Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Sun Jan 07, 2024 3:28 pm  

From what I’ve heard Newman will be re signing before the season starts

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Sun Jan 07, 2024 4:27 pm  

Simmo71 wrote:

This is my concern with our front row options.
If Holroyd misses the start of the season, we have Sangare and Goudemand in our starting 17.
This is way below the level of the top 4 or 5 teams.

We're hoping for a lot with our props.
Holroyd stays fit
Mik improves his form
Sangare ups his fitness and workrate levels
Hudson can step up to this level

Hope it all comes together, but this is a big risk area for me.

Really?
Going from the table last year I totally agree on Wigan, they have a huge pack and a set of impressive front row players. But I would say the squad is unbalanced, if they get an injury or two in the backs then the replacements aren’t great.
Saints front row options is 33 year old walmsley, 25 year old matty lees, 32 year old Paasi coming off a huge injury , 19 year old George Delaney, Mata’utia covering prop, maybe Knowles and wingfield coving prop.
Catalans - taukeiaho who probably leaves, sims covering prop, seguier seems a backfow now, scimone played 3 games, satae great in short burst, navarette not convinced, mcmeeken, deazaria, Bousquet. So a fair number, a lot who aren’t traditional props and I wouldn’t say significantly stronger than what we have.
It’s the same for any team, take the best two props from saints, Catalans or any other team bar Wigan and you are going to struggle a bit.

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Sun Jan 07, 2024 4:41 pm  

Good to hear regarding Bentley and hopefully this leads to very tough choices in the 2nd row with Martin, McDonnell and Gannon.

I've seen a few are doing the Hard 75 challenge which can only benefit Leeds.

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Sun Jan 07, 2024 4:51 pm  

Lprhino wrote:

Really?
Going from the table last year I totally agree on Wigan, they have a huge pack and a set of impressive front row players. But I would say the squad is unbalanced, if they get an injury or two in the backs then the replacements aren’t great.
Saints front row options is 33 year old walmsley, 25 year old matty lees, 32 year old Paasi coming off a huge injury , 19 year old George Delaney, Mata’utia covering prop, maybe Knowles and wingfield coving prop.
Catalans - taukeiaho who probably leaves, sims covering prop, seguier seems a backfow now, scimone played 3 games, satae great in short burst, navarette not convinced, mcmeeken, deazaria, Bousquet. So a fair number, a lot who aren’t traditional props and I wouldn’t say significantly stronger than what we have.
It’s the same for any team, take the best two props from saints, Catalans or any other team bar Wigan and you are going to struggle a bit.

Yeh really.
Our pack got rolled regularly last year and we had Tetevano and Walters, who have now left.
Hope I'm wrong, but we need a lot more from Mik and Sangare this year and we need some luck with injuries.
Hopefully Hudson or TNW will have an impact.

I agree with Chris that we had areas that were higher priority i.e. half backs.
But I think a big impact prop was a higher priority than FB and hooker tbh.
I'm sure Ackers will be a very good signing, but I'd have preferred Burgess.

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Sun Jan 07, 2024 6:11 pm  

Disagree on Ackers, he’s one of, if not the best hookers in SL, we haven’t had that class at hooker for a long time.

FB and pace was a priority, we didn’t actually have a proper FB in the squad, Myler wasn’t an out and out FB and he was getting on.

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Sun Jan 07, 2024 8:02 pm  

I hope Bentley does have a good season - maybe the competition for places at Leeds has made him think a little bit.

I don’t believe any professional player takes the field in a SL game and doesn’t try hard; but how you prepare off the field gives you the right to contribute on match days.

I am still confused why we didn’t go for Eseh or someone else but I guess Hudson was our Eseh player. We’re likely just to run with what we have and then next season I’d expect some tweaks.

Every team builds confidence before the new season: I think Leeds have to start strong and do well in games from the off. A bad run of losses and the pressure will mount very quickly but I’m not sure, prop aside, what more we could have asked for in signings really.

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Sun Jan 07, 2024 10:49 pm  

christopher wrote:

FB and pace was a priority, we didn’t actually have a proper FB in the squad, Myler wasn’t an out and out FB and he was getting on.

What's your thoughts on Miller? Do you think he has the experience to be a 'proper fullback' yet? He clearly has the skills to be a great attacking player, but I don't know enough about him to know if he will be up to the defensive side of the role.

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Mon Jan 08, 2024 6:25 am  

Leeds_Luke wrote:

What's your thoughts on Miller? Do you think he has the experience to be a 'proper fullback' yet? He clearly has the skills to be a great attacking player, but I don't know enough about him to know if he will be up to the defensive side of the role.

You don’t play international 7s without being a good 1 on 1 defender. One major blunder aside he looked good their for the knights last year too and arguably only became available when Ponga became too fragile to defend in the line.

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Mon Jan 08, 2024 6:54 am  

Leeds_Luke wrote:

What's your thoughts on Miller? Do you think he has the experience to be a 'proper fullback' yet? He clearly has the skills to be a great attacking player, but I don't know enough about him to know if he will be up to the defensive side of the role.

I think he’ll be a superstar in SL.

Re: EXTENSION | James Bentley - Expires: 2025 : Mon Jan 08, 2024 8:44 am  

christopher wrote:

Disagree on Ackers, he’s one of, if not the best hookers in SL, we haven’t had that class at hooker for a long time.

FB and pace was a priority, we didn’t actually have a proper FB in the squad, Myler wasn’t an out and out FB and he was getting on.

All about opinions Chris.
I don't disagree on Ackers, he will be very good and a big upgrade on what we have.
And our recruitment on the whole has been excellent.

Just my point is that I think we are short in the front row.
We're relying on a number of factors to all go in our favour.
And if we don't compete through the middle, our new flashy backs will have no platform.

As I've said before, I hope there was no need for concern and it all comes together.