I was just thinking back to the CC Semi against the Saints at Huddersfield and then the lost final and generally the role of Daryl Powell at the time.


How successful do people think the club would have been to date if the decision to take on Tony Smith had never happened and Daryl Powell had remained in charge?

How on earth can anyone tell?
However, Mr Powell's career hasn't exactly been a glittering trophy laden success since TS' appointment so I would say we wouldn't have done as well.

Judging by:

- how we played under Powell
- our deficiencies with him as coach
- how much we instantly improved under Smith
- the fact that Smith has won silverware elsewhere

it's pretty logical to postulate that we wouldn't have been as successful. To what degree is open to debate.

Personally I'd be surprised if we'd won anything; Powell clearly didn't get the best out of his players, we had no killer instinct under him and often seemed devoid of attacking tactics.

What powell deserves credit for is clearing the decks of "past it" and underperforming players many of whom were his mates from his playing days.
He had the nuts to pick all the acadamy lads and Ali aside he signed and built the Squad that won our 1st title.
There is no-doubting Smiths impact or coaching ability but i don't think Powell gets the credit he deserves after inheriting the mess lance left.

Powell had run his course, smith took us to the next level, McClennan has taken us slightly further than Smith IMO and I expect him to take us further. Whether that's down to a decline in quality in other teams doesn't matter. You can only beat what's put in front of you.

Especially when considering that Powell was effectively thrown in at the deep end without having had much coaching experience prior to being made head coach.

As has been said I think we would have been fairly succesful but maybe not in the same style or to the same extent as we have been.

While the bulk of the playing squad would probably have stayed the same (those emerging from the Academy) the players recruited to fit around them would undoubtedly have been different under Powell than they turned out to be under Smith, so it's pointless to speculate.

I think that not only is Powell not given as much credit as he might be for developing this squad (don't get me wrong, I thought he had to go at the time too, and I think it was the right move) I also don't think being plunged into that job did Powell's career any favours. I still think he could be a good coach, and probably will be a good coach, but his reputation was damaged by his appointment at Leeds coming before, IMO, he was ready.

He certainly laid the foundations for Smith to build on, but I'm not convinced he could have taken us to the next step of actually winning titles.

This is all conjecture and opinion of course, but in the absence of any real objective evidence, that's all any of us have.

I've been doing some scientific research into this all morning and my experiments have led me to the one, inescapable and obvious conclusion.

Had we retained Powell we'd have won every single match and every single trophy in Super league, have relocated, fan base and all to the NRL plunging Leeds into financial and social oblivion (would still look great next to Bradford mind).

Within one season of acclimatising the team would win everything in the NRL and we, the fan base, would have begun to act like Australians. You know, drunken, violent, woman hating, ignorant rednecks.

Meanwhile, back in blighty, Scarborough Pirates would have re-formed to take our place in Super League as part of the governing bodies expansion dreams. They would go on to win the competition but after 12 months their players, coaching staff and money in their bank account would have been given to Hull in a merger under the Stewardship of Tim Wilby who would rename the club the Hull Pink Pirates in an effort to tackle the clubs unwelcoming, hooligan image.

Darryl, meanwhile, would have retired following the 2009 season to tackle the current financial climate as a top government aid.

My raw data is available for anyone who wishes to challenge any of this.

I challenge it.

Your internet was down all morning and there's no way you could have researched all this in the time you stated.

I went to Leeds City Library and looked at all the raw data on Microfiche. When finished, I found I had some spare time left over so using the public computer i started to view midget porn.

I was escorted from the building at 11.45am.

No, that all seems pretty robust. I think the debate may now be considered to be settled. Thanks G1.

Yeah I saw you. Where the hell were your trousers?

Confiscated and subsequently burned.

Do you have a thing for miget porn as you seem to mention it an awful lot!

I have a little predilection for it, yes.

Anyone with a modicum of taste knows its' the best kind of porn out there.

Speaking of midgets we haven't had a link to [url=http://www.newturfers.com/mwf/attach/38/355838/BBCNEWSWorldLionMutilates42MidgetsinCambodianRing-Fight.htmthis[/url in a while. Midgets always make me laugh, especially Lion fighting midgets.

I'll have a pint of what he's been drinking!!

It didn't do Marc Almond any good.

Its no monkey porn