It's not ridiculous to suggest they're not developed physically enough since members of the Rhinos coaching staff say they're not.

The game has changed. Even from when McGuire, Burrow etc made their debuts. It's much faster and tougher in the middle. Everyone is bigger, faster and stronger. Of course there'll be some who handle it just fine, even thrive. That doesn't mean everyone will or can. As Smokey says, it's a balancing act. They need enough game time to ensure they develop, but that doesn't mean playing them every minute of every week. Because they're not going to develop at all if they're on the side injured.

Liam Sutcliffe is not yet 19. Stevie Ward is not yet 20 and has had 2 major shoulder injuries. There is an argument that Ward ended up playing LESS this year because he wasn't protected

Wouldn't argue with any of that.



Course, it's dependent on Barry Eaton playing ball and wanting a pivot who may not be available from one week to the next.

Who? who on the coaching staff said there not? I don't recall Smokey being on the coaching staff.



It is ridiculous. If you have come through the systems and are as old as 20, then you are ready physically, especially when you have already played 20 games that level.



You might not be ready head wise, which is what I said, but is different to what was commented.

Spot on mate.

Had Ward not got injured early in season, it was a high probability that he would have been playing on Saturday against Australia. Yet some think he is not ready physically for Leeds, dear lord.

Do you not think there is a chance that those two things are linked? That the fact that he has suffered with specific injuries is because he wasn’t physically ready? That to have had 2 major shoulder operations in 2 years is perhaps evidence that he isn’t physically ready? That perhaps Ward is getting injured and is missing games because he is being asked to do too much and his body isn’t capable of handling that workload yet?

Like I said earlier, is that the same for Delaney? If not then no I don't think it is linked.



Perhaps the role he is asked to play could be the key. That doesn't mean he is not ready to be playing regular first team. Like I said, had he not been injured he would have been playing in this World Cup.

and as i said with Delany

and yes, if Wards body had proven itself ready for SL he may have been playing in the WC. But then if his body had proven itself ready for SL i wouldnt be saying he needed protecting.



As it is Wards body hasnt proven itself ready for SL. He has struggled with injury, thats why he isnt in the WC squad and also why i think he needs a bit more nurturing.

I do wonder how a player can make over 30 appearances before it is decided that "no this player isn't physically ready yet".



In case your wondering, yes it is as stupid as it sounds.

When those 30 appearances result in two similar, major injuries, you might look again and say “ maybe playing 30 times at this level was a bit too much for his body”



Ward plays another 15 times and does his shoulder again are you then arguing he is physically ready because he has played 45 times?



He plays another 15 times and does it again are you saying its ok, he is physically ready because he has played 60 times?



He players 15 more times and does his shoulder again is the argument he is clearly ready because he has played 75 times?



Right now Ward is suffering a major injury roughly every 15 games. At what stage does that ratio show he isn’t ready yet for week in week out SL level rugby?

If that happened, what it would show is that he is injury prone and has a problem with his shoulders, this happens, he wouldn't be the first or last that has that luck. It makes jack poop difference whether he is 17 or 27, the injuries would still be there.



It does not mean he is not physically ready for first team action, hence why the club have played him in more than 30 games including a Challenge Cup final and a Grand Final, and that the National team wanted him to train with the squad.

If you think a 17 year olds body is the same as a 27 year olds body then I can’t help you. You would need some remedial biology lessons.



Such a thing exists as injury prevention. If a young persons body is over-worked, they are far more likely to suffer injury. We can prevent such an injury happening in the first place by avoiding over-working it.

I don't know you, and I don't profess to know you, but I do know you are neither a doctor, a coach, or a scientist.



You are wrong in what you have said on this thread, and that I also know.