You missed at least one comma out there.

Ouch.....stinger....owned etc.

You lot could try turning up at the other final. Would be a first..........

Well, he played in 2011, 2010 and 2005 didn't he? Didn't he? I think he did. I am struggling to recall.

Regardless, I was just wondering how Leeds would game-plan to replace his big game prowess displayed in those Cup Finals (assuming my vague recollection of him playing is accurate).

If only Leeds could face, say, Widnes, one of these days in a CC final. I'd have £50 on the nose for Danny to get a Lance Tood.

I'd be more concerned about translating the big game form of the whole team from Old Trafford to Wembley, rather than trying to recreate anybody's influence from our last few Challenge Cup finals. That would seem like a rubbish idea. We lost in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2010 and 2011. Probably wasn't all down to McGuire. I really wouldn't be too interested in replicating too many aspects of those performances when there are much better benchmarks we can use.

Unfortunately for William Eve's acolytes, Danny McGuire has a pretty good record at Old Trafford. Still, squad game innit, and we have a couple of Harry Sunderland trophy winners (injury to Burrow permitting) to step up.

Absolutely, let's hope Burrow and Sinfield (who also has a Lance Todd btw) can produce yet another big game display.

I am aware of the Lance Todd win (when he played exceptionally but I'd still have given the award to Richard Swain that day), but I was ignoring it since I was talking about recreating Grand Final performances.

I echo those sentiments entirely though.

Indeed. Individual awards are always secondary in a team sport and are rarely won without the support of team-mates.

Burrow got a final opportunity at McGuire's expence in 2003 when directly replacing him on the bench from the successful semi-final line-up of two weeks previous where McGuire had helped to turn the tie on it's head. Unfortunately Burrow was knocked out cold within ten minutes as the plan to weave around and under the big Bradford pack backfired in spectacular fashion.

Fast forward to 2010 and it's McGuire again finishing a terrific run and offload by Peacock to take Leeds back to the final. I subscribe to the theory that the worst place to lose is in the semi-final and Leeds have been fortunate to have players such as a McGuire to come up with a big contribution at the crucial moments but always as part of a bigger team effort.

Burrow "earned" a final opportunity. There were games between the semi and final where McGuire didn't do enough to merit a place. In the semi he dived over from dummy half and exquisitely finished a Sinfield Furner piece but was far from a dominant player in that semi.

Just like Sinfield in 2000 though, he took it on the chin and made himself invaluable in the seasons to follow.

Care to elaborate who these 'games' were against ?

A 15-14 win at Castleford in which McGuire scored a try.

And, erm, that was it.....

Sorry to disapoint but im sure i recall Wire beating London in 2009, the week before we beat Hudds in the CC Final.....

Nope, we got beat 40-28 by Wakefield in a game that was far more in Wakefield's favour than the final score suggests. 2010 we beat the Broncos away, the week after the cup final to secure 3rd in the playoffs (a VERY dodogy try in the Saints game that weekend cost us second!)

Quite, so anyone claiming Burrow earned his place in the final over McGuire because of his form in the game=#FF0000s inbetween the semi and final must have been chancing their arm.

Once upon a time the sequence of rounds of the Challenge Cup made some sense but that was lost when the final was shifted from it's traditional (late April to mid May) slot in the calendar.

Burrow played much better in that GAME and in the games leading up to the final. McGuire was still finding his feet a little (a bit behind Burrow into the 1st team). His 2 tries in the semi aside he was deemed not quite ready and that was probably right at the time.

Just as it was probably the right call at the time to omit Sinfield in 2000.

Different context to earlier when you said:



That was a specific reference to those games between the semi and final even though there was only one.

__________

Wouldn't you agree that the semi-final was also one of those games leading up to the final and how did you rate Burrow's performance in that?

Error free.

Who might they be?


Lucky for him it's been a while since an international was staged there then. My memories of Danny McGuire are indelibly etched by his performances in Christchurch, Wellington, Brisbane twice, Melbourne, Newcastle, Elland Road and the JJB.

I make no apologies for judging the true value of any player by his performances on the international stage against the best in the world.

Without wishing to be judged an acolyte (sounds biblical) you should be aware that revisionism would have McGuire winning the 2003 CC final for Leeds if selected. probably the 2004 Tri nations final for GB if started.

They can't be named for legal reasons. They can be identified by use of the phrase "flat track bully" and other (false) intimations that Danny McGuire only performs against weaker teams.

And you have no reason to apologise for the way you reach your judgements on a player. It is your right to do that however you please, and indeed your way is logically consistent.

My judgements of British players are generally based more on their domestic careers, possibly for the simple reason that I (being relatively young) can actually recall very few truly inspiring performances by British players on big international occasions, so they become a poor differentiator. I have also seen far more domestic RL than international RL (because there's more of it) so I afford it greater weight.

Therefore, I think it is also logically consistent that my memories of Danny McGuire will be indelibly etched by occasions like the 2003 CC semi final, the 2004 and 2008 Grand Finals and days like the 2004 home game v Bradford when he scored a very rapid hat trick (Bradford would prove to be our main title rivals that year... no flat tracks). It's not unreasonable that my memory of a player who has (so far) scored 199 times for the club I support will be of of a trademark sprint to the line to score.

Each to their own and all that.

I have little knowledge of the 2003 CCF (didn't see any of the semi final) as I was in Oz/Nz for six months.

On the topic of the 2004 Tri Nations Final, there were Rhinos-clad ts seated close by who were blaming Noble's selection of Harris ahead of McGuire for the 0-38 half time deficit.

Dear Leeds,

At Wembley tomorrow, can you please play like you have been doing all season.

Many Thanks

From all at Warrington Wolves

Stretcher Boy/Biscuit Bones/Tweaky Tendons/Shin-Splint Softcock/Windmill Wally/Turnstile Twisty has always been an excellent FTB. He loves Cas and London.


My international attendee experiences outnumber and outweigh all that domestic SL fluff, hence the reasonableness of my memory bank.


Quite.

Aye, with that old nagging habit of peaking at the right time and winning a silly amount of titles. Disgusting aren't we?

You've heard of that Super League cup as well haven't you? You get rings, ultimate glory etc.....

As you say, your experience of Danny Mag's is vastly weighted towards his representative appearances and as we're talking about his domestic game don't you think you should leave comment to those who have far more experience of this than you do? i.e 95% of the posters on this board.