It’s the Leeds way..quite often we only hear about a rumour the day(s) before the signing is announced

I am sure the club is working like crazy on this in the background, it'll be good when the announcements come to see which way we've gone. We might need to wait a wee while longer.

I think we were linked with him last season.Who ever we sign i doubt he will be a seasoned NRL prop he'l bel more on the lines of King as i doubt we have enough cap space.

Next year I expect we'll have more significant cap to work with, assuming we let go Dwyer, Briscoe, Gale, Thompson, Martin... maybe even Mellor. Myler? I doubt we'll lose all of them but we should lose most IMO. I feel we'll need a bit of a broom through the senior players.



We will need to keep on top of upgrading our youngsters of course.



I guess we'll go for a King+ signing for next year. Ideally we want someone who might not be a Prior or Tetevano, but can increase competition for places for the matchday 17. The bottom line is that our two genuine props are 22 and 20 years old. Prior and Tet are what I would more call "middles". I think both are more effective slightly wide of centre field.



Wing/FB I'm very lukewarm about unless we can find a real bolter. We have an established starting back three, with some cover from youngsters coming through and then the likes of Blake Austin... I really don't see the point in signing another Luke Briscoe here to be honest (otherwise why not just retain him).



If we can't afford/identify someone better than Tom Briscoe now, let's just wait a year until we have more cap and another year development into the likes of Tindall and Broadbent to see how they're shaping up.

We've lost King, L Briscoe, Mclelland and Hurrell and have a quota spot available. Austin can cover some outside back positions and that's part of reason we signed him but we are most definitely a prop short and a wing short... I'd be very shocked if we didn't at least bring in a good outside back but everything i read at the moment is saying we don't have much cap space..

I think the salary cap issue is more down to covid hitting income, because the overseas spot could otherwise be used on a marquee player.

It's been really clear that Walker/Myler-Briscoe-Newman-Sutcliffe-Handley are the first choice back line for 2022. I can't see them moving to change that at this stage.

With Broadbent being next man up!

Agree Broadbent covers centre wing and fullback.

So again if we're not going to sign someone better than T Briscoe who might start games, I wouldn't see the point in signing someone less good who just blocks the pathway of Broadbent or someone else looking for a chance.



Broadbent isn't a winger but he's going to have a job on getting past Newman or even Sutcliffe next season I think. As a winger he lacks outright pace but he is far more skilful than most. He isn't a yardage winger though either. Tindall's probably better there.



I wouldn't mind relegating T Briscoe to back-up wing/centre and bringing in some senior firepower on that right hand side to complement Newman, but as I've said I can see that happening next year rather than this, unless the right player is available immediately. With Sezer on the right we can confidently go there to attack and it might be an option.

I would think it is grossly unfair to move Myler out of the FB spot.

For me he has been our player of the season especially how he adapted to that role when we were badly in need of the cover.

How about Walker to RW alongside Newman with Austin LC alongside Handley?

That would give us the following:

Myler

Walker Newman Austin Handley

Gale Sezer

Tetavano Leeming Prior

Martin Bentley

Smith



Dwyer Oledzki Holroyd/New Prop Mellor

You then have Sutcliffe Broadbent Briscoe Thompson Gannon Donaldson Johnson as back up.

Sutcliffe is, and deserves to be, starting centre. There's a good chance if he's left there he'll be in the England squad by the end of the year.

Don’t think Walker should be on the wing myself. Not suited to it at all.



I like myler but he has his limitations. He isn’t that effective bringing the ball out and getting a quick play the ball, he rarely beats a man and gets on his front which slows the whole set down.



He is brave, decent under the high ball but does drop a few. Also think his positioning and moving of the defensive numbers isn’t wonderful.



His plus points are his hands and general movement into the attacking line.



Depends how Walker comes back I think he has most things myler has. His defence is better, positioning better, more dangerous runner but his hands and movement into the attacking line not so good.



If we are signing an outside back it’s a starting winger or nothing for me. Rather play youngsters if required than get an okay winger who blocks somebody. We have Broadbent, Levi edwards, Corey Hall and Tindall for centre/wing.

Yes agree with this. I've been looking into Kane Evans a little bit, we are still being linked with him along with Hull.



Obviously his disciplinary record isn't great, the guy is a hothead. Having said that he is a very good player on his day. I don't know if we can afford the penalties and errors in a team that must improve it's consistency - but he would stiffen that pack up significantly if he can stay on the field. Interesting one. He is very aggressive but maybe better able to control it as he's entering his 30s...?

Wow, that's an interesting viewpoint. My view, is that all things be equal, Broadbent will have surplanted Sutty in the centre by the end of 2022. Just think Sutty lacks both pace and timing of a pass. Hope you are right though. The club has invested a lot of time in him (as he has in them) and would be great if he could finally flourish in one position.

To be fair to Sutcliffe it sounds like he's been playing injured all this season even before the big one. The club must see something I don't to have awarded him such a long contract extension though.



If he can get a real pre-season in and focus on that centre spot then we'll see how he goes. Him and Handley being best mates won't cut it when it comes to outright performance though, and I would hope that someone like Broadbent sees the opportunity at left centre and takes it over the next year or so as big Cluesy says.



Also we need a stable left hand side 7 and 11 to get us going, which we haven't had all year.

Sutty best position is centre, he’s a strong/dangerous runner close to the line , and a stable solid defender. Trouble is he keeps getting moved about due to his utility value. But next year we go with 3 halves and 2 fullbacks and 3 , si no reason for him to play anywhere else, Broadbent will be 3rd choice centre and can also cover full back wing snd at a push stand off it required. Don’t think Sutcliffe has played a full season in one position, best season he had was at centre back half of 2017, supery in GF eliminator against Hull.



Really hope he has luck and a blinder next year.

PS on the plus side we really have good competition and cover for nearly every position, except prop and possibly wing

Agree with that and I think one of those positions will be strengthened with quality in time for next year.

Tend to agree with Arthur re Sutcliffe as I`m not convinced he will do a job there.

But I do think centre is his best position and with an injury free year fingers crossed he proves me wrong.

Think we`ve tried him everywhere else so this will be his last chance.

Wrt LPRhino I get what you are saying about Mylers comparison with Walker.

Personally I think neither have a decent defence but Walker edges it on his pace and Myler edges it on his cut out pass when joining the line.

My preference would be a classy winger and a decent prop.

Whilst not NRL class Mulhern for me would have been my choice along with Watts or Thompson.

Saying Walker has pace is like saying Paul wellens has pace, and walkers defense borders on cowardly, Walker is an injury prone show pony, Myler usss CCD way ahead of him. Walker will be gone after contract up.

bit harsh he made a difference 2017 and looks more likely to beat 1st man but all round think myler better , a hybrid of the 2 might get a 14-15 zak

That is the most ridiculous comment I’ve seen in a while.



For the purposes of the comparison is Walker quicker than Myler, yes he is so doesn’t matter if he is lighting quick (which I don’t think anybody has said he is).



Cowardly? Yeah he got into a grand final winning team at 18 playing full back, won a grand final by having cowardly defence? He isn’t unbelievable going forward so how on earth did he get in the team if his defence was cowardly?



Injury prone - yes I would agree. Have some sympathy as isn’t the biggest and playing first grade at a young age. All it takes is one season without an injury and then he had injury issues in his early years, not he is injury prone.



Myler is a decent full back, but people talk about being a championship winning team, myler doesn’t get in any other top side at full back. He has a cut out pass and is brave under the high ball. Walker has some improvement in him, he has more of the base ingredients to get to a higher level IMO. Before his injury issues people were talking about him being an England full back.



Walker is contracted until 23, Myler until 22 so I would say more likely Myler goes before Walker.

WTF. Part of Walker's problem is he puts himself in too much risk, not that he's cowardly.

Walker should retire. His feet are made of biscuit. Every time he got up from a mazey run you held your breath to see if he was injured. Same with Hurrell. Sutcliffe's defence is awful too. He's good going forward, but we've been mediocre for a while, so haven't been constantly on the front foot.