ALL HAIL BRIAN MCCLENNAN THE GREAT!

Brian McLennan got the tactics spot-on tonight. But I have to say that the Rhinos consistently seemed to played with more passion under Tony Smith.

Leeds can beat [ianyone[/i when they play to their best, but when they don't it's woeful.

Brian Mclennan has the ability to motivate the Rhinos to be even better than they were under Tony Smith, and that will come with time, I'm sure.

The one advantage ol' Cone Head has over Donk (see the movies "Cone Heads" and "Crocodile Dundee" and disagree with my nicknames if you dare!) is that he actually publicly acknowledges the achievements of his team. Tony Smith always seemed to be (and I stress "seemed"icon_wink.gif to value the achievements of the opposing side over his own team.

Privately he may have been different (and apparently was) but to a fan, he wasn't sufficiently proud of his team. Maybe this is why he got so much from the Rhinos? They were constantly trying to play to their best to seek his public approval

Leeds are a relatively young squad, so don't laugh it off. It's the young guys who play out of their skin. like Lee Smith, who make the difference in a game. The old warhorses (and they're getting younger by the day) know what they're doing and don't need the kind of ranting that Anderson subjected Saints to at half time (wise decision? with a bunch of prima donnas? Maybe not, you decide), but one thing's for sure: Brian McLennan got the tactics spot-on tonight.

Even the ol' warhorse Keef benefited from being shifted over to the right for the first half. Haven't seen him play so well for ages; he teamed-up with Ryan Hall better than I've ever seen him gel with Scott Donald since the glory days of him having the oh-so-reliable Franny Cummings on the wing. Senior needs to be part of a partnership to shine. He makes other people look good and plays better because of it. When he hasn't the support, he becomes an old man who hasn't the speed he once had, and that's a waste of an international talent. I hope Ol' Cone Head moves him to the right more often.

Burrow and Maguire have been relatively quiet of late, but if anything tonight showed (Maguire's try has to be the try of the season in my opinion) is that they are a constant threat. Yes, you can stifle them, but you do so at the detriment of the rest of your defence, and that means one of the Rhinos other stars will just pick you apart. A kick from Sinfield, a tackle-busting run from Senior, an impossible offload from Lauititi, a quick darting run from Diskin...the options are endless.

And that is why Leeds are the best team in the world - they have so many options to hurt their opposition. Their only weakness is themselves; when they allow their opposition to impose their game upon them they become rigid and mediocre. Brian McLennan knows that the best way to combat Saints (as it was with the Bulls when they were good) is to play the game in their half; you let them get near your try-line at your peril.

Tony Smith got the best out of Leeds, Brian McLennan is doing the same for the majority of the time. If he can do the same next season and improve on it, Rhinos will be unbeatable. We only need fear mercurial performances from the likes of Warrington, Catalans, Hull (both) and Saints; the rest are just plodders.

It comes down to who wants it most, and when Rhinos want it most there's no stopping them. I believe Brian McLennan can motivate Leeds to do that every game, and we have the team who are professional enough to do what they need to do, and more with style.

I believe! Do you?