Blackmore for Delaney, Morley for Bailey, Harris for Maguire for me..

The only parallels that can be drawn from the two sides is that one was allowed to slide and one has already been allowed to slide. The current situation is akin to that after 1999 when we recruited poorly and did not kick on from a period of success. I didn't attend Leeds games at all from the moment cheap option Dean Lance was appointed and the start of 2003.

Dean Bell was a cheap option in 1996
Graham Murray was a cheap option in 1998
Dean Lance was a cheap option in 2000
Daryl Powell was a cheap option in 2001
Tony Smith was a cheap option in 2004
Brian McClennan was a cheap option in 2009 but probably the dearest of the SL coaches at Leeds.

Not too sure about that. He was already established at another club.

Still waiting for the return of Daryl, following his world fact finding tour.

Edited for accuracy.

Cummins could make the top job a year earlier than your uncanny prediction.

Could, but won't.

When Tony Smith first took the job at the McAlpine he said 'there are only a limited number of head coaching positions at the top grade in world RL.' That's what brought him to this country. He was coming out of contract at the perenial strugglers who finished 10th that season when Leeds came along with an offer at one of the most famous names in the code (Leeds finished 2nd in 2003 and were Challenge Cup finalists.)

I often wonder how much he paid Gary Hetherington for the opportunity.

Fair point, but we didn't finish 2nd, otherweise we would have been in the GF. Good old Daryl managed to make us the first team to end the qualifying rounds in the top two and not make it to the final.

Good old Stains sort of removed that stigma in 2005 though, becomming the [ionly[/i team in the history of the comp to finish top in the qulaifying rounds and not get to the final.

Still, they're the greatest team the game's ever seen, according to Clarkey.

I don't know why people rip on hay so much.

He wasn't a workhorse, but in that team we had others for that. But he was a pretty good creative second rower.

Show me a League table where Leeds didn't finish the 2003 season 2nd.



In the year of the ultimate screw-overs by Russell Smith and Stevie Ganson. Poor old Daryl.

2010 coach.

We've won titles under McClennan. 2 seasons in charge 2 titles.

Murray, 2 seasons in charge, no titles. Those are the facts.

Quality of team or starting point are subjective and it's hard to compare things like that when they are a decade apart.

They lost half their key players weeks before the playoffs, due to drugs cheat terry newton.

what was it, albert, hooper long and i think there was someone else.

You stick just albert back in their and lauititi doesn't score his length of the field try and most likely satins reach old trafford the first time of asking.

If you don't suddenly sustain injuries to key players it's pretty much a given that the team that got you 1st spot will get you to old trafford.

I don't think stains removed any stigma.

All Competitions:

Graham Murray:
Played 65, Won 48, Drawn 1, Lost 16, Pts For 1852, Pts Agst 1122, Avg (28-17), 75%

Brian McClennan:
Played 74, Won 54, Drawn 0, Lost 20, Pts For 2147, Pts Agst 1226, Avg (29-17), 73%

SL Regular Rounds Only:

Graham Murray:
Played 53, Won 41, Drawn 1, Lost 11, Pts For 1572, Pts Agst 927, Avg (30-17), 78%

Brian McClennan:
Played 60, Won 45, Drawn 0, Lost 15, Pts For 1834, Pts Agst 964, Avg (31-16), 75%

Surely the bestest team of all time can cope with a few injuries? Didn't we? Webb begin out for thefinal springs to mind, Ablett having to play centre? Etc....

Not to mention, I don't think back to back must have been watching in 2003. Considering Leeds also lost two major players before the play offs that year, hence why they did not get to the final.

By the same reasoning you wouldnt have any of the players from 1999 either, unless you wanted to win the cup?



that is the whole point of the thread

for me it is difficult as I only saw half of the 99 season and it was my first
there were a lot of things I prefered about going to games at the time but i don't think coaching analysys is the first thing you learn sitting on the wall at Headingley

i wouuld say it seems Murray was good at getting the most out of players who werent the best and McClennan is good at motivating the best players to achive history(NZ and Leeds) - depending on the squad you would choose a different coach, so if we have our hypothetical pick i would favour McClennan

The St Helens team that Leeds beat at Knowsley Road would still give the St Helens GF teams of 2007, 2008 and 2009 a good run for their money.

Paul Wellens
Ian Hardman, Jamie Lyon, Willie Talau, Ade Gardner
=#FF0000Jason Hooper, James Roby
Nick Fozzard, Keiron Cunningham, Paul Anderson
Lee Gilmour, Mike Bennett, Jon Wilkin
Subs:
Mick Higham, Vinnie Anderson, James Graham, Maurie Fa'asavalu

Jamie Lyon and Pooper-Dooper-Hooper in the same team? How the hell did they ever lose?

Apparently, it was raining.

walker and bailey?

Ah, excuse No. 2, paragraph b.

he's currently on coach trip

Excellent! LOL

I thought it was more of a minibus tour