I would agree it want the refs fault. He was poor but both ways. But he isn't the first coach to criticise a re

I don't know about everybody else, but I always think that it reflects badly when a coach, or for that matter players and fans, blame the Ref. Always smacks of deflection. Maybe McD is feeling the pressure from this poor start to the season.

As others have said last tackle options tonight were hopeless. One crossfield kick from burrow was flat straight to cas winger behind line. Hardaker was a headless chicken - grubbers with nobody follwing up. Sutcliffe in 2nd half agiain dummies right, gets tackled does not even know it is last tackle. Coach has to take blame because they pass down line and panic with no set idea of what to do. When your best footballer is at prop you are in bother. Eaton could kick, would have thought he should be taking them and doing some work.

Would like to see penalty count in 2nd half. It felt like child murdered us. The one where ablett got done when with ball near there line was madness.

Child was his usual complete lottery self. To blame the fer when you know how unpredictable he is just smacks of desperation.

Mac does not often blame the ref and we know Leeds can not cope when Child is in charge , he seems to get a kick out of Leeds getting beat , but lets not lose sight of the fact that game was there for the taking and the coach and players were the main culprits in our loss

2nd half I had penalty count ending at 5 each (9 each overall) - sequence to:L,C,C,L,L,C,C,L/C,L,C,C,C,C,L,L,L,L

McDermott spoke of the early Cas tries then all their other tries when they only scored the three in total. Probably felt like more with Cas having at least two efforts ruled out.

Think I had given in by time he gave us that late run. We were useless then with 2 mins to go. More panic in their 20

Too right!

The reason why we are all so angry/pi$$ed off/upset as this was the one major chance to get a shocking season (so far) on track!

The flip side is a loss would totally f*cking derail our season!

And here we are.

Our biggest game for many many years and we totally blew it.

We could have won it but failed.

How the he'll was an early season game at Vas "our biggest game in many, many years"? We're not playing well, but come off it.

Agree we blew it sarge but not sure biggest game in years. Biggest game this week. It will keep the carpet carriers happy for a few months

Just seen on rhinos website that bachelors peas will be providing entertainment on Monday. And here I was thinking there was nothing to look forward to.

As our season hasn't been this f*cked since the early 2000's.

A win today puts us above Cas in the 8. After KR we could have been in touching distance of the 4 if all went well.

Now we are even further out of touch with the 8, light years away from the 4 and over a 3rd of the season gone.

I think that the finals are good big pressure games to be a part of.

We are in the biggest fight for over a decade to even get close to a big game and we got knocked out in the 10th round.

That's why it was a massive massive game.

Just my opinion like.

Just to put it in perspective, the Cas injury list was so bad we put Greg Minnikin on the bench. A centre who we signed from York city knights who had yet to play a game. When he did eventually come on it was obviously in desperation as his thigh was so heavily strapped.

For what its worth I still think its sir kevs goal kicking thats the difference between winning and losing for you at the moment.

He did come on though. At least some coaches use all their subs.

It's not worth anything. He doesn't play our sport.
The goals Sutcliffe missed were on the touch line. Gale had regulation tap overs.

We had plenty of chances to win and blew the lot.

I wonder when was the last time Leeds have lost three in succession V Castleford?

All close but having tried losing, drawing and now leading at half-time still can't win a second half against a more structured opponent.

in 2011 we won 3 out of our first 10, not as bad as that

Agreed but Totally different format.

I think we have all massively underestimated the influence that both JP and Sinny had, both on and off the field.

There was a couple of occasions at the end of last year where Kev repeated the same words to the fans, something on the lines of "there'll be loses next year but stick with the boys like you always have done". I thought it was a little odd at the time, especially when he said this at that Triple Celebration thing in Leeds Arena, in hindsight, did he know what was coming? Did he realise that we'd be e without his and JP's input?

There were certain ones of us that under estimated nothing, and knew exactly why we were successful, and how Sinfield carried many players for years. That is Sinfield, he wasn't a duo just because we lost another important player. Sinfield is the difference.

The problem isn't that Sinfield has gone now, it's that as a club we failed massively to prepare for it, again seen by certain posters long before. The fact as fans and as a club we somehow believe that just putting any player/youngster in would produce the same results, is so short sighted. It takes a certain type of player to enable us to move on, and we haven't made any effort to bring that player in.

Surely you can't being that player in. You have to develop that player from within, that takes time and experience. I'm not saying that any of or young lads have that but a homegrown leader is worth fat more than one brought in. We are 7 games into a new era. Whilst it is frustrating to not be winning it will take time. It took saints over 5years to get over the loss of Sculthorpe, cunningham, long etc. I still don't think they have found it.
Players and leaders of their ilk and Sinfield don't grow on trees, they are special because they are rare and you build a club around them. The downside is that when they are gone it leaves a huge hole that can't be filled by one man.

I fully agree and you pointed out our weakness in this area and the real need for a proven playmaker on many occasions.

I seem to remember we lost an entire front row,plus a game managing half back and brilliant captain.It was hoped that Danny mags would steer that transition somewhat but that was blown out of the water in the 1st 25 minutes of the season.It may be argued that the leeds management should have prepared for this eventuality,but didn't Kevs defection come out of the blue?

I agree about Sinfield on the pitch but I get the impression that Peacock had a huge influence off it especially during training and keeping the players focused and disciplined. Without him there the team don't seem to have the same depth of purpose anymore?