I would agree with both comments - as I said this is blend.

To simplify:
Do we have youngsters of sufficient quality that we can build a future strategy based around them?
Are we signing the very best British players available
Are we signing the best available players from the NRL ie those best suited to SL

On all three of those I would say there is no indication/tangible evidence that to be the case when you look at recruitment/junior development elsewhere.

This is an elite club that supporters care passionately about - not some coaching education/preparation/experiment for a future job. For me Smith needs to get his head down and deliver performances that reflect the talent/quality available - something sadly lacking this year.

I agree, however I think your expecting too much from Smith in in his first full year, it simply isn’t fixable in that timeframe.

He’s come in, cleared as much deadwood as he can whilst getting us to a GF, next year is his real test IMO

I agree - hopefully he can keep doing his learning this year with a view to implementation next season.

Unfortunately you are correct, we were lucky with that crop of players. I for one really appreciated and enjoyed that era, mainly because prior to those players arriving I followed Leeds home and away for many seasons. By and large not a very enjoyable experience.

Since the Golden Generation , we are constantly told we have fantastic junior talent signed up , but not many of them seem to improve , something wrong with the coaching ?

I think we’ve got a good solid core of young English talent, in the pack in particular.

I’d say signing Bentley for example is a sign of trying to sign the best from other clubs a la Gaz Ellis. This is harder these days with many going straight to the nrl.

I think the are we haven’t hit out of those three mentioned is the top quality overseas recruitment, even if its relative (because there’s no chance of a Webb or Ali anymore) I think perhaps Smith has tried to address this with Nene and maybe Lisone, but there’s too much overseas in the dead wood category at the minute.

I don’t know the figures on how many make it from each age group generally but I would be surprised if it’s more than two or three. Plenty of our juniors have progressed to first team either here or elsewhere.

The bottom line is if it wasn’t for Leeds, Wigan and Sts the player pool would be in bother, maybe a bit of credit to widnes and Wakefield who have a smattering across the league.

Huddersfield have a great academy also

Yes to be fair to them. Bradford too traditionally though their best obviously end up elsewhere now. Wilson at Hudds a good example.

Its the backs where we aren't developing players of real quality - only Handley and Newman has come through the academy to be regulars in the team in the last 5 years. We are supposed to have one of the best academies in SL. Is that all the best kids are in Lancashire these days?

Overseas is a challenge these days but Leeds have 7 overseas none of which are stand out players and would be wanted by other top clubs. Saints have two - both are top players, Wigan similar, both these clubs have excellent academies. If we are to have NRL players surely less numbers better quality or greater suitability to SL.

I get Smith is in a tough place and hopefully he will increase the quality of the squad for next season - my concern is he seems to want to have players he has coached before regardless of their suitability.

I’d say that is to do with intake as well as coaching though. Previously it seemed to be developing forwards we struggled with while having an abundance of backs.

For a long time it was hard to get into the backs at Leeds because we had such high quality.
There’s also a bit of luck involved as well. Walker and his injuries, Golding perhaps a case of bad timing, Broadbent playing super league every week. Sutcliffe is a SL standard player and so is Alex Sutcliffe.

Overseas is the problem area in our squad atm

Recruitment is very hard, sometimes you sign a proven NRL player and they are outstanding for you, sometimes theyre a flop.

Sometimes you have the best up and coming youngster in Britain and it just doesn't work out. Sometimes the best young player in your team is someone that flies under the radar at junior level.

So many variables at play, which get the coaches a lot of criticism when it doesn't go right.

Very well said, and you should realise this the longer you follow sport. However fans prefer A+B= C

There is luck involved but having people around who are good judges and coaches of juniors helps a lot, as does actually focusing on trying to get the best kids to the club in the first place. Regardless of what GH or any of the first team coaches said about youth development, for a fair while (from the back end of McDermott's tenure until a year or so ago as far as I can tell) it was an afterthought and a chance to give coaching jobs to the boys rather than a seriously planned programme. That's why we just don't have many class club-developed players at the peak of their careers in the squad today. Thankfully we seem to have turned the corner there but it will take years to bear fruit.

In terms of NRL recruitment its getting harder but you've much more chance if you actually watch games rather than highlights reels, and have good contacts in Oz with respect to fringe players. Hopefully Smith will help with the latter, because our overseas recruitment has been poor for a number of years, with our highest paid players generally being a huge letdown.

Fair points. Wish you were CEO now!

Saints and Wigan don't have 2 O/S players.
Saints have 6, Wigan have 7.

I’d be surprised if any Super League team doesn’t use as many overseas spots as they can afford. To do otherwise would seem a bit daft.

There’s a difference in the quality and value of those players perhaps but that’s a different argument.

Saints have seven

Saints and Wigan only have 2 O/S players?

Theres some nonsense posted on here

How did Walters go last night?

61 metres, 8 carries, 21 tackles, 3 missed tackles.

Involved in the myler try too.

7.6m per carry 86% tackle success not the greatest stats for a player who wants more game time. Really needs 90% plus tackle rate and 9-10m per carry

Walters was a positive he has an edge and something different to him. A nice turn or pace, some explosiveness, and an offload. If people want to just look at the stats then he made more metres than any of our other props and played fewer minutes.

If he's going to cement a place in the 17 in the front row, then he needs to improve his defence and up the amount of carries he makes. All our props are currently 3rd or 4th props. We really need a proper leader in the front row. This is the role Mik should be doing, but it's clear he's still working his way back to full fitness.