I’ve probably been our coach’s biggest critic over this season. But he’s done some good stuff and that is what I acknowledge in this week’s damobit - leeds.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1678 [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YeRLqLxnbwAlso check this out. It’s the Damo Bit Rugby Ball bouncing around. Still a lot more work to go into the introduction to the show as yet. But it’s getting done. Perhaps as a pilot show prize they could be a real ball with the Damo Bit on..[/url Or we can just have a cake ball..

I’ve probably been our coach’s biggest critic over this season. But he’s done some good stuff and that is what I acknowledge in this week’s damobit - leeds.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1678 [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YeRLqLxnbwAlso check this out. It’s the Damo Bit Rugby Ball bouncing around. Still a lot more work to go into the introduction to the show as yet. But it’s getting done. Perhaps as a pilot show prize they could be a real ball with the Damo Bit on..[/url Or we can just have a cake ball..

hmmmmmmm

Quote Damo-Leeds="Damo-Leeds"I’ve probably been our coach’s biggest critic over this season. But he’s done some good stuff and that is what I acknowledge in this week’s damobit - leeds.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1678 [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YeRLqLxnbwAlso check this out. It’s the Damo Bit Rugby Ball bouncing around. Still a lot more work to go into the introduction to the show as yet. But it’s getting done. Perhaps as a pilot show prize they could be a real ball with the Damo Bit on..[/url Or we can just have a cake ball..'" [ithis team has been in decline since 2006[/i.... Were you asleep in 2007/2008/2009?

Quote Damo-Leeds="Damo-Leeds"I’ve probably been our coach’s biggest critic over this season. But he’s done some good stuff and that is what I acknowledge in this week’s damobit - leeds.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1678 [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YeRLqLxnbwAlso check this out. It’s the Damo Bit Rugby Ball bouncing around. Still a lot more work to go into the introduction to the show as yet. But it’s getting done. Perhaps as a pilot show prize they could be a real ball with the Damo Bit on..[/url Or we can just have a cake ball..'" [ithis team has been in decline since 2006[/i.... Were you asleep in 2007/2008/2009?

What I was trying to get across is that yeah we’ve won the grand final. But our long seasons haven’t exactly been entertaining have they?



Leeds Rhinos were even playing mediocre under Brian McClennan against mediocre teams and still coming out on top.

The very title of this thread made me kick the nearest person in disgust.



Cut him slack for what?



Yes, we were in decline last year under Bluey. We were poor and looked a shadow of what we had seen before.



Brain though as taking us to new submarine-esq depths. Ok, so we have reached the CC Final, and in fairness we have beaten some handy teams along the way, but be under no illusions. It counts for nothing unless we beat Wigan who are easily the best team we will have faced in the competition.



Yes, we hammered a very very very very poor Cas team last week but that is scant consolation for the inept dross that we have had to watch for large chunks of the season.



It isn't all Brains fault, the players should always take their share of the blame. But, as in all sports these days, the buck stops at the coaches door.

Let me get this straight - if Leeds win all their remaining three league games (entirely plausible, particularly given Huddersfield's fall into a giant hole), then they could well achieve exactly the same league placing as they did in 2010.



They've already reached the same stage of the Challenge Cup as they did in 2010, despite drawing SL opposition in every round.



This has been achieved despite starting the season with two of their best players on the injured list, and playing without either first choice centre for a large chunk of the campaign.



So how exactly have they "plumbed new depths"? Someone clearly doesn't recall some of the shocking performances McLennan's side turned in last year, particularly in the early part of the season. Home capitulations to Castleford and Hull KR, hidings at Saints and Wigan, the awful non-performance in the Challenge Cup Final and the final eliminator?

Yes but McDermott isn't as cuddly as McClennan was.

The new depths they have plunged is the sheer ineptitude that has been witnessed this year. Yes, they were poor under Bluey last season, I do believe I said that in my original post, perhaps you glossed over that in an effort to make your point?



For some reason this season we have forgotten how to tackle, how to pass a ball, how to catch a ball. Brains idea of playing catchup rugby from two minutes into the game saw us throwing the ball about like it was the hottest of hot potatoes. Tactical genius?



As for the 'we had players injured, poor us'. I really dislike this argument. All teams have injuries. Its a squad game, and regardless of who is fit, they should be able to pass and catch a ball.



When your at a top club like Leeds its not just about league position, its about how you play to get to that point. Again, this is open to opinion but the expectation is that you play well and finish in a good position.



As I said, its not all Brains fault but the buck does stop with him.

McDermott groupie duly noted

The fact that we're likely to finish in a similar league position to last year is hardly testament to McDermott's coaching ability.



[Keith Swiftcorn Mode



It's a 5 team competition.



[/Keith Swiftcorn Mode

yes we put in some awful displays under previous coaches but surely not in anyway like this year. strange team selections (to me anyway) young players not getting game time dispite putting in reasonable performances especially with the lack of form of our senior players. . Injury's are not an excuse other teams have them as well and thats even more frustating for not giving the youg guys a chance. Having said that, I think the team as turned the corner and could still produce a shock or two but lets see more flowing rugby and big hit ups like Friday

At least McClennan's side was able to beat all the top 4 clubs last season, something that McDermott has failed to do thus far (with ample opportunity). Not only have Leeds not beaten these sides this season, in the majority of games we have been soundly beaten. Like it or not, this lack of competitiveness is 'plumbing new depths', at least depths not seen since the Powell era if not earlier.



The games you mention were disappointing and things were clearly going stale last year, but the team was still capable of putting in performances against the top clubs when it mattered (CC final aside), even if these performances weren't quite upto the standards of the previous 3 seasons. Like it or not, Leeds were the last club in SL to beat Wigan in the CC and the play-offs, and both happened last season. OK, we didn't make the GF, but we did better in the play-offs than Warrington or arguably even Saints who simply made up the numbers at Old Trafford. I'd be surprised if McDermott can improve on this record for 2011.