So by my reckoning we have:



OUT - CONFIRMED



Kylie Leuluai (ret.)

Paul Aiton (Catalans)

Jamie Peacock (ret.)

Kevin Sinfield (Yorkshire Carnegie)

Andy Yates (Wakefield)



OUT - PROBABLE



Jamie Jones-Buchanan (ret.)

Thomas Minns (rel)*

Alex Foster (rel)*

Chris Clarkson (Hull KR)*

Robbie Ward (rel)



*not in 2015 Squad



IN - CONFIRMED



Keith Galloway (Wests)

Anthony Mullallly (Huddersfield)

Jordan Baldwinson (Loan Return)

Elliot Minchella (Loan Return)





That sees us losing three senior props, a second row, a hooker and a stand off / utility in exchange for two senior props and two academy lads back off of loan.



So who else will be joining? Clearly The Sleeve is in the search for a hooker, and I'd hope another prop to add to Galloway, Garbutt, Cuthbertson and Singleton - with only Baldwinson and Mulhern as backup we look a little light in that area.



Personally I don't think Clark will happen - too early for Wire to write him off unless he's determined to come back over the Pennines, so I'd have thought that Houghton (very solid, has talent that could be developed if he didn't have e around him, soon to reach his peak having never played for a top club) is far more likely.



Also seen some strong rumours about Luke Burgess being on his way back to SL - surely worth an offer on our part, given he originally left because he wanted the #10 shirt - now he can have it.



The Widdop rumours seem to have died down - seems we'll be allocating our marquee player to someone already at the club.



Squad 2016 to (hopefully) look like:



1. Hardaker

2. Briscoe

3. Watkins

4. Moon

5. Hall

6. McGuire

7. Burrow

8. Galloway

9. Houghton

10. Burgess

11. Achurch

12. Ablett

13. Ward

14. Mullally

15. Delaney

16. Garbutt

17. Cuthbertson

18. Sutcliffe

19. Singleton

20. Keinhorst

21. Walters

22. Baldwinson

23. Minchella

24. Lilley

25. Mulhern

26. Golding

27. Handley

Can't see us signing a prop. 5 front line props plus kids/ second rows to fill in as and when would seem a pretty standard squad balance.



I think a new hooker will be all we get.

Four props with a prop at LF and then baldwinson and kids is enough.



All we need is a hooker. Next year a halfback and a SR imo

I think JJB will keep on next season. So put him back in the second row and it seems a bit better:



1. Hardaker

2. Briscoe

3. Watkins

4. Moon

5. Hall

6. Sutcliffe

7. McGuire

8. Galloway

9. ?

10. Cuthbertson

11. Jones-Buchanan

12. Ablett

13. Ward



14. Burrow

15. Garbutt

16. Delaney

17. Singleton



18. Mullalley

19. Handley

20. Achurch

21. Keinhorst

22. Mulhern

23. Walters

24. Baldwinson

25. Golding

26. Lilley



I think that's a pretty good squad. The only question for me is regarding hooker. If we get a decent one we'll be very strong contenders again. If we don't then I think we'll struggle.



If, as the rumours suggest, we've got Brierley for the year after, effectively replacing McGuire then I think all we'll need is a second row to replace JJB when he eventually retires.

IDK We're losing Peacock, Leuluai & Yates to bring in Galloway and Mullally. I'm pretty certain AM isn't ready to be a replacement for Kylie.



We should have the cap space, and if someone of Burgess' quality is wanting a move back to SL IMO it'd be silly not to.



You could then play:



8. Galloway

9. Hooker

10. Burgess

11. Ward

12. Ablett

13. Cuthbertson



with Burrow, Garbutt, Singleton & Delaney coming off the bench. Incredibly strong pack, plus having back up of Achurch, Mullally, Keinhorst, Walters, Baldwinson, Minchella and Mulhern. Strength in Depth.

1 Hardaker

2 Briscoe

3 Watkins

4 Moon

5 Hall

6 McGuire

7 Burrow

8 Galloway

9

10 Singleton

11 Ablett

12 JJB

13 Cuthbertson

14 Ward

15 Delaney

16 Achurch

17 Garbutt

18 Sutcliffe

19 Mullally

20 Keinhorst

21 Walters

22 Minchella

23 Mulhern

24 Handley

25 Baldwinson

26 Golding

27 Lilley



There is still potential to bring in two players for next season I would say. From 20 onwards I expect them all duel registered with Hunslet.

Also worth remembering for all the 'get the kids in' euphoria.



Handley, Golding, Lilley, Robbie Ward and Minchella are 19.

Baldwinson, Walters & Mulhern are 20.



1. They're not going to running off elsewhere soon - we can take time to blood them.



2. Liam Sutcliffe is 20, Stevie Ward 21, Singleton 22, Hardaker 23, Watkins 24 and the 'old stagers' Keinhorst and Briscoe 25.



This has the potential to be the core of a very good side for a very long time to come.

I think Luke Burgess would be a decent signing for us but a hooker is main department we need to invest in but atm there isn't any many quality dummy halves about but Clark would be a good signing also but I could probably see us signing Danny Houghton

We need two hookers right? We have one at the moment and he is injured so we need one to replace him when he goes and one to cover in case of injury, the latter could be a youth/academy product but we seem to be really struggling without one!

Garbutt was a signing made for 2016v we were just fortunate to be able to bring him over early. Also in terms of "losing" Yates, it's not like we really used him anyway. Not saying Baldwinson will get loads of game time but he could better the amount Yates got.



Burgess would be a very unnecessary signing. If we had room to bring in a forward we'd be better off getting a back rower. Achurch can't last longer than two minutes and as for JJB, if he returns he doesn't actually play 2nd row anyway nowadays.

Exactly, Garbutt is a 2016 replacement. We are not paying for him this year. If anything we are props heavy.

Daryl Clark. And that's it

hooker and a quality second rower. in fact make that two hookers. it was a major oversight not to have two on the books for this season and it's cost us

We have Sutcliffe McGuire "new hooker" and burrow to play 6,7,9 and 14. One injury to any of those four positions and our only cover is Lilly who is very inexperienced.



I think we need a new hooker AND another half. Although I can't see that happening this season.



Frosties sounds pretty convincing on the Bbrierly for 2017 signing, but what I don't understand is why we would loan him back to Leigh for next season. He needs to be learning off Mags and Rob now, plus we need the cover.

We need a quality hooker and another halfback. Our pack is looking good but unless we replace the loss of Sinfield's key game management and kicking skills we will suffer. Sutcliffe has shown great promise but not as a game manager or high percentage kicker. Of course he will improve in these areas but he does not look a natural 'give me the ball - I will sort it' type of player. Also he has had a serious injury which could have a detrimental effect on his game.



So IMO a proven controlling half back is required perhaps on a short term contract to allow Sutcliffe, Lilley & Golding to develop.

How are they going to develop, if they aren't playing in the first team?



Sutcliffe's too old to play in the Academy, so do you farm him out to the Championship somewhere and in the meantime make do with some mediocre off-contract import looking to top up their pension? Leeds sent Lilley out on dual reg at Hunslet this year, and they ended up playing the lad at full-back against one of the best teams in the competition FFS.



Leeds don't need another half-back, if they sign a new first choice hooker.

Well I did not design the system. Neither am I suggesting some mediocre off contract import. Like the replacement of Aiton we need quality. However as it stands we have invested in the JP & Kylie replacements which could be wasted if we do not invest in Sinfield's replacement. Just look at the hullabaloo on here over losing the game management abilities of Sinfield while he has been playing at hooker.



Under the new extended season it is going to be important to rotate not just forwards but backs too. With a new quality half back we could still give plenty of game time to Sutcliffe, Lilley and Golding giving the ageing McGuire & Burrow plenty of rests. Which of the aforementioned are proven game managers?



Unless the new hooker is also a game manager then yes we do need a controlling quality halfback next year.

I want to see Sutcliffe and McGuire at 6&7 next year with Burrow / lilley fighting for the bench spot.assuming we sign a 9

Sutcliffe is far too good for the Championship, he was giving Sinfield a run for his money before he got injured, his form was good and he would have been well in the running for young SL player of the year were he still fit imo.



I agree with you, we need a hooker that much clear and a priority, but Sutcliffe has proved he is ready to step in as first choice HB(although not the finished article) alongside McGuire and with Burrow as cover aswell as Lilley we have enough for next year at least.



Basically, sign a hooker (hopefully Clark) and i would be more than happy with the make up of our squad for next season.

We do have 2. We just chose not to utilize Robbie Ward.

Feel free to tell me where this experienced half-back on a short-term contract is going to come from, in that case.



Throw me some names out there of players who are going to be available and willing to come in on a short-term basis for a year or two.

Agree with AG we don't need another halfback until one of McGuire or Burrow retires.



I think some people are getting carried away thinking we need 4 half backs because we've had the luxury of 4 for the last couple of years (McGuire, Burrow, Sinfield & Sutcliffe).

Most clubs can barely scrape 2 quality half backs in to their squad never mind 3 or 4.



As AG says getting another would limit Sutcliffe.

We don't need to sign a replacement for Sinfield, Sutcliffe is his replacement.



The only halfback signing id make is if a relatively young, quality one is available as an eventual replacement for McGuire. Brierley for example, or if Widdop was available. Because quality players don't always become available just when you need one.

But I wouldn't be looking to sign a stop-gap halfback. We don't need it.

If another hooker comes in, Leeds will potentially have four half-back options - McGuire, Sutcliffe, Burrow and Lilley. Quite why some people seem to think we need to add another one to that mix, lord only knows.

Spot on



Who are you going to get that is Top 4 quality but happy to be some sort of stopgap/backup?



In the backs it's not easy to have quality backups because you don't rotate them or they don't pick up injuries like the forwards do. It's why BJB left because he didn't want to hang around getting 4/5 starts a season.

Lilley is still unproven, Sutcliffe, may not recover from his injury, and Burrow isn't utilised in the halves. Had Sutcliffe not done his knee I'd have given him the starting gig next season, however, we have no idea how he'll recover.



Hooker has to be the priority though. I also have no idea why anyone would think we needed a prop. This is the first time I can remember on this board where the consensus seems to be that we've got a good set of props.