Looks like we need to invest in a reliable one.

Myler is dreadful and Watkins is awkward.


Anyone out there?

Watkins is the best we have apart from Lilley, and he isn't going to be a regular anytime soon

five tries to four .that is needling

Albeit not as needling as the two tries to twelve we managed roughly a year ago


Take the point that it could cost us more than 2 league points though.

At the end of last season Kal looked like he was going to be a decent goal kicker. Hasn't found his rhythm yet but got to stick with him. There's no one else anyway

Of the top ten goalkickers last season, Watkins had the third best conversion rate (83.33% from 54 attempts). Only Sneyd and Walsh converted at a higher rate.

All kickers have bad nights with the boot - Sinfield had plenty of them - and Watkins landed some pressure kicks last year. I wouldn't be panicing about it just yet.

Yes even the great Lewis Jones had his off days

He was getting better as last year went on but looks like he hasn't kept up practising after the season ended.

I'd guess he wasn't practising during the World Cup because England had the likes of Widdop and Gale for goalkicking.

WRT signing a goal kicker. For me you can't just sign someone just for GK alone, his game has to offer more and it's not like there's a load of great goalkickers around anyway.

I’d agree with that.

I’d also add it needs to be someone who is in the first team week in week out.

My point exactly, you can’t just sign a player on his goal kicking alone, needs to be in a position that we need. I did say we should have gone and got Inu before he went to Widnes.

Think of a player that is in a position we need in 2019 who can kick goals too. Replace Moon with Widdop as I do think he will go home at the end of the season, problem averted then.

Widdop being contracted to St George until the end of 2021 might make that idea less straightforward than it sounds.

Just a hunch but I don't think we've tied walker and golding to long contracts in order to sign Widdop. Leaves Watkins as kicker, mind.

Agree, but it didn't stop Wgin from signing Frano Botica and he kicked a few. In fact, over the years there have been a few players of questionable ability holding down a first team spot on account of their goalkicking. Anyone remember Sean Day at Saints?

why not sort out the four best kickers at the club or maybe more and give them kicking coaching and lots of practice ?

No but i remember Jamie Foster... the 'David Beckham' of RL.

None more so than in 1984 that Australia actually picked the reliable Balmain goal kicker Ross Conlon for the first test v GB due to his goal kicking prowess

Much more recently and also at Saints' would be Jamie Foster

Practice and coaching you say? I’ll get on to Brian and see if he’s heard of these revolutionary ideas.

For me pick the best kicker and stick with him. Up to now, it seems obvious that is Watkins. I don't see the point in switching so far between him and Myler, myler is not even average imo and all it can do is send negative signals to Watkins who was pretty good last year.

Would the concussion/having to pass his head tests ruled Watkins out of even taking part in goalkixking during the week? I saw a picture on Leeds' twitter of Myler and Cam Smith (but not Watkins) goalkicking during the team run on Thursday at Elland Road

I’m fairly certain this already happens.

yes I thought that after I posted

Not good for the hamstrings supposedly. If you've got players with pace you don't want em kicking all week. So I was once told, dunno how true it is.

Nobody would be talking about kicking if Watkins had converted Hall’s try from the touch line. Fickle bunch!

I'm knocking on a bit and remember a cup replay against Leigh 1962 no floodlights then and nights still dark we ran from school .Any way last few minutes Leeds scored in the corner old dressing room end to put them one point behind and the kick from touch to win the game was missed by the great Lewis Jones .

The conversion from the first try was probably the one that you would have expected Watkins to kick. Had he kicked that, he wouldn't have needed to convert either of the touchline attempts at the end.

But hindsight is a wonderful thing