It does have a distinct ground hog day feel vis a vis 2016. I share the frustration of those who criticise BMc for not giving some of the youngsters a go, but a lot of our issues are in the forwards. We have an ageing pack, particularly in the second row and GH has to shoulder a lot of the responsible for that. Our recruitment needs to be ambitious for next year, but with the financial committments to the stadium, I doubt that it will be. For this season, avoiding the middle 8s would feel like a good result.

I understand that the club like to sign players who share the “ethos” of the club but if we really are going to go the youth route again we need a decent smattering of seasoned pros to lead them through.

Just feels at the moment we have gone stale and deffo are repeating the mistakes of 2016.

I like the signings we made for this year. Myler's a plus, Dwyer seemed like a good idea (an actual hooker to rotate at hooker, whatever next?), and Peteru has potential. Its nobody's fault but Dwyer's if he can't cement a spot in a team that's playing badly. Peteru is just bad luck.

On recruitment I think the mistake was 2017. After the appalling 2016 the only major signing we made was Parcell. Had Segeyaro not backflipped, after the worst season in years the only signing would have been a project player in Ormondroyd. That lack of starting to make changes and freshening things up is magnifying problems now IMO.

I'm not saying we could or should have repeated 1997 in 2017, but its interesting to look back and see in that 1997, GH/Caddick's first, we signed no less than 13 players including the likes of Blackmore, Harris and Sheridan in reaction to almost getting relegated.

Out of the current squad I would say only Ferres is just along for the ride. The rest is largely down to poor attacking structures.

I wonder what this guy thinks now this thread has 242 pages?

Tbf when you filter out most of the slanging that has nowt to do with anything other than some Leeds fans dislike other Leeds fans, the occasional post on defecating on coffee tables and odd uses milk churns this thread is only 5 pages long.

Who doesn’t love a good milk churn though?

It’s why I MOD.

It is troubling that a club like Leeds can't produce players of a high quality on a more regular basis. We wouldn't be talking about lack of recruitment (which is an issue when there is nobody to recruit) if we could produce our own players. And let's be honest, if Leeds can't produce quality players then who can and where are they going to come from - because it isn't Australia.

We have produced quality players who have just seen us through the last 15 years, and by the looks of the academy guys we have some real talent coming through, I'm not sure what more you can ask for.

9 of our players in last Years GF win were produced by the club.

We produce many a quality player up to a certain age, then the development stops. Or at least it has since 2011. Go back to pre that, and the production line would be coming out again.

I believe at least 6 of them made their Leeds debut a decade or more ago.

Heard a rumour last night that Wane might be coaching Leeds next year.
Probably not the most reliable source but has got a couple of things right.

well Hetherington journalistic mouthpiece peter Smith is questioning If it's time for a change so possibly so.

DHM - I think we as a club used the longevity of a special group of players to hide how poor our development has been in recent years, as we could trot out 8/9/10 homegrown players most weeks due to the Golden Generation.

If you take out those guys, before Smith and Oledzki you'd have to go back to Ward/Singleton for a decent forward, and prior to Golding/Walker its probably Watkins in the backs. And not a single halfback (more understandable that talented junior halfbacks may have looked elsewhere to be fair dur to who was blocking their way).

As you say, if a club the size of Leeds isn't producing at least one or two first team ready players a year then there's no hope for the sport as a whole. that doesn't mean world beaters, just players up to SL standards. In fact every SL club ought to be doing the same.

tad - I can't see how GH would be able to avoid some serious changes if we get dragged into the Middle 8s again.

no me neither. especially how in the manner we have

Rumour has it, Macs been a naughty boy recently.

Don't even joke about this.

Wouldn't want him anywhere near our club.

Someone at the club told me the same.

There isn't a great deal that could dull my interest in and support of the Rhinos, but SW taking over the squad would, despite the fact that I think he is good at bringing on and giving a go to the youngster, give me pause for thought. Please let this be a BS rumour

I think he'd do a good job. he's great at bringing kids through, his team's are organised and his wingers score trys.

Hee was good at brungin Wigan youngsters through as he was heavily involved with youth set up, would he have the same passion with the leeds youngsters?

Also he has been criticised by the wigan fand for the boring style of play, not sure id want him at leeds.

to be fair he's adapted his game this year.i think he's been pushed out. I don't think he wants hardaker it was forced on him. I think he'd be Good for us at this time

This is my view. He is wigan through and through, i love to hate him because he is. Respect him as a coach, but don't ever want to see him in our dug out.