If you watch the game on TV you only see what the TV want you to see - that a big difference from attending a game and seeing the whole panorama of the experience. You see so much more of the game if actually go to the game.

You get people on here who listen on the radio and suggest they had a better understanding of the game than those that attended!!

That's why I would always give more credence to somebody who had bothered to attend the game than those who watch on SKY or listen to Radio Leeds.

I just think after all that's been achieved under Mac he deserves a go next year to prove all the injuries/flooding/no training base/losing sinfield JP leului and aiton were legit excuses for a freak season and that he is capable of carrying on the success of this club without sinfield and JP.

I do think we need to sign another half though to stand a chance.

Hypothetically I wonder if Mac stays and has a very successful season next year whether his haters would still be on his back.

Some were on his back from virtually the moment he began as head coach at Leeds. To those, there will be nothing he could do to change their irrational views.

brian mac will be head coach for 2017 but i believe that he must deliver a rhinos side that is challenging for all of the trophies in order to be still in the post for 2018.

i think we urgently need a quality assistant coach and one who can take control of our attacking structures and bring some flair and freedom to our back line,iestyn harris would be worth a punt imo despite his acrimonious exit years ago

Without you coming back with some sarcastic retort I'd disagree that you see more of the game. At a ground you csn be at the far end or side away from the action. How many times has someone come on here and said "I didn't see who it was but...."

When I attend a game and then watch it back I always spot plenty of stuff you miss at the game.

I'd say if you're behind the posts at an away game your view of the attack/defence when they're at the other end isn't as good.

Depends where you are behind the posts at the JJB or McAlpine gives you a great view of the whole game as does the Carneige

What TV doesn't give you is the nitty gritty of the game nor the atmosphere - they don't show the structures the inter-rationship between players - TV is a very blunt instrument IMO

Leeds have been rubbish on tv and posted a truly awful set of results over the whole season. There was a perfect moment to move the team in a different direction. Sinfield has been a huge presence at the club for over a decade, McD had nothing left to do. A new coaching set up, freshen up the playing staff, and get the youth production line actually working.
We missed an opportunity. McD could have moved on triumphant but instead we've been treated to a victim mentality by the club to excuse a season the like of which I have not seen from Leeds, or any other champion side. Sinfield was the glue that tied Leeds together on the pitch, without him McD didn't know how to fix what was going wrong so they started blaming outside factors. It's transparent and inexcusable, total failure on the playing front, the one thing McD is responsible for, and he should walk.

But that's not going to happen because I think GH believes he owes him the chance to leave on better terms.

Actually mate, I said nothing about my opinion, which highlights how you went over the top. I said you dont watch them because you are thousands of miles away. You confirm this, then give an example of a game last year where you came home. Good for you, but you are not here each week, so my point is very much correct, and I can not understand what you got so touchy at. You don't know the feeling at the games at all with the consistently poor performances, so you can't understand the point of people who have a different opinion to you.

I said right at the start, fair enough with your opinion, but I hope you can understand the opinion of others. You have demonstrated so far that you can't, yet you have the gall to suggest you are been disrespected. By the same token, I was quite honest to say with the boot on the other foot and the game over there, you'd opinion would be more worthy than mine.

I wasn't having a go in any way at your first post, and I meant exactly what I put. But your posts since are defensive and completely over the top.

Cannot see Gary sacking him or McDermott resigning.
Would give him 3 months and if we are not in the top 4 at that stage somebody else has to come in to rescue the season.

That would be logic wouldn't it, but I can't see that happening.

far enough pal, let's draw a line under it.

Regardless of whether people have never liked BM, this season has been a disaster. BM deserved all the plaudits he got (and more) for the successes Leeds have achieved under him. Likewise he deserves to shoulder the bulk of the blame for this year. That's the lot of the coach.

Perhaps the worst thing about this year is that in many ways its a year lost. Had we spent the year with a genuine sense of rebuilding then at least we could point to some players coming through. Possibly Lilley aside we haven't even done that and seemingly we can only point to Cameron Smith as a real star prospect, and recruitment still looks a bit haphazard to say the least.

Agree. A year lost is how I see it. No progress, in fact a massive step backwards for parts of the team we didn't expect to have to fix. Confidence and form of our best has been hammered. Our MOS gone after an off and on pitch horror show an our "nearly" MOS Cuthbertson having big a very poor season compared to what he did last year.
We haven't actually changed that much either, Lilley got a few games, Sutty has been forced to shift to FB after Hardaker leaving - hardly a planned event. Ablett, JJB, Delaney, all ageing and all still on the books next year.
McD has had to flog ageing players and the useless Achurch because we've been so desperate for results. Although I'm not sure who could have come through and had a game anyway (although it might have been slightly interesting to see how Baldwinson might have coped with a few run outs).
Very strange season indeed.

Golding has made 12 appearances, Handley 19, Lilley 24, thats some decent game time

I think the bigger issues has been McGuire only making 13 appearances, Hardaker only making 13 appearances, Hall only making 16 appearances, Briscoe 11, Moon19 thats pretty much a back line missing 10 + games.

We lost 7 of the first 23 by 1 score or less, turn that around and we are 4th coming in to the Super 8s.

Not to mention the poor goal kicking attempts

Yep. Especially as our back line, and especially the back 3, were so important to us last season.

Yep, iv'e made that point before. Doesn't mean we were unlucky mind, we deserved the position we finished as we were abysmal most of the year.It does show how average the league has become though as a whole in recent years.

If winning close games was easy everyone would do it. A defeat is a defeat - whether it be by a point or many, whether the lead be surrendered in the opening half or in the last few minutes. Hard to believe that Sinfield and Peacock will not have been key to getting Leeds on the right side of many a tight finish in the recent past.

Easy fix to the problem ? .... probably not from within.

Im not arguing that we deserved to win any of those games we lost, uut it shows that a small improvement would make a huge difference to our chances of success.

No doubt that peacock and especially Sinfield with not only his goal kicking but game management were key to us having a pretty good record in close games previously

Completely agree with DHM/Brisbanes posts.
I'll also add Cas ,Wakey & Wigan to name only 3 have had as many injuries as us & to key players yet they have ALL finished in the top 8.
Finally re-Mc.D his use/managing of injured players is shocking that alone should be sackable imo.
Mc.D out is an absolute must imo.
Of course with the SS closing the loss of attendance has a well wrapped up excuse already for 2017 something GH & his fav Coach love to hide behind.

What I don't get here no matter which side of the opinion you are, is that earlier in the season we were told we had to give him time and that the injuries and the floods were the problem. We get over those things, and nothing improves. Infact on level of performance it has probably got worse. This is the same problems week after week that are not ironed out. So there is a problem.

An argument that you might aswell wait until the end of the season, I understand, and had things improved I think those arguing it to be fair would have had some solid foundation for that argument. But arguing it despite the continuance of week after week of poor performances and the same problems, it just doesn't stack up.

Obviously Sinfield and Peacock will have been instrumental in getting us on the right side of close wins, but hell even Sinfield and co in their earlier days had their share of close defeats, the 2003 a prime example.

Something less experienced players have to go through and learn.



Have we not recently won close games vs Hull, Wigan and HKR twice? Suggesting some lessons are being learnt?

I don't agree things have got worst. Not to say things are rosy, a lot of improvement to be done. But to cast your minds back to the likes of Cas at home or Widnes and Warrigton away and the Magic weekend we crumbled at the first sign of trouble, people were allergic to tackling around the legs, we couldn't win a collision in attack or defence and we couldn't remember to get a kick away on the last tackle. We have taking some steps forward in those departments (like I said still plenty more needed).

With regards to things getting better once those earlier issues were sorted, well most thought at the time we would eventually be looking at a spine of Hardaker - Sutcliffe - McGuire.......instead we've had Sutcliffe - Lilley - Burrow, with a game or two from Moon and a still not fit McGuire.

Sutcliffe is learning in the role, as is Lilley. Burrow we know can blow hot and cold in the halves.

We have got worse. Putting in the same performance as our last four games, if we were in the top eight, would have resulted in the same sort of scoreline as those games you mentioned. Playing easier teams does not hide the problem.

I agree with your comment on the spine, but those are the cards that are dealt, and are what we are working with for next year at the moment. This coach can't work with that, hence the comments that he shouldn't be the one dealing with it.

the thing is, you have literally no idea what has been discussed. You have no idea whether problems and solutions have been identified. You have no idea outside your own superficial view of the tactics what is been done.