I am actually saying that is the case. But I am not saying that is a detriment to Powell. At the end of the day Cas have still gone forward as a club, but more importantly it is what you are doing with the resources available.

To be fair Gotcha, I actually agree with you regarding Cas, Powell has done a magnificent job, Anderson seemed to be doing similar at the Giants but seemed to go backwards quickly.

Cas need to get a stadium sorted soon IMO, they have all the ingredients to be a well run modern Rugby League club, they have the support base, the history and are playing good rugby. Their fans got a bit giddy and arrogant last year but who can blame them!

Fake news. Not on here they didn't.

I was talking to someone on Friday night who is involved with the Cas 'project'. He reckons it is back on again. I'm not holding my breath.

Peacock was an established international back row forward at Bradford - not sure how he gets any better when he joins Leeds.

You said he had peaked (which means he got worse at leeds) and you said he should be pensioned of in 2011, just admit you were wrong.

He changed his role and became an established international front row. He wasn't any less of a player, or as you put it past his best.

he was just as good and influential albeit in a different role. past his best David? no chance sorry pal

Agree 100%, turning cas around from where they were when he got there, to where they are now, absolutely fantastic job.

Right now given that we've zero chance of winning the competition, which side would you rather watch - Cas who have weaknesses but also at times have easily the best ball movement in SL, or Leeds, who have weaknesses and are just dullsville?

I agree with Gotcha on two things about this year. Firstly, the game is not all about trophies, and secondly, which I find harder that people don't seem to want to credit, entertainment is important. For most sports fans its about the entertainment value and watching their team compete. If we're winning trophies you can justify dull play, but if dull play is also losing play, what then?

As an aside given our injuries in the props playing one-man rugby is probably about the most stupid way to play I can think of.

Id rather watch Leeds, I'm a Leeds supporter. I was rather glad I supported Leeds in October last year and not Castleford, there was a lot of satisfaction as a supporter to watch a team that was in the sh@t the year before to quietly go about their business and turn up when it mattered, Castleford may have learned a massive lesson last year who knows.

You are talking as if they are purposely going out to be dull, we are going through a tough patch with Injuries high and confidence low this happens and in a physical sport like RL losing the big men upfront for a lot of the season will take its toll. I am still entertained, as a sports fan going through the tough times is part of the deal. We do need to recruit for next year, theres no doubt our pack needs some revisions and yes maybe it is time for a change of coach, but I don't want that to be a rash decision and one that is handled well and the transition a planned one.

I think it’s a bit much to expect attractive rugby when half the team is injured. The players that have come in will be more limited in ability so performances won’t be as good as if everyone was fit. It’s that simple.

This point really isn't sinking in at all. The dull tactics is not new over the last few weeks, far from it. This is the rugby we have been playing for a long time. Wining trophy's hides it, but over seasons it is boredom to the fore. Far from the injuries making it worse, at least to see new players adds some interest to it. Those players that have come in have bene performing better than the so called stars who keep missing.

apart from 2015 it's been dull rugby for years.turgid stuff

It's not all been dull Gotcha, we have played some great entertaining rugby (discounting 2016 although the latter part of the season we beat some decent teams!) there have been some great wins over McDermotts term, maybe not consistently enough to satisfy you but to say its all been dull is disingenuous

For me it's as much about the rudderless one up no idea dross we continually serve up as it is anything else.
Injuries are a factor i agree but recruitment/retention & adaptability are also huge factors.
We know how we're going to try to play every week we also know the 17 will include players carrying injuries.
It's the same irrespective of who plays.
It's predictable stale & goes on too often imo.

It has been boring rugby throughout his tenure on a large percentage. I agree some games we have produced, certainly when we had the players to back it up, but each year has got worse in terms of quality on offer.

Now if you look at it from a Leeds fan perspecitve, the GF win last year can not be described as boring, that is entirely true because of the drama involved. But even then the actual quality of play on the night was drab. But if you look at it from a neutral perspective, god we are a boring team, and this is backed up wtih the scoring stats also over the years, in terms of try scoring and opportunities created.

Nah theres been some great rugby played as I say maybe not enough for some but to just dismiss it all as turgid, as I say, seems disingenuous.

The quality wasn't great in the GF but everyones favourite team Cas tried to play exciting stuff and not the conditions, it didn't turn out well for them.

It's difficult to look at it neutral but from other fans I've spoken to they actually like the off the cuff play we adopt, but as a fan I can see how it is frustrating sometimes

Frustrating? That's an understatement.

We don't have the ability to come up with a Plan B if Plan A isn't working.
Sometimes it even feels like we don't have a Plan A.

This has been picked up on Sky when they interview other team players.
Two or three if I recall have said the same thing that it is difficult to play against Leeds as their game plan is off the cuff and even their (Leeds) own players don`t seem to know what they are doing at times.
Pretty much says it all.

I think you'll find that was Jon Wilkin and he was saying it as a compliment as they had just been beaten by Leeds.

And when it works it looks great. Unfortunately when it doesn't, we don't have anything decisive in our locker to fall back on.

Players stood still receiving the ball, players making 30 yards sideways, no dummy runners, same turgid predictable last tackle options (Moons hoof, Mylers kick for touch, tackled with ball in hand 10 meters out) We just don't have anyone in our team able / prepared to take the squad by the scruff of the neck during a game and lead them. Shut down Myler, shut down Leeds.

Yes Wilkin was one but I think the other was Kev Brown and I seem to think a Cas player but cannot be certain.
Not sure it is that much of a compliment mate if our own players don`t know what we are doing.
Must be a n easy gig as coach at the Rhinos if the message is "just do your own thing and baffle the opposition"

Given our results this year it doesn't seem like anyone's having any difficulty with our 'unpredictable' play, and neither did they in 2016. I think the whole unstructured thing is overplayed - we did have structure in 2015, in the GF we played a very controlled game. Ditto earlier wins, and even last year. A game based around offloads ccan still be structured, and in fact only works if everyone knows what's intended and reacts accordingly.

'Unstructured' is often used as cover for poor play. The most entertaining sides in the game have thrown the ball around a lot but with some semblance of a plan. When you see a side with players bunched in the middle for multiple tackles in a set, no movement by players without the ball to create space, and one man rugby for 4 out of 5 tackles, you aren't watching unstructured, you're watching rubbish. Hand on heart I think Leeds have been terrible to watch most of this year, all of 2016 and a lot of last year as well.

I’d second you.

The standard of play from us has been terrible this year, we haven’t had one game where we’ve played a full 80. We’ve got by with 20/30 min bursts before these injuries have forced out players.