I don't reckon Hetherington would offer that sort of money for anyone

The Leeds backrow has a maximum age of 27, excepting JJB. (Ablett, Delaney, Ward, Achurch, Clarkson), and there's a pair of young hookers in McShane and Hood.

Yes, the props are aging and replacing Peacock is going to be difficult, but generally I'd say Leeds are pretty well set for the future (barring the 3/4s heading off to the NRL). The one thing I'd say they've got wrong is holding on to Leuluai instead of resigning Amor.

Especially not someone who's only rep performances are for the Cook Islands. I'd take him, yes ... but for 250 K ???

Someone is kidding someone big time.

That's like saying that Wigan have no 30 year olds in the pack except O'Loughlin.

Four of the six starting forwards are likely to be over 30.
Leuluai, Burrow, Peacock, JJB and then there's Bailey who is 29. Hardly a young dynamic pack.

id rather have a pack of predominantly old heads and a set of young outside backs. its exactly the old heads that keep winning leeds the sl

Moon replaced at Salford menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... moon-walks

Moon replaced at Salford menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... moon-walks

I would say 3 not 4 of the first choice pack. It'll be Leuluai *or* Bailey. Now Ablett's moving back to the pack Bailey won't play at Loose, and there'll be games that JJB won't start.

However Leeds *could* field a pack of Bailey, McShane, Achurch, Ablett, Delaney, Ward (Singleton, Clarkson) which would be pretty young. But it's not all about who can field the youngest team...

This

People are keen to dismiss a team because the have a few 30 plus players. IMO a good experienced pack will more times than not beat a young pack.

Its a great thing to have lots of young players in a team, but winning games is the main focus. Leeds, Saints and Wire have all done quite well with these teams full of crustys.

The experience in the Wire and Leeds teams is what got them trophies.

absolutely, i cringe at thinking our props could be Mossop/Prescott/Taylor/Dudson

not that these aren't fantastic players, just can't think that with the lack of experience, we'll get absolutely battered up front

We just need one experience prop. If only we had someone who we could have offered a new deal to who would have been like a new signing now he is fit.... hmmm....

Our pack will be flipping awesome in 5 years time if we keep them together. Other than Hill, we have the 4 best youngish prop forwards in the comp IMO.

Genuinely intrigued to hear who these four are? Mossop I can accept but if this list includes Dudson and Flower infront of Harrison and Cooper (and that's just two from Warrington's supposed oap pack) I really worry for your mental health.

Taylor is one. Prescott and Dudson I'm not too sure about. They're good but I can't see either getting in a GB team.

When fit Prescott IMO is a better player than Mossop. He seems to have more speed and has very good hands for such a big prop forward. The problem with Prescott is his injury record, I may get laughed at but I think if he gets a year or two with minimal injuries he will be the best Britsish prop excluding Burgess and Graham.

Lets see how Fielden gets on at Huddersfield...I would of been gutted had we handed him anything other than a pay as you play type contract.

I hope he does well for himself at Huddersfield but just don't think Wigan could take another gamble on him.

I agree he could be potentially, but it really depends on his injuries (obviously) and how the other good young props develop - Hill, Harrison, Mossop, Taylor, Watts, Dudson, Patrick, LMS etc etc; if those guys really hit their potential quickly they could be pretty special too. Obviously Graham and Burgess are still a ridiculous distance in front of all of these, with Crabtree etc still doing well too.

Don't see where the worry comes about re props.
SW has named seven in his 25 man squad and as far as it looks five of them are 6'3" or over. Those five look like Mossop, Precott, Taylor, Dudson & Crosby.
Our first five props on the team sheet would probably be Lauaki, Mossop, Prescott, Taylor & Dudson.
The inexperience thing is being a bit overdone I think.
Lauaki is 28/9, Prekkie 27 next season. Then there's Mossop who's 24 next time followed by Dudson and Taylor.
It's not their age that's against them but size is so much to their advantage. Flower and Crosby complete the prop numbers and Dom is around 6'3" where Flower maybe maybe more like 5'11".
The sheer size of these guys should put us on the front foot and give us the go forward we need. SW knows this and to me this sized pack coming together is not a coincidence but been well planned.
We have a very experienced back row in H, Hock & Lockers.
Altogether our pack for next year looks formidable and having looked at the Saints and Leeds line ups I do think we have better forwards than they do.
Wire will again have a good pack and they to me will run us close.

Prop doesn't overly worry me either. The experience might not be great but the quality is just fine as is the depth.

There's enough experience in that back row to compensate IMO via Lockers, Hansen and Hock(although he seems to have the mental age of a 9 year old).

My main issue is a lack of strike in the centres and a lack of depth in general in the outside backs. A dynamic hooker/halfback on the bench wouldn't go amiss either.

No problem whatsoever with the props no one close to over the hill and lots of improvement to come.

Seems to have gone very quiet re Gaz Hock. Anybody know if the move is deffo off?

You're making an assumption that move was deffo on.

He's been given a squad number. Assume he's staying.

I made the assumption that a move was likely in the circumstances Pemps. I hope more than anything that he does stay but was surprised he didn't get number 12 if he's staying. I just wondered if anybody knew for sure?

Looking on the SMH site it appears Parramatta are having difficulty fitting Folau under the salary cap. Says they only have $100k spare and he's valued at $400k.
As they are determined to sign Folau it seems the obvious way out is to unload a player, or two.
Willie Tonga was mentioned some weeks ago when the story first broke about the Eels signing Folau. It went quiet but if they have now run out of options unloading players maybe their only course of action.
Tonga would be a good addition to our squad if we could fit him under the cap.
With all the departures and fewer incomings we'd surely have some spare.
IL has said in the past he leaves an amount available just in case a player we may need suddenly comes available.
Tonga may soon be available and he would be an excellent addition to the squad.

If Tonga comes to SL I would say we would be his most likely destination now Leeds have signed Moon.

According to a recent report we offered Finch just shy of £300,000 a year to stay with us but he turned it down.

We must have room to spare under the cap.

I do not think though that we are in the market for him, I think we are going with what we have.

For what its worth I think he would smash it in SL as well, he is a top quality player and the drop in intensity should help with his injuries.

We can always hope but I do not expect him to be with us in 2013.

Quote ="jonh"If Tonga comes to SL I would say we would be his most likely destination now Leeds have signed Moon. I don't think we will sign Tonga,if what is in Tuesdays Sydney Morning Herald is true. Below is part of a large Article on the Folau situation. "With just $110,000 remaining under the 2013 cap, the Eels tried to shed centre Willie Tonga in a bid to free more money to fit Folau in by more conventional means. But with Tonga now almost certain to stay, and the salary cap auditor Ian Schubert refusing to budge over his $400,000 valuation of Folau, the officials have been forced to think outside the square". Read more: www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... z2DLwUYq5C

Quote ="jonh"If Tonga comes to SL I would say we would be his most likely destination now Leeds have signed Moon. I don't think we will sign Tonga,if what is in Tuesdays Sydney Morning Herald is true. Below is part of a large Article on the Folau situation. "With just $110,000 remaining under the 2013 cap, the Eels tried to shed centre Willie Tonga in a bid to free more money to fit Folau in by more conventional means. But with Tonga now almost certain to stay, and the salary cap auditor Ian Schubert refusing to budge over his $400,000 valuation of Folau, the officials have been forced to think outside the square". Read more: www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... z2DLwUYq5C