Defeat to 8th placed Hull, only one try in a later home defeat to Hull, being kept try-less at Wigan, a home defeat to Wakefield and a home drubbing by Bradford. They all happened after the announcement of departure and don't fit any pattern of improved performance.

The points per game for Tony Smith's tenure:

2004 1.82
2005 1.57
2006 1.44
2007 1.43 (pre announcement)
2007 1.35 (post announcement)

That might give you a decent case for saying Leeds's performance got progressively worse under Tony Smith (though it would ignore external factors) but I don't think it supports any notion that the side picked up once they knew he was off.

Point taken - it will have some effect on the game, but dropped balls? One man rugby? Would it reduce our gameplan to basically nothing?

We may yet do it this year, but it would take one hell of a turnaround - more so than in any other year.

I'm not holding my breath.

dropped ball is hardley a coaching issue though mate!! im pretty sure thats not in blueys game plan

Hardly a coaching issue?

Dropped ball is exactly the sort of thing the coach should be eradicating in training. If a team consistently drops the ball it's the coach that should do something about it.

I'm sure it's not in Bluey's gameplan as well but the fact we're doing it so much shows that something's not right.

Either players aren't familiar enough with plays (the coach's fault), the players lack confidence (partly the coach's fault) or the players can't be ar5ed (the coach's fault).

Or maybe we're dropping the ball because the backs are under more pressure from defences due to the forwards not doing their jobs and so are trying miracle passes and offloads?
IMO its much more a mental thing than a lack of skill.