It was a poor performance against an even poorer performance from Huddersfield. That we won is in no way an indication of how well we played; it's more an indication of how bad Huddersfield were.

Too much dropped ball, careless passes and discipline still hasn't been addressed. Too much one man rugby too.

We're good on defence, no doubt. But we currently offer very little in attack apart from the occasional bit of individual brilliance.

In my opinion it's a pretty sad illustration of SL - that we are playing so consistently below par yet we're still in 2nd place.

I haven't read all this thread but what stood out to me was that we dominated field possession.When we didn't have ball we at times hit very hard in defence forcing Hudds to spill the ball.What was lacking in our play was our attack,if we had been clinical we would have won by a canter.
All in all reasonably pleased.

I was interested in your claim that someone had said Worrall would not play in the 1st grade this season as it was a comment I had missed. It appears now you are unable or unwilling to back it up.

Our input on this subject is [url=http://viewtopic.php?t=414410&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0here[/urlif you wish to review what we discussed. If the discussion was not to fizzle out it only required your next response.

We appeared, for a change, to be in rough agreement over the merits of Simon Worrall.




Better than they were before they signed an International class right sided centre and they have progressed to being one game away from a trip to Wembley, so no rest for the wicked.

At the time of Gleeson's availability there was an 'if' post from yourself suggesting (if all the ifs could be satisfied) you would like Leeds to make the signing also.

Or May,April and March

I know. I decided no further respoonse was needed. It seemed you had reached a conclusion on Worrall's merit based upon his none selection for 1 game and I thought he'd likely be used the following game. Not much else to discuss.

How did you think he went today?

Would you swap places with them?

I suspect G1 that people would rather believe the 'lack of squad size' (perhaps a genuine issue) and 'inadequate' signings (not sure Leeds are to blame for Eastwood and three HUGE cheers for not rushing to sign a kolpak when that fell through) than the slightly more obvious fact that most of the team are simply not playing that well. Whether they can turn it around before the end of the season I'm not sure.

What I would possibly agree with is that if this season ends in a bit of a fizzle then there may be a case for some new blood in the squad, with a couple of players leaving also. And despite my doubts about Bluey I'd be prepared to give him the chance to make a few changes.

I wouldn't write the team off for this year just yet, although IMO if they are to genuinely be in with a shout of winning the comp they need to show some good form for more than the odd half a game before the end of the season.

So if the team fails this year, will it be the small squad that is to blame, or the coaching. At the moment I find it hard to decide which is killing us more

Having 5 first team players unnavailable would sound like a good week for many SL clubs.
Hull start every season with at least 6 players injured (maybe they should look at their pre-season training regime?). We've had a much better year this year than last for injuries.

What would constitute failure?

I don't have an answer for that other than the bar might be lower this year than last as the team have won the last 2 Grand Finals - getting 'up' for this year must be very difficult.

I'd agree entirely with that post.

Its difficult. A GF appearance would probably be the target for the team at the start of the campaign. If we didn't achieve this I would consider it a failure.

I hope we win the title, but wouldn't say that failure to do so would be a failure. Both leeds and saints have weaker squads this year, but Saints look just a strong, and we have regressed a little

Read the thread again. I'd concluded that Worrall offered little at the time of his re-signing but I would still have selected a second row (Worrall) to replace a second row (Jones-Buchanan) ahead of using Senior with Gibson filling in at centre.



How do you feel he went? As I wanted him selected at Les Catalans the week before I'm pleased coach McClennan (although somewhat belatedly) has come around to the same rationale that it's better to use a second row to replace a second row rather than taking Senior away from being Leeds' major strike three-quarter.

Have you remembered who said Worrall would not play 1st grade for Leeds this season yet? (Having driven all the you know what's away there can't be that many posters left to say such a thing.



Swap places with a SL Wigan fan? Supporting Leeds for forty + years has been a chore but it's not one I'll be swapping with anyone and besides I don't see what that has to do with Wigan's record this season improving after the Gleeson signing. Do you?

:1lz8sa0lNo thanks. I don't disagree with you. You seem to be acting very defensively, as if I ad accused you of something.

:1lz8sa0lOK actually, for a player I don't really rate who was playing his 1st game in a while after serious surgery. Did a good job in the circumstances. The kind of squad depth most clubs need. You?

:1lz8sa0l Again, we agree although in fairness Gibson also slotted into the back row this week (possibly due to inuries) and its'a postion other 1st team coaches feel he'd be suited to. How did you think he went?

:1lz8sa0lNo.

Leeds lost four players from their 2008 Championship winning squad and replaced a continuing hooker with a better one. Squad size is depleted, thankfully Leeds were knocked out of the Challenge Cup at the first hurdle saving further stresses. Are Fulton and Gleeson Kolpak? Could the team be out of sorts, in part, because few of them are under any pressure to perform this season? The squad isn't big enough to provide genuine competition for places for the seventeen.



Why next season if not this season? They're the same players. Hasn't Hetherington already stated that it's far from certain they'll be any new signings for 2010. The failure of this season already is one of resting on laurels and having to endure a succession of indisciplined performances.



Neither would I. The 1st choice 17 always has a big chance. However so far this season it's St Helens - considerable clear water - then pretty much the rest on any given day.



I thought we weren't taking single games as evidence these days.

that was the case the last 2 seasons though in the league.

on another note every team should be looking to improve on the previous seasons squad. we failed to do that.in fact we are far weaker. who's fault that is we don't know.
if bluey can guide us to the GF this year i would say,with the tools at his disposal,it would be a fantastic achievment.

You said:



I was responding to that.

I hadn't reached a conclusion on Worrall after one none selection. I'd suggested if he'd fallen behind Senior/Gibson as a second rower at the club his current status as squad man was called into question. I see coach McClennan yesterday made the correct call, if only he'd done likewise the week before.




Sorry but no it wasn't.

Leeds were six points clear after round 16 last season. How is that St Helens - clear water - the rest?

fair point. but the final tables suggest they were clear.
the play offs are a different animal.lets see who has injuries,suspension and be in form when they come around

Over the last five completed seasons Leeds have collected 211 competition points to St Helens 211 competition points. Leeds blew everyone away in 2004, St Helens did likewise in 2006, that apart it's been marginal each season although just in St Helens favour.

Leeds will need their 1st choice seventeen available at the business end of the season because if it comes down to squad depth or best Academy players the reigning Champions will struggle.

I thought it all depended on it raining

Coach McClennan's Leeds need it to rain when playing St Helens or at least that's the evidence from the seven meetings so far.

Leeds didn't need rain to destroy St Helens in 2007 but that was under a different coach.

or do saints need it to be dry to beat leeds?

Very insightful, but past records mean nothing. Saints were unbeaten in 20 something games last season, yet we pulled out the big one

Thats what she said.

In how many of them 20 something games did it rain?

It's unreasonable to expect it to rain in Manchester in October....erm...hang on?