Both of them are beatable - potentially by us.

It looks like we still need a couple more signings, and we need a few of the young lads to step up. Overall though we are in much better shape than last year.

Just as importantly we are progressing. We need a clutch of the academy lads to make first grade, a couple more high quality senior signings and some luck

On to next year then


Without doubt we are better than last year which tbf doesn`t say much.
Are we now into our 8th year of rebuilding?
Big test will come Friday to see where we are and on a good day we should win at home.

Brain the size of a planet…

That saints v Wigan game was just a slow ruck flop fest for me. I don’t know what people want to watch really, but it annoys the heck out of me when I hear how Saints defence was brilliant against us, or generally is brilliant. They rush up because they slow the ruck down, that’s how it works. First game in the first twenty the ruck was quick and surprise surprise their defence can’t rush up and there is more space.

First half against tigers the ruck was ridiculously slow but the ref wasn’t interested at all. When the game was a bit quicker, on a god awful pitch and horrible night we fairly easily moved away from them.

I like a lot about how we look this year. I like that we can do things other teams cannot. If the ruck speeds up a bit as the pitches and weather improve I think we will look good. I think people talk about this fundamental style of rugby stuff but it’s all rubbish. People want us to play a certain way because that’s the style that’s won the comp for a good number of years. Both saints and Wigan play a slow the ruck, loads of rush defence and large number of props with a couple of worldy players out the back (field, French, Welsby, lomax). If we can win the comp playing the way we do, I cannot see how any single person would say I’d rather watch a slow ruck and squeeze defence style instead.

No doom n gloom from me but jury out on RS still. Imo. we’ve shown glimpses but I’m prepared to give him time. But he has to deliver a strong season and a top 4 / top 3 finish given the investment and playing roster. Anything less and his future should be considered.. this club should demand a high standard as a bare minimum

I just think it’s pretty poor that we've got a ‘coach out’ thread already.

My biggest problem with that thread is the lack of ‘for the live of…’. Shows a lack of awareness of the forum.

Yes agree. I can understand a huge amount of frustration though. We’ve been poor for a long time more often than not. It’s hard to have patience with it

It's a right of passage for a Leeds coach

We haven’t really been poor this year though. The CC game was a pretty rubbish performance but other than that weve seen some good stuff and some ordinary stuff, pretty much like every team on 8 or 10 points this season.

We've also played some great RL this season, theres alsbeen some very good signs from some of our recruits.

considering the conditions I thought we played reasonably well. Defended really well on our line and in the second half came up with the plays to win the game.I would like us to have quicker line speed and play with more structure.

I think we’ve shown we can do it all in patches. We can also play some really nice stuff when ultimately for me the game is a form of entertainment.

I think there’s improvements to be made in consistency but again I think we are more consistent than last year (yes I know that was a low bar).

No we haven’t, we’ve been patchy and looked decent at times and poor at other times. Let’s see where we are in another 5 weeks or so

Have you set a time frame on this scenario?. Agree that we are in much better shape than last season. That’s entirely due to the fact we have splashed the cash and brought in several new players. So rightly so we are progressing, it would be a disaster if that wasn’t the case. Obviously we will have to wait till the seasons end to judge if Smith has been successful. So far we have had a complete failure in the challenge cup. So that’s one hurdle Smith has completely failed on.

On the contrary, most posters expressing legitimate concern that one of the worst team’s in the league hammered away at us for forty minutes. We barely ventured into the Cas half. I also praised our second half performance, especially Millers performance, potentially we might have uncovered a real gem in that player.

Can’t disagree on the CC exit although Saints will be strong contenders to win the thing on their early season form.

You can paint that as a catastrophe if you like but plenty of good sides will get beaten by Saints this season and already have.

Timeframe - I think if we keep on improving the squad and conditioning and coaching then results and success will come; more than that, be sustainable ish. Sport isn’t about absolutes is it? There would be no point watching it if there wasn’t risk and randomness in games. Leeds need to continue to build solid foundations and leverage their financial clout and assets etc.

We are already much better to watch this year than in most seasons I can remember since the wheels fell off. Maybe we can be content with being entertained by a good side and as long as we’re moving in the right direction we will end up being hard to beat.

Sticks in my throat a bit to say it but Saints are kind of the benchmark - they just haven’t fallen out of the tree hardly ever. Nearly always competitive and rarely make duff signings. We need to get better at them but not just in a one-off game.

jim, some good points.
we were supurb to watch in the second half v cas and leigh. the first half's were dire. if we continue to improve and play more like the second half's nobody woild have an issue.

Fair enough.

You feeling alright Tadster?

of course Jim. I, like you, want us to do well. frustration does get the better of me at times admittedly.
that first half was ridiculous imo. i know its workin now but long term it surely cant. you always get more fatigued defending. the second was classic rL. dominate, field position = points.

What I would like to see is a better overall performance back at HQ in better conditions next time we play Cas.

Looking forward to Warrington this week. Another big game for us really as we try to steer the oil tanker towards success…

With out being crude nothing less than a slick performance would be acceptable...

I’d take a win without a ‘slick’ performance. We need to keep picking up the Ws whatever the overall performance looks like.

You're right. Our attacking play does need some refinement.