Fans priorities for the club they support in order of significance:

1. WINNING
2. DAYLIGHT
3. STYLE OF PLAY, QUALITY OF BURGERS, PIES AND BEER, NICE SHIRT, ETC.

GH has looked at the numbers alrighty.

Those numbers are telling him that the current Leeds squad - despite his rather spurious claim last year that it's the best squad Leeds have ever assembled and retained - is not likely to be a match for Wigan in the success stakes this year.

His thinly veiled critique of Wigan and their style of play is also a thinly veiled admission of Leeds limited prospects for success in 2011. One way to avoid criticism and maintain fans loyalty during trying times is to lay the blame somewhere else. This might involve a criticism of the style and tactics employed elsewhere which do nothing for the game as a spectacle, and which effectively strangle the life out of flamboyantly entertaining, innovative and creative sides like... erm... Leeds.

He appears to have installed a willing sidekick as coach who is prepared to accept the agenda, the challenge and the instructions.

I'm guessing Brian McClennan wasn't quite so willing to accept those same terms.

I'm guessing that Brian McLennan saw an ageing team in decline, deprived of its two best players for the first half of the season and with its promising young players still a little way from being ready for SL week in, week out and decided he didn't want the grief that would come with the drop off in results.

Had he still been at the helm and had the first six rounds that McDermott has had, fans would have been calling for his head and demanding he step aside early to allow his assistant to take over.

Correct regarding McClennan he was to be the fall guy for this season with McDermott operating under the radar - sadly for GH McClennan out thought him - something he seemed to find quite easy tbh

In every stats thread last year someone would say a variation of "Jesus Christ, look at that. What would we do without Peacock?"

We're now seeing what we do without Peacock.

With Sinfield at 6 and Lauititi seemingly past it, we have literally no forward who can set the agenda, positively change the game or lead from the front with intensity on either attack or defence. The other dozen or so players available for our pack are just different shades of mediocre, with mentalities to match.

The presence of JP pushed the team over the edge into being winners. We may not have won 2007/8/9 without him, and we'd probably have won 2010 with him at the back-end of the season.

This season was always going to be about damage limitation and staying in touch with the top four until Peacock and McGuire get back.

Agreed, except that we are not just short of Peacock, we also need the other props for rotation, so we need KL and RB back asap.
I appear to be alone in thinking that we didn't actually do that bad, considering we have no props.
I also appear to be alone in thinking that Sinfield worked his bollox off.
Burrow is getting a bad press on here but how on earth a number seven is supposed to produce the goods when you we have no props, I don't know.

I was one out this week. 9 carries. Big effort..........for his standards.

Hmmm interesting now the stats are out that Buderus and Watkins both had 4 missed tackles yet who gets rounded on on the forum, is it the young kid or the seasoned, international, expensive, quota using darling of the fans?

In the words of Michael Jackson......you are not alone........on all points.

yet with a little bit of thought and a little bit less stupidity we would have had the two points. they were there for the taking

Yes, I noticed! If the two points were there for the taking, you would have taken them. It is because they weren't, that you couldn't.

Possible because while Watkins was his usual self, weak 'ball watching' defense, loose in possession, poor concentration (as evidenced this week by the momentum changing penalty he conceded) Buderus was leading the defensive effort in the middle, (his pass from dummy half to get Sinfield on the outside of his defender for Hall's try was arguably beyond any other hooker in this comp), while he also led the kick chase effort often with little support from those around him.

While I appreciate Watkins has potential and is still young (etc.) are the inherent frailities in his game showing any signs of improvement..... one positive for him this week was he actually slid with the defense on the opening Foster try only for Hardaker to leave his wing exposed. Downhill from that point though.

My bad. Forgot one wasn't allowed to make anything but glowing comments about Buderus. He still missed 4 tackles. I thought I might get away with bashing superman by qualifying the statement that his standards are usually higher in defence.

Agreed and I made a comment about Hardaker's decision elsewhere earlier. Two young players together one might expect mistakes. WOnder why McDermott didn't think of pairing Senior with Hardaker and Hall with Watkins tbh.

Ref Buderus ... Good thing he didn't miss the try saving tackle on Wellens ( after Lomax's break in first half ). Fabulous effort. Worth the admission money alone.

Ref Watkins and Senior.... Thought the same thing. However I think we can safely say the present coach is not blessed with great erudition.

what,you mean a bit like Bluey ?

Seems there are a few high profile players in this side beyond critisism - or that just a host of personal agenda?

That puzzled me when the teams were announced - and could be symptomatic of coaching deficiencies.

The performance was much improved on the Quins game I witnessed and I thought at the 55-60 min mark we would kick on and secure the victory rather than ship 30 points.

I think Tad summed it up perfectly - a little bit of thought and a little less of stupidity is needed. Throwing the ball around does make it entertaining, but surely that has to be done on the back of rock solid defence.

You should cheer up.

However bad the season gets at least we all get to marvel at Buderus week after week without interference from our most decorated hooker taking the gloss off him.

Who cares if the season continues to go down the pan when we can watch his individual brilliance eh?

Nice work - creating the impression of the two being analogous (which would be a massive reach, whatever your agenda) without actually doing so (thereby giving a defence from such an accusation).

I'm quite sure I don't know what you mean.

I am Mr Happy - we will have a proper half available in a few weeks

none of this playing key players out of position where their inappropriate skill sets are exposed for all to see



In the mean time it is a pleasure to watch a true world class player going through his paces regardless of the result

marvelous entertainment.

Agreed. Sinfield has been a joy to watch.

Me neither but then again I'm exceedingly thick.

With 20 mins to go Leeds had the momentum! Leeds could have/should have gone on to win. Leeds were on a role, Watkins give a penalty away whilst in possession(perhaps the biggest no no in rl) and that killed the role! We were under the pump from that when you should have been working the ball out of your own half. we let saints back in to a game we had got on top of. Saints were the better team as they got the job done. Leeds let a lead slip. One more score at 16-12 and Leeds IMO would have stood a much better chance of taking the points. We were in a position to do that but killed our own momentum with school boy errors.

Take nothing from saints best team won.

I thought the turning point came when silverwood found yet another way to do us with the Absurd 'knock on' against jjb.

Roll or "Role" ?? Would that be the role of acting like a team that knows what it's doing ?

Did somebody mention cake?