It’s unlikely a pro RL player is going to fess up to major pains and niggles when there’s a new contract on the line. I suspect as I said there is only so much a physio can do, there has to be an element of self certification and that will be for contractual/insurance purposes.

I suspect the Easter thing is another Jesus reference guys, but I really don’t want to go there!

its our friend mixing it

Flew straight over my head that did this morning, well played, very subtle

Stevie out of England squad with “hamstring injury”?

Oh I'm really concerned about this lad now

Also from the Leeds site

"Burgess ended the NRL season with South Sydney with a shoulder injury,"

Oh no, are we signing another crocked player

Its a shame and all has been said that needs to on that, but there has to come a point where Leeds have to make a call on him that may not be popular but he must be on a good wage and having a player on big wages playing barely a handful of games a season for a while now is holding the club back in as far as how they work with the cap.

I would love to see him stay injury free, he is a fantastic talent, but it seems his body is just not cut out for the rigours of playing the game.

I don’t think the hamstring will be that bad, I think it’s more a case of him getting a proper off season after his injury

It just seems like he lurches from one setback to another though. Hope you are right and he gets back.

I think with Ward he’s going to have to prove his fitness next year. All he can do is prepare as professionally as he can - there’s a bit of Lady Luck involved too.

I’m guessing the player himself will call time if he can’t get there and stay there. The amount of effort these boys put into training and playing, doesn’t matter how tough you are these chronic breakdowns will get to you.

Watkins out too

What about Reece Martin as caption ???

I'm not sure if Martin has the maturity just yet.

Still think Ward, Gale or Cuthbo would be top choices but it could be an as-yet-unsigned player too.

We go again....

I'm not sure it really matters who is named captain.

What we need is for the players as a group to stand up and be accountable for their actions and support each other.

A few years ago sinny may have been the captain but the team was full of leaders and players who were accountable to each other. We need to get back to this.

It is vitally important, playing it down is ridiculous. We have failed with it since Sinfield retired, and but for one year shown what a disaster it is.

Sinfield was the leader of this club for years, and without that we would never have seen the era we had. This nonsense about leadership groups is just that, nonsense. It is a team game and needs great players to support, but you never underestimate the influence of a captain who set the lead, sets the example, and inspires others.

Or have we failed miserably since Sinfield retired because the team was nowhere as good.

Sinfield certainly created the culture and discipline at the club at that time but team was full of leaders at that time that it sadly lacks now.

The squad now is unrecognizable to what it was only two years ago ,and it was changing even then . Hopefully new leaders not just Capt will emerge

And none of those so called "leaders" would have achieved the same without Sinfield.

Im sure they wouldnt but would Sinfield have won as much without JP?

Yes I think he would, as long as there was a team member doing that work rate in support.

Not easy to find those tho Gotcha.

Not saying it is. But I am confident in saying there have been plenty of teams won very little or nothing at all, with better players individually than we had during that period. But it was the leadership of Sinfield that brought the best out of it, and that was the important factor.

Leadership groups are a fantastic idea and essential to the modern game where players hold all the bargaining power.

Just look at us now, merrin, a guy who has been here a year is our only viable captain alternative. Why? Because we have no leadership group, just one player, and as we all know and are seeing, players can leave at any time.

We need a strong group of players overall but within that a number who are leaders so if a player leaves or suffers a serious injury the team on the pitch is not left rudderless exactly like we have been since sinny, JP, Mags etc.. left.

To think that we just need one guy who is fit to wear the armband is naive.

Merrin was here last season, and wasn't made captain until near the end of the season. Had our natural player not been injured, he would probably have been made captain. We have also signed the PNG captain, and the Castleford Captain, and have a further natural leader if he got a starting role in Smith. Merrin is captain because he is also a natural leader with a wealth of know how. It has nothing to do with no one else available.

But you appoint one man and one man only, otherwise you get division and not all following the same path. Leadership groups are a fad of nonsense.