So we lose a couple of games and we need to dismantle the squad?

Pretty reactionary that IMO.

Our style of play has been counteracted and we dont have any answers at the minute. It's time for McClennan to prove just how good he is.

Easier to do when you've only got a bunch of players to work with for 4-6 weeks at a time and everything you tell them is fresh.

Is McLennan hitting the wall in terms of how much time he spends with a group of players? Are his routines, gameplans and training schedules losing their edge?

fair point.as much as we speculate time will tell

All coaches hit that. It's just a question of when. It can be turned around though, even after a longer term slump, as Tony Smith demonstrated.

So you agree it's time for him to prove how good he is.

Shush! It's just great to see substander back to it's old ways after two defeats!

Can the Boards cope with new Southstander being like the Old Southstander at the same time as Red Amber and Black being like the new Southstander?

Won't it lead to a big explosion somewhere?

It already has, and has caused Hudderfield Giants to be replaced by the something else entirely different to those Giants we have known all these years.

Not to mention Salford and Cas. I bet the RFL didn't trhink it's Franchise system would work so well so soon.

And that's the silver lining to this particular cloud.

It's great as Leeds diminish to see the teams that are poised to take their place aren't the same old, same old.

No replacement for Ellis, No cover for the missing Eastwood, no imrovement on last years squad - Out of the Cup

My hope was that the Franchise system and limits on none federation players would help raise the standard of the game. It doesn't seem to be working yet. Although that probably does have to be a longer term objective.

Well if we end up having a poor season I will expect Eccleshill to start feeding us unrest in the camp,how the players can't stand the coach,rumours of players wanting to go and play in Aus mainly to get away from the coach

Those overseas limits were watered down amid furious back pedalling of the RFL under the scrutiny of employment lawyers but the RFL's heart is at least in the right place.

Ah yes the old English Clubs goals at odds with the governing bodies goals for the sport. That will never change no matter what the sport.

The club's (all clubs, not just Leeds and not just RL) heart is in the right place as well as long as it affects other clubs ànd not themselves.

Will all be right again in the world if Leeds upset the form book and beat Huddersfield? Probably!!

This forum has more experts in 'How to run and coach a Super League team' than all the other forums put together!!

Not many have ever played though....

Well the limit on overseas trained for this season was always going to be eight and I can only really think of Wigan exceeding that with Roberts, Carmont, Richards, Smith, Leuluai, Riddell, Palea'aesina, Bailey, Phelps and Hansen although not sure on Hansen's position in this regard.

Next year it's down to six though + any exemptions still with the clubs.



And some of those haven't even watched if your predictions before the weekend were anything to go by.

I can't believe the amount of doomsayers on this board. We hav lost a few games and some people believe this means we will be the worst team in the league! You may argue that because we haven't recruited well that that's the reason for this slump. But surely if most players have stayed and the squad is basically the same it is the same side that has won back to back titles! How could the same players suddenly become so bad in such little time?

Maybe a couple of signings would freshen us up but they won't make huge differences.

One last thing maybe because so many players have started in the same positions week in week out they can play badly and will always be on the team sheet for next week. This is you're Sinfield,burrow,mguire,senior,Webb,donald

Point me to one poster that has claimed that.

Im not quoting that people have actually said that but some on the posts have been implying things along that line

Leeds were first, they then went to second, they are now third, where next?

No-one has said or implied they will be 14th before the season is out.

Have they? Where?

Gareth in 2004 the club were on the crest of potentially having a dynasty what happened poor recruitment meant it took a genius coach - in your view - another three years to reach the title, and the team never reached the level of 2004 - so that was a good decision in your view?

I think GH loves the game and wants to see it prosper - did Wigan winning everything really prosper the game - do you think he wants to be responsible for a decline in interest in the game because his side wins everything?

The team are not playing well and have not played well all year - the squad is weaker than in the previous two years - how many companies do you know that actually weaken the quality of the personnel and prosper - you have to question who is responsible for that.

So you would have Sinfield as your captain until he stopped playing regardless - perhaps change would be a good thing. Do you think Peacock would make a worse captain? do you think he would less respect from his fellow team mates?

McClennan is a very good coach a better coach than Smith IMO - I have never said he is the best Leeds coach ever - I think Francis will never be eclipsed in my lifetime - but some of us a realists and you have question the coach as well as the players the coach cannot be immune from critisism that is the way of things. They do well they get the praise if things don't go well they should also get the questions - hopefully he will show his metal and things will improve.

As I said earlier I think they will give Huddersfield a serious beating and they will reach the GF. You on the other hand would are happy to overlook Smith faults - at least on here

and point to his record as the be all and end all - what I find odd is McClennan's record is equal to that of Smith at the same stage of their tenure - yet you seem incapable of applying the same criteria to McClennan - also McClennan's stats for 2008 were significantly better than Smith's for 2007 with virtually the same players - another fact lost in your hero worship of Smith.

You have consistently bagged McClennan almost from day one because he is not the hard b@stard that Smith was - the worst thing that happened to you was Leeds winning the 2008 GF - you would have had field day if they had lost and as I have said before if they win the 2009 GF you really will be between a rock and a hard place



Even if they were to win the 2009 GF this team needs breaking up and another great team building - you only have to look at Saints and ask why are they have been consistently at the top of SL for 15 years because they have had three distinct sides during the SL era - if you want to stay at the top that ruthlessness is what is needed.

Eccleshill, you make some good points, and some ones that I don't agree with, but suggesting that Gary Hetherington doesn't want Leeds to win this season for the good of the game is just wrong.

David I love your conspiracy theories but to think GH doesn't want Leeds to be successful is