Caught sight of the Observer back page which says we are now favourites to sign Leuluai.

Since the rumours first started Timkins has come back in and Williams has hit form which has in turn helped Matty Smith and Sam Powell.



I now don't see the sense in signing him when there's clearly gaps elsewhere. He was outstanding for us but they can't let sentiment get in the way of building a well balanced squad. We need a new winger and a tough prop and if there's enough money a good player to kick goals.

Would anyone take Josh Griffin at Salford? Tough, young, fast(?), centre/wing who can kick goals. He's out of contract at the end of the year but heard he might be signing for Saints. I think he'd do a good job for us.

No thanks, not as good as our current centres and I'd hope we would be going for a an NRL player to replace Charney assuming we can't bag McGillvary or Solomona, who I gather are both under contract. Griffin's goal kicking isn't great either, similar percentage to Smith, perhaps slightly worse IIRC

Smith is kicking fine at the moment, and as I've argued before, his career figures are as good as so called "good" kickers like Cam Smith. Unless you're getting a Thurston or a Croker (and neither seems particularly likely), the difference between kickers is pretty marginal.

Helps if the Kickers team can score tries up the middle of the park.



I imagine that we have been mostly out wide over the last few years

Seems he's signed for Hull FC anyway! How wrong I was.

Observer saying as well as us being favourites for Leuluai that Kris Rads is currently in Australia to sign up a replacement for Charnley.



Joe Burgess hopefully (I notice he's not in the team again for the Roosters this weekend).

The last time I saw Joe play for the Roosters he had a complete, mare; dropping balls, defensively out of position...



I suppose it's a bit of a vicious circle confidence-wise, he was good under the high ball at Wigan.

I thought Joe's occasional howlers could be forgiven at Wigan as a trade-off for those spectacular long-range tries he kept scoring. I'd imagine in Aus they are less tolerant of such errors because they have so many fast, young wingers queuing up for the shirt.



For his sake, I kind of hope he makes it over there, but then I'd like to see him come home sooner than later.

I honestly don't see him making it now. Not at the Roosters anyway, they have too much competition for the back line, because even the players that can play centre for them can also play wing. They have SKD, Ferguson, Aubusson, Copley, Elliot, Tupou.

hes not out of position its the defence they play. The week after when Tupou played he was exactly the same and he isnt a bad un. Burgess hasnt been given a chance hes 4th choice covering injuries,

Yeah, I remember that. Well, they are leaking tries, so that defence could do with a bit of fine-tuning!



I suspect JWarrior is right,though, for the reasons he says.

Get him back here! He went too early IMO and would have been better served developing his game here. I think we all know how good he is but for whatever reason it doesn't look to be working out.



A back line of Tomkins, Manfredi, Gelling, Gildart and Burgess looks good to me.

I'd love to see Burgess back, he's as close as you'll see to a traditional winger, I was well and truly and gutted when he confirmed he was going.

I agree. And with Williams and Smith starting to gel again; that a line up that potentially has a few years in it.

My only concern is the cover. From the current squad we have Fell, Higginson, Tierney and Shorrocks. Of those only Tierney is SL ready now; so which of the others are capable of becoming 'bolters' like Gildart, and able to hold their own in SL in a short time. If Rocky hasnt burnt his bridges, he will get plenty of game time next year if he returns.



Another old head in the back line as cover would be very handy. Weve seen how Smith's game has come on again now that he has an old pro like Sam back, so we dont want to be in the same position again next year.

We could do with a utility replacement for Sarginson IMO.



Realistically somebody like Ratchford will be out of reach but a player who can cover a few positions would be handy.

Lots on the Rhinos fans site regarding Hardaker, Watkins and Hall. With both Sarge and Josh leaving and Rads currently in Austrailia looking for a winger do you think Mr Lenegan will put his hand in his pocket and look to pair Watkins and Joe Burgess at the Warriors next season. I think we are just a world class centre/winger partnership from taking over Superleague for the next five years, it is no coincidence that the clubs currently being courted as Grand Final winners Hull, Catalan and Warrington have invested in quality players? I love to watch Wigan born players in the side but they need to be suplimented by real quality and experience so Ian please exploit the situation at Headingley and steal their jewel and bring him to the DW for 16/17.

I have always admired Watkins...with him being a local lad too always hoped he may want to play for Warrington one day. I have to say now, even if this season is a one off...i wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.



He has shown that when the going gets tough, he goes missing, no desire to pull his team through, sub standard performances and a real lack of heart.

I hope him and Hall don't get picked by Bennett too.

I've always had Warkins down as vastly over rated. Yes he's decent and one of the better centres in the league but the standard is pretty poor overall and he's not in the class of the likes of Connolly or Newlove (the last English centres to carry as much hype IMO).

He's nowhere near those two, nor is he even close to Leeds best English Centre in recent history, Keith senior. I've also always thought he was well overrated, and considering he would take a fair chunk of cash I'd hope we stay well clear (watch him sign for us and have an amazing season) .

I'd go so far to say Ryan Atkins deserves to be in the England set up more than Watkins.

I'm not Atkins' biggest fan, but it's fair to say he totally owned Watkins last week.

I've always thought Atkins would do a decent job on the wing internationally but as a centre I'd be slightly embarrassed if we had to pick him! He hasn't got any sort of ability to get his winger away in anything other then acres of space. He's athletically very good though but a bit like Watkins, he's a bit if a flat track bully. Wire have been excellent this year and he's playing well but when the chips were down over the last couple of seasons he was nowhere to be seen.



I got told a story about him a few years ago after he went on tour with England and his attitude was supposedly very poor. The story went that he threw his toys out the pram and said he didn't see any point in us playing the Aussies and Kiwis as we had no chance of beating them. His form in a struggling Wire side compared to an on form Wire side would seem to back that story up!!

Atkins and Watkins are very similar players both strong fast and athletic who look good in a decent team with everyone inside them doing the job to make them look good but put them in a poor team and you won't even notice they are there. Shouldn't be anywhere near an England shirt but sadly probably the best we have.