In response to the OP it maybe that BMD won't get sacked because the decline of the Leeds team isn't his fault. He's inherited an ageing pack plus your best two backs of the last generation, Senior and Maguire are injured and Keith's case past it. The decisions to change the entire coaching staff from the most successful period in the club's history in one off season was baffling. Some of the decisions on recruitment and retention, an area where GH was once so sure-footed, have been questionable.

In brief BMD may not be a great coach but he has inherited a squad with huge structural problems in terms of age and mileage. He has had to start from scratch with basically no senior backroom from the previous admin. The fall outs with Diskin (an old fashioned loiner who'd never give in) and Burgess and the summary dismissal of Cross are eyebrow raising at the least. Having made the decisions he has made I'd say it is now extremely difficult for GH to go to the board and say 'I've made a mistake, Brian's the wrong man'. When these type of discussions occur what normally happens is that the CE blames the current predicament on the people who've now left and that what's required is a 'clean up' by the new team who will take time to sort out the mess made by the last lot.

To sack a coach who he actively headhunted without one single off season to shape his squad or respond to the hand fate has dealt him would look a lot worse on GH than it would BMD who could reasonably claim to have been given a Jimmy Armfield sized poison chalice. McDermot will start 2012 as Leeds Rhinos head coach.

I'm afraid I'm in agreement with this. McDermott will probably still be in position next year.

Whereas what actually happened was Brian McDermott was brought into replace Francis Cummins as Brian McClennan's assistant for a year before taking the head coaches' reigns on. That intended transition was scuppered when McClennan (understandably in my view) didn't fancy that level of undermining and cut short his stay at Leeds.

There is the wider point that Leeds were also looking for replacements for Willie Poching and Aleks Gross at the same time in a complete overhaul of the immediate support coaching staff.

Sorry I didn't mean changing the whole coaching team was the plan but rather a series of inter-connected events/decisions combined to effect such a change. It wasn't a sequence that demonstrated GH's sureness of touch that had hitherto been his hallmark was the point I was making.

GH [iis[/i the board, at least when it comes to football matters. Having to pay McDermott out of his contract would probably be more upsetting for him if it came to it, which it probably won't.

Anyone know how long BMcD's contract is?

Some people seriously need to get their heads out of the sand and stop hero-worshipping the current squad on the basis of past glories.

It's finished. Done. Washed up. Many of its members have no gas left in the tank and no desire to go that extra yard in search of glory.

Rather than lumbering another coach with the same shower of apathy, the best thing the club can do is bite the bullet, accept a couple of lean years and look to bring on the next generation, complemented with a couple of experienced signings.

The likes of Webb, Senior, Burrow, Peacock, Buderus, Bailey and Lauitiiti should be very graciously thanked for their service but advised that it is no longer required IMO.

But do you think we have the right man at the helm to bring along that next generation Andy?

Looking at how he's handled Burgess, Clarkson and now Hardaker I am not so sure.

His influence didn't seem to harm the careers of McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Clubb at Quins, who both achieved international recognition under his coaching.

I think it would be a shame for him not to get the opportunity of doing the job he was brought to the club initially to do, which was manage that transition from a successful but ageing squad into the new generation.

Its a cultural thing - so as a senior player I would anticipate he has his say - he hasn't come out like the captain and said it was time for a change like he did with Powell, Smith and McClennan - you read into that what you will?

Are you sure that this was McD's doing?

It has all the hallmarks of GH management and I doubt McD could have forced GH's hand on contract matters.

What do Hardaker and Clarkson have to do with contract matters? I understand the point on Burgess, but I suspet G1 was suggesting that he should have played as a result of the lack of form of the other props rather than any discussions with GH about next year...

You're sugggesting it was GHs decision to drop Hardaker. You're suggesting GH told McDermott to not only accept this decision but to tell the press it was his own decision. You're suggesting GH told McDermott to tell the press his rationale for dropping him was to give the lad (a 19 year old winger) a rest after 7 games.

All of the above is possible. Of course, it's also possible McDermott is eccentric and way out of his depth. having seen his interviews (even going back to his Quins days) my view is it's the latter.

Would you take a 50+ hammering against Wigan on Friday if it meant BMD would be sacked the next day?

Not really. It's possible we won't have much choice though. In fact, we might well get the 50 point hammering without the sacking....

One will happen

In this world of such definitive cihoices I would take a 50 point hammering on friday for an extra two inches on my wee man.

That's a lot of players to be replaced in one season,If Buderus goes back then out of the above it will be Ali and Senior shown the door.

I've always suspected that if there was an actual working procedure to increase the little fella as required ( as simple as women having breast enlargement) then women would walk the World in fear, because every bloke on the planet would immediately get the maximum size possible.

I just want a couple of extra inches. 10 sounds a much rounder number than eight.

Hi G1, that tape measure I brought to training last week was metric, it was 8cm not inches, HTH

I thought you took a long time down there whilst measuring it. You just said you were being thorough. Was here any need to put it in your mouth though?

Yes, I had something stuck between my teeth

No I was talking about contracts with regard to Burgess and Cross which IMO is to do with money/salarycap/recruitment and so is GH and not McD. If you recall there was also talk of not playing Clarkson and Pitts because of a bonus payment in the contract. If this is true then again down to GH and not McD

Clarkson played on Friday, debunking any story about him not playing due to a bonus which would have taken us over the cap, unless you think that both Burgess and Cross let for less than the rest of this year's salary of course.

We all think they should have been played and I would have been playing Cross ahead of Kirke or Kylie. There were rumours of Clarkson & Pitts not being selected because it avoided a bonus payment. If this is true that would be GH's decision and not McD's. The handling of Burgess & Cross was very bad management and must be down to GH and could explain why they were not being selected. GH has always wanted to do the recruitment and likes his expenses paid trips down under. I suspect GH does not like a strong coach and wants to pull the strings himself.