What about the post Golden era?

Could see us lining up something like this next season.

Miller
Hall
Connor
Newman
Handley
Croft
New Halfback
Mik
Ackers
RCG
New Second Rower
Bentley
Smith

New Prop
Holroyd / New Prop
Gannon / McDonnell
O’Connor

Then we need depth.

I think Bentley will move to becoming a middle forward full time from the bench next season

Can't see RCG leaving the NRL.
And from what Matt Shaw said in his article we won't be signing a Martin replacement, but rather running with Bentley/McDonnell/Gannon(+Littlewood?)
It does sound like we'll be getting 2 new props though, we really need to get them right this time

Would love it to be RCG, but I very much doubt it. I don't think Frawley will leave either. Arthur seems happy with him even if large parts of the fanbase are not. Instead, I think he will use Connor ( if signed) as a genuine spine utility covering injury and lack of form at full back and halfback. If Mom leaves I think he'll use the quota spot for a big athletic ball carrying 3/4, either wing or centre. Would be great to a sign second row, but I think we'd need add an English prop for that to happen.

The post-golden era woes, as far as I understand, are purely on-field issues. In 1996 the club really did face oblivion financially.

The bad times post-2015 may feel worse because we were spoiled for the preceding decade. We talk of the GF win of 2017, the CC win of 2020 and even making the GF in 2022 as 'papering over the cracks', but these achievements are still better than anything the club did for most of the 80s and 90s.

Now we are more frustrated with the club's inability to turn a strong financial, resources and infrastructure position into on-field success.

I suspect there are differing opinions of what minimum success looks like. During the golden years there were quite a few posters on here who were constantly predicting our demise and the need to replace coaches and players. They will not be happy with anything short of the playing roster of the NRL champions. And then there are those of us who just want Leeds to get back into the top clutch of teams in SL, and at least have the potential to be title contenders every year, even if we don't win every time.

There were a number of us who started worrying about the lack of succession planning before the Goldens ended. As it turns out our worst fears were realised. There clearly was no succession plan worth the name. Junior development had ceased to produce real star quality and we continually signed average players to replace great ones. McDermott stayed too long and had to be sacked, and then Furner-Agar-Smith were poor choices of coach.

Its definitely the case that even since 2015 we've been far more successful than the 80s and 90s. But we've also flirted with relegation several times, and the poor seasons just feel worse after the riches we'd previously seen. For me the issue is that with better management the relative decline could have been stopped years ago, and we really ought to have rebuilt properly way before now.

But it does feel like Arthur may be the coach to at least turn the ship around on the field, and in Blease we at least have an up to date professional managing the club. So I actually feel relatively hopeful for the next couple of seasons.

If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor.

Oh, sit down…

You know, I almost went for that line when I wrote that. I thought I was getting away with it...

I’ve been getting away with it all my life…