Prior first couple of seasons actually, though he was awesome for a while (although kept on at least 1 season too long).

Leeming just sounds bitter, the truth is regardless of our current very patchy form, O'connor is the better more consistent 9. Leemings ego either just didn't want to stay around and fight for that position or just fancied a year in aus, if so fair enough but if he was the better player he'd have been picked. In fact Smith recognised Leemings off season work by starting him the first couple of games and he was pretty average and poor at times.

Thanking everyone by name bar Smith just makes him look a bit of a tit. He lost the shirt, noone else.

What are you on about?!

I don't see any dig at Smith he's just being honest,Smith told him he wasn't in his plans Leeming didn't like it and asked for a release but some on here are making him out to be the pantomime villain.

Smith told him he wasn’t in his plans? Do you have any evidence of this? He started him in the first two games of the season.

It’s obvious . He got dropped after the Hull game when he ran it on 5th tackle down a blind alley, at least X2. Think that was enough for Smith and rightly so as was like watching a schoolboy game!

I just hope Olpherts doesn't continue to be bulletproof to similar decision making.

Don’t Seth, I’m struggling to keep a lid on it after Friday night…

Ok school boy pantomime villain, or as someone else said "tit" Justin Holbrook will have to take the daggers out of him when he lands, fwiw he's actually a really pleasant lad.

Ok school boy pantomime villain, or as someone else said "tit" Justin Holbrook will have to take the daggers out of him when he lands, fwiw he's actually a really pleasant lad.

I'm absolutely sure he is a nice lad, that doesn't preclude him from being petty in this instance.

Leeming was obviously unhappy and Smith didn't want him - perfect result all round. All that would have happened is Leeming would have been treated as tackling fodder along with the younger players - humiliated

It would not have mattered how hard he fought for his place he was not in Smith's plans longer term. What is the point in training hard etc. when you know you wont get picked - depressing.

This happens in every club every season - perhaps he leaving note should have been an internal document.

Errm, but Smith gave him the 9 shirt and picked him to start in the first 2 games stating reward for his training in preseason? He simply didn't keep the shirt because he wasn't good enough.

anyone have the link to what he has said please?
I havent seen it & cant seem to find anything

Edit
Never mind, found it
I wouldnt read too much into it, if it is a snipe at encumbent coaching team then it is too subtle for anyone there to be bothered by it. IMO anyway

He didn't keep the shirt because he didn't fit into Smith's style of play - that was obvious from the end of the previous season. Him not being named as captain suggested he wasn't a long term fixture in Smith's plans.

talking of captains, I'm not keen on this changing captain role. pick one and stick with them, maybe now Leeming has left he will. Fingers crossed

That's not what's happening though, yes someone different might do the coin toss but there's not a different captain each week.

Nothing to do with O'connor being the better and more consistent of the two then?

I totally missed that who is the captain?

I think O'connor is doing a great job but I think Leeming got the botty on when smith said James Bentley will be playing minutes at 9 as he played there a bit as a junior.
That's when he knew he was done.

No single player is the captain.

Think that came after Leeming announced he'd asked to be released, in response to whether they would recruit at 9. Bentley also did a short spell there owing to Leemings injury picked up at saints.

Who’s saying he isn’t a lovely lad? I’m telling you why Smith decided he wasn’t good enough to be first choice 9 moving forwards. You either work 200 per cent harder to impress, rectify the deficiency, or move on. I still respect him as a person and player, but not a good fit for our team and coach.

Who said lovely? He has moved on, you'd think there will be some more moving on sooner rather than later now that the standard has been set.

I actually think Bentley would do a job we need more aggression up front Holroyd apart the rest are quite tame.