I also noticed the error but immediately forgave him on the basis that the QF tie away at Hull is a foregone conclusion anyway.

You're right, it's a "bridge too far for the Rhinos"...

On the contrary my dear pessimist.

It's likely to be the last bridge they'll be crossing in the CC this year.

Semi Finalists they shall be in 2011.

I was there last night (just got back as made it an overnight stay)

it was garbage....from both teams. Yes conditions were terrible but no worse than last week when we totally controlled Hull KR.

Crusaders played with plenty of effort but were no great shakes themselves which tells you all you need to know about how poor we were.

If anyone had popped in last night to watch RL for the first time they'd have thought they were watching two of the bottom teams. Honestly it was total gash and we got very very lucky.

We played like a tired team with no idea.

The irony being we had fresh props to bring in but we know the score there now. Instead we rested a 2nd rower.

The weather was crap, we were crap but at least we got the 2 points.

Not had chance to read any newspaper reports yet so don't know if it's being mentioned in any after match interviews but after the final whistle McDermott was in a huddle with the players in the middle of the lpitch before the players came over to our end. Looked like he migh have been Reading them the riot act. If he wasn't, he should have

Pessimists are great, they never get disappointed.

I wouldn't say I'm a pessimist, but it's tough to be optimistic about the current position Leeds are in with regard to most respects. The only saving grace that I (and another regular poster) could find about the current situation was that we have more talented (if injury prone) young backs coming through at the moment than for quite some time.

I geniunely think that the current malaise is down to the (non) coaching that the players are receiving. If you look at the 17 that last won the GF for Leeds, 14 of them are still available to us (Donald, Diskin and Senior are not), so has the last 18 months really done so much to slow these players down or reduce their physical capacity? I think not.

That other regular poster will be G1 then. I remain unconvinced by the potential of those injury-prone young backs which you both refer to, and it's got far less to do with injuries. They both appear to me to be all flash in attack and no substance or appetite for defence. Neither can defend for toffee.



Leeds downturn has been in process for longer than 18 months because the GF win in 2009 was already papering over the cracks. I had my doubts about the Leeds squad back then despite the SL title that year and GH's proclamation that it was the best squad Leeds ever had. Confirmation that they were finished as a silverware-winning entity was complete by the time of the CC Final in 2010. A different coaching regime won't alter that without significant squad turnover.

I don't disagree with the comments about changes to the squad. We need fresh blood, and plenty of it as this side has now outlived it's usefulness. The point I was making about the current coaching duo, is that a competent coaching team would make even this squad competitive. Make of that what you will...

i agree a good coach would make us competitive, obviously we're not a top 2 side anymore, and i agree with keith that we are a top 5 side, tbf to watkins he lost a season of development with his bad injury last season, i'd say we need atleast one or two top forwards, a half back and a specialist centre.

Mc can't be blamed for us making breaks and passing to the supporting runner just for the supporting runner to knock on time and time again thats basic skills.
What i dont understand is we had hall, JP, bedsy, kylie, and sinny playing their third game in a week, so Mc rest abbo, and benches bailey who was mom against hull KR

The YEP match report is one of the most scathing I've read - and completeley contradicts BM's views on the game as far as I can tell.

Pretty much agree with the BR. McDermott kept the players on the pitch after the match to tell them that they had not just got out of jail and had deserved the victory 100%. Everywhere else you look its clear they got out of jail. Still, whilst we have such an outstanding front row, everything will be ok in the end...

Thanks Yoda.

Course you did. Did you express them anywhere?

If finishing top of the table and winning the GF is papering over the cracks than I'd settle for that process each year.

You seem to be suggesting GH should have dismantled the 2009 record setting GF winning team before it won it's 3rd consecutive GF in order to begin re-building for future seasons.

What would you have him tell them?

I'd imagine he's trying to re-build some shattered confidence.

BM prepared the team for the game, coached them through it and watched it. Now, I'm no Mcdermott fan but I'm still willing to accept his interpretation of the events over the likes of Rod Studd or Peter Smith.

I see you've moved on from jumping to conclusions from the radio commentary to jumping to even bigger one's from reading the opinions of hacks that have never passed a ball or tackled a player in their life.

Several times verbally and by text message, including a follow-up confirmation text to yourself after the CC Final last year which stated [i'End of an era. Stick a fork in this Leeds team, they're done'[/i, to which you replied with one of your trademark tiresome agendae... [i'Agreed. Wish we had Smith instead of Bluey'[/i.



Indeed, it was quite an achievement by McClennan with a squad already on the slide.



Incorrect. In stark contrast to you who celebrated the announcement in late June 2010, I had an issue with the re-signing of the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN as it was obvious even by then that a major squad clearout and re-building phase was necessary instead.

Will Leeds become the next Bradford over next few years? Will we be offered £60 season tickets? Hope so

Be careful what you wish for.

The reasons for Bradford's demise have been covered at great depth recently on here.

Leeds don't have anything like the same number of contributory factors that have put the Bulls where they are IMO.

1 - We're not Bradford
2 - Where's Damo when you need him.

You know, that's such a rare occurence I don't think anyone has ever asked?

It's true. People may have asked "where's Damo" out of concern for their pets when they can't see him, but I don't think anyone's ever actually needed him before...

Damo is... Keith Lard.

All examples of you expressing concerns during 2010. None are examples of you expressing concerns during 2009.

BTW, I am genuinely flattered and equally disturbed that you either recall with clarity or save my text messages. I can only genuinely recall one of yours. It was from October 2007. It was deriding Donald as a "useless ginger chancer" just prior to him scoring the greatest try seen in a SL Grand Final.

I remember a similar message regarding some money and the town hall steps.... needless to say...

McDermott in the YEP:

“Defensively we have been very strong,” he said. “I heard some comments about our offence after the Crusaders game and it does make me chuckle, because it rained from start to finish"

Excuses, excuses. That annoys me. McDermott really needs to stop kidding himself. Attacking the Crusaders line Leeds were shifting the ball from left to right, but they had no structure at all to what they were doing. You would have thought the conditions would have forced Leeds to up the jumper rugby. In our own half yes, but in Crusaders' half Leeds were trying to shift the ball, the problem was they were playing like headless chickens. The rain doesn't stop second phaise, some dummy runners and some structure to what they were doing - He blames that on the rain. I'm starting to dislike this guy.

I do seem to recall seeing more than 12 points scored in wet conditions on a few occasions. It makes stringing an attacking move together more difficult, not impossible......

Excuse making like that is not really the hallmark of a man in control is it?