yes, i would lose a 29 year old australian to accomodate a slightly inferior 22 year old brit and a much better 28 year old kiwi, along with allowing us to bring in a better Australian centre whilst still exposing an 18 year old british wonderkid to top level RL

We could lose donald and survive. Smith would be a huge mistake.

Just before the half soft cock donald fell off a tackle and let a ball bounce for the disallowed try. Some people just have it in for smith who is by far the best 1-5 all season and then some.

I really really hope you are joking so I dont have to make you look silly again.

He is going a bit OTT. But Donald at least needs moving back to the left wing, he's had a pretty poor star to the season IMO.

Has he?

Why?

Outside Senior the winger needs to finish.

Outside whoever's in 3 the winger needs to work, beat a man and defend. I agree Donald needs placing back on the left because he's better at finishing breaks than the other stuff.

I guess because he's been played out of position on the wrong side of the pitch.

Tonight he had a bit of a mare but it was only against Wigan who were pretty hopeless from 1 to 17 on the night.

Where was he going for Ainscough's try. What was he doing kicking into the stand on the first tackle. What was he doing letting the ball bounce and then get away from him. Poor night at the office.

Of course on the plus side he finished well from Ainscough's mistake.

I read the comments about Lee Smith joining the kick and clap lot with interest, it does not seem to tie in with the facts. That is that nearly all of the Union clubs are in deep debt, the RFL had to bail out Bristol and the clubs are desperate to cut costs. They seem to have been badly effected by the economic situation. To make matters worse of lot club don't own their grounds so did make the income on match days. They are struggling to keep their best players from going to France. The RFL funded much of the Farrell transfer and they are short of money due to lose of coperate money. So it would be interesting how they can afford to pay for Smith, who i believe is on a long term contract and would they be able to match his current wages as the union clubs are cutting wages.

Secondly the comments about Donald having a poor season is terrible, yes not scored the tries yet, but we are still in the part of the season where the big money dominated, he will come into his own when the pitches become harder and it is warmer.

That ageing full back (as it were) has forgotten more about right centre play than any right centre since at Leeds has probably known.




Interesting development.



I wouldn't exactly call 8 months a long term, unless you happen to be pregnant, then it might feel a long time towards the end.

The reason for Donald going to the right was to steady the defence...
He now looks a weakness and his confidence is dropping. Good finish yesterday but he needs to be moved back to the left. Gibson and Smith will steady up 3. Credit must go to Ryan Hall, I thought he had a really good game, apart from 1 error. Great catch for the try, didn't drop a thing and he was targeted. On that performance I think we have the lisence for him and Donald to swap wings.

On topic, Gibson will never make a top SL centre as long as he has a hole in his butt.

top centre yes,but a steady,reliable good player he def is. and certainly better than anything the NRL has to offer if wigan are anything to go by

bit harsh. He looked good when he was breaking in. What he lacks in power he makes up for in pace, footwork and hands. More of a finesse player. The he got injured.

last night he showed glimpses. He sucked in wing and centre and flicked a ball out to Donald but did little else. Wigan didn't make him defend that much so can't comment. He made less mistakes than watkins to boot. In between plays he was breathing heavy so I suspect he's still short of fitness. Give him time to get up to fitness then judge.

Hi tigertot – I always look forward to your deliberated, reasoned and deeply rational interjections.

With solid logic like yours I find it hard to understand how anyone could possibly disagree.

Off topic bradford will never be a top SL side as long as hood has a hole in his butt!!

Im not going OTT because i wasnt commenting on Donald as a player, i think he is a fine player, probably one of the best in the league,

however i would rather lose him than either, Hall, Smith or Webb, and i think we would be a better team with Smith playing outside Senior, and Ryan Hall playing outside a quality centre, than keeping donald and not getting a centre

i would hope when the quota comes down to 5, GH is thinking in a similar way,

I agree entirely.

I think Gibson will need several first team games, at the very least, to get back to the level he was at before his knee re-construction. And the level he was at was very good. He'd ousted Toopi and was emerging very nicely. People forget that. People also under-estimate what it takes to recover from a knee re-construction.

I think Gibson will make a solid centre and hope we're patient with him.

He is reliable, but the faith Leeds have shown in him I don't think will be rewarded with the quality he promised as a youngster. He is just not big enough, his horrific injuries can't disguise that. Watkins is already more of a threat. With regard to Wigan, Carmont was a revelation last year, but Noble seems to have managed to beat that out of him.

And why should that bother me?

Same build as Yeaman or Craig Innes even. I don;t think his size should hold him back.

And more of a defensive liability and error strewn, though that is to be expected.

Reminds me of a very young David Stephenson actually

Solid doesn't always cut it for the teams looking to win things. He did his knee around 23 months ago but my issue is not with the length of recovery time but rather that he was neither big enough or fast enough before it happened anyway. It's unlikely that a knee reconstruction will change that in a positive way and at 22 I don't see him developing his physique much further.

Out of contract at the end of the season and I'd be surprised if it's extended in anything other than making up the numbers capacity.

I disagree.

Yours,

Carl Ablett.

It's a team game fortunately where the sum of it's part can exceed the individuals abilities within it.

Nothing wrong with that I suppose after a win against a truly awful Wigan performance.

As long as the opposition remain this inept anything is possible.