He is still world class though. And as I said above, Ashton Wilson looks to be a cracking prospect who I would like to see in the opposite centre position to Watkins in the future. He's not ready yet though so it would benefit him to learn off a great.

It's never happen because he'll be after a place in the aussie team but if and when Webb goes would have loved to see Ben Barba at Leeds.

Cooper in the Aussie team?





Inglis, Hodges, Idris, Morris and a few more are ahead of him mainly due to age. He's better than Idris and Morris though.



As for Beni Barber! It's never going to happen





He is the next Australian full back IMO after Slater. There's alll this talk about Josh Duggan being the next number 1 but I dont think he's as good as what's been made of him. Barba has the X Factor and i'd hate to see him leave the Dogs... ever!

Not Cooper talking about Barba and the aussie team. Would deffinetly pick Barba over Duggan anytime. The guys going to be something special, just hope Union don't throw money at him and tempt him there.

Barber will be lucky to play origin never tests - his defense is appalling - Melbourne worked him over good and proper.



Barber is another Matt Bowen - not another Billy Slater.



Matt Cooper is not what Leeds need - great player but a defensive centre on both sides - disaster

In that case then I concur

Barber is a one trick pony - a bit like Burrow - coaches in the NRL will work him out and next season he will not be quite the showstopper he is now.



Slater's reading of the game is second to none - that is why he will be the Aussies fullback for the next 5 years - by which time Barber will be a distant memory.

Barba is only 21 and this is his 1st full season in first grade. Players defensive capabilities generally improve year on year from when they are introduced. Also, there arent many Billy Slater's out there so when he leaves the scene they will hgave to go for the next best thing.



Oh and BTW, had Slater not been around who would the QLD fb have been in that time





As for Cooper, he is more than a defensive centre and to compare him to Brett Delaney is crazy! Delaney wouldnt get anywhere near Cooper.

On Barba - time will tell - to me to be an Aussie test player at FB you have more to your game than just being an elusive runner, that is all Barba is at the minute. He is like Duggan, Campbell, Bowen one dimensional runners who can't defend.



If Slater hadn't been around I would suspect Boyd - not a bad replacement - forgotten about him had we

?



The only comparison between Cooper and Delanney is style not quality - Leeds need a Senior from 5 years ago more Gasnier than Cooper - if I could choose the perfect player it would be Chris Lawrence from the Tigers?

Boyd now i'll agree but Bowen would have been before that. And Barba will develop in D. All you have to do is look closer to home and see what a difference a season in FG made to McShane's defensive ability. At times last year he looked totally out of his depth but this year has improved that side of his game out of sight.



Just going back to Barba though, what you are saying is what people said about McGuire for years. Also he's more than a runner. He creates so much and puts as many people through gaps as the breaks he makes himself. I know if we are chasing the game going into the last 10 mins though he's the player I would like to see touch the ball as much as is humanly possible

Comparing McShane and Barba is futile - McShane plays in the middle with the forwards 10 metres away it is just a case of technique/confidence - FB is a different kettle of fish it is about awareness and game reading.



McGuire was always seen as a support player not an elusive runner - very different. Barba makes lots of breaks because he is new/unknown - next year he will find it much tougher just like Duggan who was the next best thing - look now, much rather have a Boyd/Slater type player than a Duggan/Barba

I wasnt directly comparing them. I was just saying a full year in SL helped him develop his D, as the same will be for Barba. Have you seen all of our games this year anyway? The Melbourne game was the worst we have played all year and no one had a decent game. He reads play pretty well most of the time though.