunderstood, to be honest, which I will take the blame for with not been clear.

My beef, is not that Sinfield is not adequate cover, god he is excellent cover. My beef is that Sinfield is not competing with the half backs for an half back role. He is the established loose forward, and IMO the best Loose in the competition.

But, unless one of the current half backs are injured, then he is not going to be playing there. You yourself this season have commented on the players that have gone backwards in the last 18 months, and named Burrow and McGuire. That could be down to coaching, but IMO it is simply because they do not have competition. Unfortunately, they are in the position that you point out which is having the roles tied up for the forseable future, and do not feel any pressure.

Every other position in the team has competition for their starting place, but not halfback. I accept the salary cap issues, that’s just a problem you have to get round, but I don’t accept potential youngsters been given the bait to claim one of those half back spots if they show they are good enough.

I would be surprised if Danny Allan was still a Rhino next season

probably so, but thats why we need a better structure aswell,

all teams in this league are made up pretty similar, there are few specialist backs of any kind in reserve in this league, almost all are forced to be winger/fbs, centre/wingers, 6/7/9s , when a centre is injured in this league, its rarely a centre who steps in but often a 2nd rower, here at leeds people noticed that we had a massive 3 wingers to fill two positions, and have stated we should throw Watkins Ratu etc in as cover or BJB, allowing us to let smith go

the limits on the amount of players in a squad means that versatility trumps quality, meaning for almost all games, there will be at least one player on each side covering to an 'acceptable' rather than good standard.

what we need is to have a quality reserves league, or even more likely, reserves playing in a quality league--like the championship-and if clubs think they can take a tansey or murrell and turn them from SL reserves to SL first teamers let them, we have a transfer system and a contract system which can reward clubs for bringing them through,

Why?

Why?????
He only signed a 4 year deal last year!!
I'd expect to see him loaned out as part of the "dual registration" scheme but not released.

I see your point DISA but I really don't think we need any competition for half back - yet.

I don't think any other club has brought through two halves of similar age and similar quality as we have in Burrow and McGuire. Saints had Martyn and Long - but there was an age gap - same with Pryce and Long - which meant their years together were shorter.

We will have had these two lads at the peak of their careers and they'll have spent 10+ years together. It's what Leeds wanted to buy when they bought Hardisty and Hepworth. We don't need to buy it though, we have it here already.

In three or four years time we need to start planning for their replacements but nor yet.

I disagree here that the halves have not improved - McGuire is a far better player now than he was two years ago. The problems lie elsewhere in my opinion - players like Diskin, JJB, Bailey have all gone backwards which given the competition for places defeats you notion of no competition breeds complacency?

David. Again I have not made myself clear. McGuire's all round game has improved as an individual, that I wont dissagree with. But both of the halfs have off days quite often individually. I remember one game this year where IMO McGuire had his worst game in a Rhinos shirt.

But I was not critisizing either player. I was just pointing out that both players IMO would be on top of their game if they had competition for thier place.

So I repeat why has the reverse happened for the likes of JJB, Diskin and Bailey who have seen a form dip despite competition for their place

You've lost me now. McGuire's game has improved which suggests he doesn't need competition to improve his game despite your arguments to the contrary.

Most, if not all, Leeds players are having poor games this season, this is not a problem of competition for places it's more of a general malaise throughout the team. Whether the fact that they have won back to back titles has made the complacent or there is a lack of hunger or too short an off season I'm not sure, ptrobably a combination of these and other issues but McGuire and Burrow are no worse than any other so to suggest it's becaues of the lack of competition is IMO daft.

I agree with you on them. I personally think JJB's form has slipped because of the same fear I have for the half backs. His place seems to be guaranteed regardless of his performance.

I am not so sure Bailey is an automatic choice though, and doubt he would get in without injuries. As for Diskin, that is just purely the oaches choice fo wanting to go with two hookers.

With Eastwood now definatly in this looks a pretty strong squad!

Full squad for next season looks like this imo..

1. Brent Webb
2. Scott Donald
3. Brett Delaney
4. Keith Senior
5. Ryan Hall
6. Danny McGuire
7. Rob Burrow
8. Kylie Luluai
9. Danny Buderus
10. Jamie Peacock
11. Jamie Jones Buchanan
12. Ali Lauitiiti
13. Kevin Sinfield
14. Matt Diskin
15. Greg Eastwood
16 Ryan Bailey
17. Ian Kirke
18. Carl Ablett
19. Luke Burgess
20. Kallum Watkins
21. Paul McShane

other squad members..

Ben Jones Bishop
Mike Ratu
Jay Pitts
Mike Coady
Kyle Amor
Luke Ambler
Danny Allan