Lancs 68-4, still 240 behind and the ball doing plenty by all accounts. Got a long tail as well with Tom Bailey at 8 and Neil Wagner at 9.

Couple more quick wickets and Yorkshire might have half a chance of making them follow on.

Another wicket just fallen.

Lancs 7/92

And this is a Yorkshire attack without the left-arm variation of Sidebottom and Willey too.

Indeed.

The fall of recent wickets is surprising.

The sun is out!

Read it again carefully. I don't claim I KNOW he wanted certain players, I suggested some players/position in which I think he would've wanted someone else to what we've got.

Everybody knows Falloon was only signed because he was the only hooker left without a club for this season.

The anger from some just because someone doesn't place all the blame on McDermott really shows up their long running dislike of the guy.

Im sure McDermott wants Sam Burgess, Inglis, Thurston, Scott and Farah should GH go get them for him cos he wants them????

Wonder if any coach in history of RL has always got the players they want everytime???

Nice hyperbole. But plenty of hookers and HB's in he game who would be realistic targets instead of Falloon and going with Sutcliffe who was also coming off a serious knee injury.

But as you said we got Falloon cos he was only hooker available

Only because we acted too late.

So you know who McDermott wanted and that Leeds didnt make a bid for anyone??? Fair play to you fella thats some inside knowledge that.

Where do I say that?

If we did bid for some hookers we failed every time until we had to settle for Falloon.

But you said we only got Falloon cos we acted too late. Are you now saying we maybe didnt act too late and that we made bids for targets but couldnt get the deals done for whatever reason??

Wonder if these targets were McDermotts targets that you said GH had refused him earlier in the thread???? Or did McD give GH a list of targets that GH refused and bid for his own targets????

Or maybe just maybe GH and McD believed Falloon was in budget, was worth a 1 year punt in the hope it came off because he had enough NRL experience to fill the spot.

Or maybe we signed Falloon on a 1 year deal because we were desperate and neither party was interested in a longer deal and hopeful we could sign better the following year.

Everyone knows we messed up with the hooker and it was an emergency panic signing because neither us or Falloon had any other option. That's all on GH for allowing that to be the case.

But the point is nobody knows whether they thought he was good enough or whether it was a panic buy. Truthfully it could be either one. So on that basis to claim McD has had targets declined by GH without any proof of it seems a bit over the top. And nobody knows if we made moves for other hookers but couldnt get deals done. In truth your making points about GH with nothing to back it up.

Printer is actually correct in one sense. McDermott wanted Houghton and Westerman but Hetherington wouldn't pay out for either, so he does have some say in the players that come to the club.

Not unreasonable prospective signings if true. Perhaps McDermott should have then considered his position if he didn't feel he had the support of his CEO to strengthen the squad.

An ultimatum from a position of strength (Leeds' only treble winning coach) may have got the purse strings shifting.

Whatever may have been happening behind the scenes the result is there for all to see.

Maybe he did



At the time Aiton's departure was confirmed he hadn't won a treble. Could've ended the season trophyless or a repeat of how 2014 went after the CC.

Point taken re 'the only Leeds treble winning coach' at the point of recruitment - although I obviously knew it was going to happen and chose to keep a low profile. If McDermott wasn't happy with his prospective 2016 squad at any point post Easter 2015 he needed to fight harder for what he wanted and expect the CEO to back his judgement. If his requirements were reasonable (Houghton) but were still knocked back he could and should have called the CEO's bluff and walked if necessary. I haven't included Westerman here as Ferres is equally as good if not better albeit fortunate that he became available.

It's not often I criticise Hetherington, and I understand the point and value of the wage structure and not "overpaying" for players, but we needed one of Houghton or Clark. Westerman I'd have liked too but, especially with Ferres becoming available, not so important as a decent hooker. Aiton proved how valuable a proper hooker is. Although ironically if we'd still got Aiton he'd have been out injured anyway.

Erm......but the above players werent available. If they had of being they would have been top of McD's list and as we now know (without any proof) GH is going out of his way to block any players McD wants......

All i know is McD and Hetherington looked to be getting on well together at Cas on Sat watching the 19s. Sat on the terracing behind the posts with Hetherington's mummy. This imaginary rift looks like a bit of jackanory but would love to see the evidence.

But again the above is just rumour and speculation, apology if you find it offensive but the amount of garbage spouted about Breirley I can't take the above names seriously.

I tend to agree with printers viewpoint regarding Faloon but the point being made was non of us actually know if that's the case.

Well said Ferdy.

Who said anything about blocking players McDermott wants or a rift, you're exaggerating what's been said. Simply pointed out that GH didn't make sure our previous starting hooker stayed or make sure we got a good strong replacement.

You said McDermott wanted an experienced 6 and 9 - so how has that suddenly become just a 9 - perhaps because you have been taken to task - so you are starting to wriggle - now there is a surprise

I don't take it as a gimme that if a player gets injured playing for one club that it would've happened if he was at another club.

Would Shenton pick up a season ending injury on the opening week if he wasn't playing vs HKR and been on the end of that particular tackle?

If Ablett was playing for another club and not playing on Widnes' plastic pitch 2nd week would he have still hurt his ankle?

Not sure what Aiton's latest injury is but the pectoral injury he picked up about 15 mins into the season opener isn't a gimme that he'd have been injured 15 mins into our season opener. Maybe he'd have picked up something else at a different time though I accept.