According to each of the clubs websites, Kallum Watkins is 2 stone lighter than Leroy Cudjoe! That surprised me. Kallum looks heavier than 14st these days.



They look pretty similar to me. Maybe Leeds havent weighed him in the last 2 years since he bulked up

@ Vastman

If Brough played for any other club you'd love him
If you'd watched him play in the last three years (which you clearly haven't) you'd love him

Yea that's why he's picking the ice cool,never loses it Rang Chase.

Two from three between Reed, Watkins and Cudjoe for me. Atkins breathing down their necks though - let's see how they all get on this season...along with the others!

Eorl Crabtree managed to catch chris bridge after he'd made a break last season! Not enough pace- and too niggly a player.
Cudjoe has one of the best tackling techniques I've seen. Great handling skills and can leap like a salmon.
I'd also like to see goulding given a go.

One thing I'd like to see is picking centres who are a threat with the ball, and know how to pass to their winger. 'Defensive' centres are pointless at international level. I don't think SL's best are anywhere as good as the best Aussies, but at least they offer a threat.

Reed sadly went backwards last year, and first look suggests he'll struggle again (although the Broncos are so bad its quite hard to judge).

I'm glad others have picked up on the fact that our forwards aren't somehow exempt from blame with respect to getting hammered by Aus. England's off-the ball work in both attack and defence is vastly inferior to Australia.

BTW Jamie Lyon was far and away the best centre in the NRL last year. If you want a young centre to learn from watching, get a highlights clip of Lyon and see how he absolutely terrorised defences at times, without being either massive or lightning quick.

I agree. Charnley does not look the same player when Goulding is not playing, especially defensively. Goulding is very underated and is excellant defensively and has very good hands. Our right hand side defense is notably worse when he doesnt play. Technically he is the best English centre in SL but he lacks the athleicism of say an Atkins but saying that he is also a damn site stronger than people/other fans may think. If England had created a chance for the centre to set up his winger I would want Goulding to be there everytime as he will, an Atkins would find the linesman or throw a forward pass and England cannot afford to waste the few chances that they will get at that level.

Where did I defend the selection of Chase - the point as it clearly needs spelling out is that IMO Brough is not an International, not whether Chase is.

1: No I wouldn't.

2: I know Broughy as well as anyone and have seen him play since he was 17. And he is IMO the most skilful S/H in SL and improves every year. However he is who he is and he has never changed in that respect. He simply goes to bits in most big games or has done to date. Even if he could do it against the ANZACS once what chance 3 in a row - none. Fans look for excitement but coaches look for consistency at top level. Danny chokes because he gets too emotional which is great at club level or you can channel it but it won't impress the Aussies.

I agree there is no player massively better available but then IMO he isn't massively better than them either, not at top level anyway.

Just my opinion on him and always has been.

When has brough choked in a big game? - how many big games has he played in that you are basing your comments on? Perhaps I missed all those scores of international games and finals he's played in that give evidence to your claims.
When brough first came to giants he had a reputation for being a "sulker" if things didn't go his way. I must admit i wasnt hapoy we signed him for this reason, but he proved me wrong. Since being at the giants I can't remember a time he's done that. Brough is a changed player mentally- he channels his frustrations in a different way to previously.

For what it's worth (and to try and get back on topic

) I'd go with Reed on the left & Watkins on the right if both are on form. If Reed & the Broncos don't improve however I'd look at bringing in either Goulding or Cudjoe. Haven't seen a lot of Cudjoe this year but from the sound of things he's in great form & improving as a .

Connolly and Newlove were our only good pairing in the era you mention. Until them two Australia cut us to bits through the centres. Connolly wrapped up one side with his defence. Newlove was big and offered an attacking threat.

There have been many - Big Mal, Eric Ashton, Reg Gasnier spring to mind for me.

Chase and Reed should not be let anywhere near our international team IMO.

Why Reed? He was born here
(Unless you just don't rate them of course)

Reed offers nothing any other centre in Super League does
If he wasn't in the NRL he wouldn't even be mentioned

In his first season he was brilliant, second season the team was pretty poor and he struggled with injuries, I don't think writing him off so soon is the right move. Defence-wise he's a cut above most in Super League for me

I agree with this, should not be written off yet, we have a full season ahead and is plenty of time for him to find the form he was showing a couple of seasons ago.At the moment he is fighting with Atkins,Cudjoe and maybe Goulding to partner Watkins.Things can change quickly though.Hopefully the form players will be selected.

Hopefully, but given Maccas squads, I doubt it.

I would agree that Watkins seems to be nailed on for me atm, was outstanding in the WCC. Slightly club biased maybe, but I'd go for Cudjoe atm, especially going on form. But there's a long time between now and October.

Reed made a clean break in Brisbane's match today, showed absolutely no pace whatsoever and promptly fell over his own feet.
I'm not convinced he'd offer more than Bridge/Goulding/Atkins et al.

Agreed.

I don't think Goulding will be anywhere near the side baring injuries. He does the basics well, but he's too small and too slow for international rugby. If he plays it will be like when Lee Smith played but unlike then we have better options available.

We are short of quality English centres.
McNamara will have a difficult job on knowing who to pick.
Watkins and Atkins are the best attacking centres we have but neither are defensively up to Intl standard.
Watkins attempt to tackle Farrell last Friday was dreadful. He would be our worst nightmare facing Inglis who will play at 4 for the Aussies.
Atkins maybe better but not by much.
Against the quality teams we will get chances to attack but we will be defending far more than having the ball in hand.

We're talking about England centres and you rubbish Watkins defence because of an error he made while playing at full back, a completely different position that he isn't particularly familiar with, has very different demands and in which he's also done some excellent defensive work. Watkins defence at centre has improved greatly over the last couple of seasons and to say he'd be our 'worst nightmare' against Inglis is sensationalist nonsense.