“It’s the most important coaching appointment in my time at Leeds”(words to that effect). He said before eventually appointing Smith.

He got it wrong.

when did he get it right last? macdermott? agar stepped into the breach and did well but was kept to long

Agar did not do well , he stank the place out

We will never move forward until the decisions at the top improve, which means GH has to go. Getting a new coach is just papering over the cracks of what is systemic failure throughout the club. GH's major rugby decisions like transfers and coach selection have been poor for about 6+ years, at this point it's just boring and played out. We can't move forward until someone with a better hit rate comes in. The only success we have will be fleeting because the man who is continually making poor decisions is the one trying to correct them, we're constantly trying to out run GH's mistakes. The biggest competition to success we currently face is internal within the club.

We can appreciate all that GH has done for us, but now he has to step back and put someone else in charge of major team decisions if we actually want to move forward and compete again.

Gawwy should have left years ago.

Similar sentiment.

The problems seem to run deep and go all the way to the top. Rohan is being blamed for the poor performances, but he is being allowed to fail the club and not being supported with sufficient recruitment.

GH has had his day, he needs to step aside and let someone new take the reigns. I've got plenty of respect for what he did in the mid-90's onwards for the club, but he is getting stale and it is affecting everything else.

Time for Gawwy to go.

One thing that struck me as odd about this week's presser was when Rohan was asked about Luke Brooks. His answer was something along the lines of "I can sleep easily when I say I know nothing about that." I did wonder if that was code for GH doesn't tell me anything.

It doesn't quite work like that, though, does it? It's reminiscent of the chants of 'sack the board' back in the 1990s. Fine, get rid of these people, and then what? Who do you replace them with?

he could stay as CEO.
just not get involved in recruitment

Bingo.

Will he make a public apology today for that performance, but still back Smith.
The supporters deserve one.

There should be a public apology statement from the club and also state what they are doing to sort it. I'm surprised there's not been one already..

Hetherington needs to act now, get Smith out of my club now and bring someone in who actually knows how to coach.

Yesterday was probably the lowest I've ever felt as a fan. Wakefield truly are the worst team in the history of SL and we lost to them convincingly.

HETHERINGTON OUT
Too old
Too out of touch
Too tight

If that loss yesterday to the worst SL side in recent years who were down to 12 men does not produce a strongly worded statement to the fans including what they plan to do to change this mess then Hetherington needs to resign before the weekend.

Yep Trebor
The silence is deafening at the moment.
I imagine he does not know what to say as there is no way he can justify that performance or back up his coach now.

It's been a good number of years now since Gary has pulled off a signing or a coaching appointment that has got us to sit up and say "wow that's a cracking addition". We've been shopping in the bargain bins now for years, and that's really showing and there's only one person responsible for this.

He's been brilliant for the club, we have the best club owned stadium in the league, he saved us from our darkest depths with Paul Caddick, but his last 5-6 years is littered with bad decisions on the Rugby front. It's time for him to step aside from that aspect and to focus on the business side, bringing in someone with the knowledge and energy that he had for the Rugby side when he took it over to be DoR.

Agree Batley

Until Smith gets a free shot with the OQ and frankly ridiculous money we spent on both Tetevano and Sezer's wages on the assumption they are both Marquee players - he won't have had a chance. He got us to the GF last year - his talents are clearly there.

It is very difficult to make a poor side play well when you inherit another coaches ideas and infrastructure.

The flip side is that Saints have a decent squad and its very easy to roll on success when the bones of the squad are there 1, 6, 7 and 9.

Leeds got it badly wrong with Dwyer (we havent had a proper hooker since Buderus), Sezer (made of glass), Tetvano and Fusitu'a (see Sezer).

It boils down to poor recruitment.

eg we need a centre, We have Newman but he's been really unlucky. Thats it, thats the only proper centre we have.

Wigan managed to pick up Wardle AND King late last season. Why weren't Leeds all over that?

We have half backs and wingers at full back. Back rowers in the centres. Back rowers at stand off. Loose forwards at hooker.

We all know Smith is patching holes - but the club need to look at how those holes have been created.

I was speaking to my Wakey mate this morning. They are now on 2 point chasing Cas. Cas have 6 points - 4 are from playing Leeds.


2024 needs to be a blanks slate.

If Leeds has signed Luke Brooks, NOW is a good time to get that announced.

he is rubbish and I don't trust him whatsoever with any cap money. get rid now

You can't just blame recruitment for the recent performances, Smith is simply not getting a tune out of the squad this season which is bizarre considering how it went for him last season. He's lost control somewhere and i think there is an unhappy camp. We should be good enough to be close the playoffs if not in the top 6 but we look like relegation candidates. It's a good job we have points on the board.

However, you do have a very well made point about recruitment and that is doing longer term damage imo. Covid losses compounded years of poor recruitment too imo but that needs to change for next season, we have a massive few months ahead and need to get it right if we are ever to reach the standards of where we should be.

We let Dwyer and Hardaker go and back filled with championship players. To lose to Wakey after promising signs against the Pie eatees away, clearly shows the BIG TROUBLE we are in.
Last month 2 players refused new improved contracts, just goes to show we continue to go backwards

I get the recruitment for the future. What I don't get is following a Grand Final appearance, why the square peg round holes policy came in right from pre season with a largely full squad. I think Smith was just trying to show how clever he is... and frankly he isn't.

Hetherington won't go. He needs to sack Smith and look at 2024 overseas recruitment now, before we're left with the scraps again.

This is the best run club in SL - off the field. The rugby side of the business is showing some signs of wear and tear and needs a radical overhaul from top to bottom.

If Smith is staying - I can see the positives - then we have to get away from this "he needs his own team" - that will take years and what happens if that doesn't work? He certainly wont have his own team next season so how do you judge his performance?

This club needs a DOR who has a role of recruitment across the board playing and coaching.
1. They decide the overall rugby structure - youth development needs a significant overhaul with some fresh faces and new voices.
2. They appoint the coaches - its obvious Smith needs some more experience around him
3. Medical and conditioning is also part of this remit - the number of soft tissue injuries suggests this more than bad luck - its careless.
4. They choose the players - the coach has an input but the decision is theirs - otherwise you spend years unravelling what the previous coach has done - as we see now.
5. They work with the coaches to get continuity throughout the club so transition up the scale is easier for young players e.g. Saints.
6. Most importantly of all the set the standards and the culture expected through the rugby side of the club.

GH does what he does best run the operational side of the club about which there can be no issues - it is the best run club in any form of rugby in the northern hemisphere.