shows the coach is the most important man at the club. he sets the standards

I would agree with that - I think the spine is weak and needs attention. In the backs only Handley and Newman if they can ever get him fit would remain. It is time for a serious overhaul.

Watched the game last night as a neutral and was most amused to hear Leeds fans singing about being 'on our way to Old Trafford'.

Which Old Trafford is that as you've spend nearly all the season comfortably outside the play off spots, your not nearly good enough to get to the Grand Final and that joke football club Leeds Utd got relegated yet again last season so they won't be pitching up at Old Trafford anytime soon either.

Completely agree - look at Man City who sets the standards!!

if we are selecting games to make a point then cas x 2, wakey x2, HKR x2, hull, wire first up. how was our pack then?

We can go through the whole league and do that with every team though.

Short memory?

I love your totally blind faith christopher.
believe

The judgement is and should be based on the last 20 games and on that they're not achieving their potential.

We're down in 8th after losing more than 50% of our games, that's what I'm interested in.

No way should we use a Quota place on Fusitua, totally unreliable and hit and miss when fit.


I understand we arnt privy to everything and we may have something big lined up recruitment wise (Doubtful) but optics are important, and currently, from top to bottom, we look shambolic, we do not act like a club desperate to be the best and havn't done for years.

Recruitment has been poor, we pick up the players left over after the ambitious clubs have finished. I admire the optimism, but the clever moneys on another sh*tshow, all this cap space We've been "building" towards and so far we'v got an undersized forward, who, while a solid enough player, does not move the needle in terms of us improving in any significant way. all these good British players who have switched clubs over the last couple of years, Nicholson to Warrington, Clarke to Saints, Dupree to Wigan, Johnston to Catalan , Wardle to Wigan etc, we just seem asleep or not interested...Not sure which is the bigger failure.

For a club who allegedly discuss recruitment and retention every day, we dont appear to have a clue on either front...Not unlike a moment in last nights game when on last tackle, while the 9's about to pass the ball, Austin can be seen asking someone else, probably Sezer, whats happening, as he didnt appear to have a clue either.

Like i say, outside looking in, it does not look like we are a club desperate to be the best, I just really hope they prove me wrong in the coming days, weeks, months etc

What i do know is that this season has been an abject failure, even by the now seemingly accepted standards of scraping into the playoffs and a decent cup run.

A very sad anniversary. Only two years at Leeds but possibly my favourite coach. That said, I think you are massively over estimating the potential of the current squad if you think any coach, past or present, has them winning the league.

the standard is awful. he would have this pack dominating. he would have organised, inspired and got them playing as a team. there would have been set plays.
everything that's not happening now

It’s not ‘blind faith’ its a pragmatic view of where we are but also not throwing the baby out with the bath water.

We are currently not good enough as a squad but I don’t think we are as far off as is being made out, and people wanting wholesale changes is just not realistic.

we are worse than last year. gone backwards at a rate of knots. I agree with the right recruitment and coach we will be fine. I have no faith in either

Leeds remind me of where St Helens were when Cunningham was in charge. That all changed in one season when Holbrook came in.

Leeds are too big of a club to be where they are now and it won’t be long until you are back challenging.

Good luck for the rest of the season

The standard of the league debate isn't really relevant. It is what it is and I doubt the fans of Leigh, Catalans, Salford and Hull KR would agree. If you stick Iestyn Harris in the current Leeds we win a lot more games. Smith does not have the luxury of such a player. How many games did the 98 and 99 sides win without him? Murray was a great coach and a charismatic leader, but my point is that real talent on the field generally sets teams apart. Not much of it currently on show in the blue and amber.

I disagree on the cunningham comparison, at least we’ve shown we can play attractive winning rugby, saints were just dire all round under cunningham IMO.

Also did Holbrook coincide with Ben Barber signing who totally changed that side

I did say when leeds signed sangare that I just don't see a top level prop in him and I stand by that, I certainly don't think he's earned an early extension.

I was thinking this last night, with Newman being injured all the time we are totally lacking an X factor player, most if not all the sides above us have one or in Wigans case 2

The point I was trying to make is that things can change quickly and you won’t be where you are forever. You are too big of a club

Yep, tinkering around with the squad will only deliver incremental gains at best. We need one, even two great players. Look at the difference Croft has made to Salford and Hastings before him. Great players make average ones far better.

Completely agree. Even one class player lifts the whole show.
A Ben Barba, Hastings, Field or French type of player much needed ++

Just looked at the recording of last nights game. Several passages of play with ball in hand just passing along the line. No dummy runners , very little drop off ball. Certainly nobody attempting to put players through a gap in the line. The league table highlights the fact we have played for most of the season like a mid table side. And that unfortunately is our position in the league.

Are you saying because we beat Saints and Wigan previously that is the basis for your not so far off? I agree about wholesale changes there simply isn't the quality of player available to replace 6/7 players.

We need to concentrate on the spine - we need a FB, one half back at least and a quality hooker - if that is all we did I would happy with that. I don't understand the signing of the Frenchman - unless there are players leaving e.g. Bentley. Tetevano surely will never play again.

Maybe I am misreading the situation but we always seem late in for NRL players and then overpay for what we get. Is it that Leeds are not seen as a competitive side and players can only be coaxed into coming by the money?