Some thoughts on yesterday and the season to date

Quote: matthinchley "Although our attacking presence has been somewhat lack lusture, another vital aspect of the game has been somewhat shambolic... our defence.

Time and time again the players are tackling around peoples shoulders, or trying to get big hits in, and allowing players to turn and get an offload off.

It's not going too well is it. Reflecting on the season so far, out of our 'big' games there's been three (Saints twice and WCC), and we've lost them all. Another pattern is those games is that we have been comfortably beaten in each one and just scored late consolation scores to make the scoreboard look more reasonable. Maybe this has papered over the cracks, maybe a total blow out in these games would have given us a earlier wake up call. So in this context the Salford game this was only a matter of time.

Our form in general, over the season, hasn't been good. And what has been harder to pin-point is the reason why. I mean we seem to be failing as a group rather than individually. As a team we haven't got the ball going. So many gmaes have been dead around the 60 minute mark, we make life hard for ourself. And for the first time in years I wonder if it's a fitness issue? There's no spark or tempo to our play.

The players need to be honest and hold their hands up. they are cutting corners as proffesionals. In any other industry you get found out, and Leeds have been and need to improve. Especially after yesterdays blow-out. Too many problems to mention. I'll try my best:

- Defensive line, going back the 10 m, at walking pace. They need to get back and turn and face. Then when we are back in line, there were holes all over the place. The players are hoping someone else makes the tackle, they need to hold their hand up and get stuck in.

- Markers, biggest joke of the Salford game. It seems we've regressed back to the markers being players who have a rest. Simply cutting corners.

- Bailey and Burgees in their first stint. Didn't do the donkey work, didn't look for the ball, didn't make the hard yards. These two illustrate the lack of depth in this position. If we'd had other options we could drop Bailey or Kylie for example, but we can't afford to do so. So your left with recycling the 4 props.

- Attack, what attack? The pack over the last few weeks has been easily neutralised. This makes is very hard for our pivots then. Our second phase is just not there. And when someone does make a break (think Buderus in the 1st half), where were the options, Leeds of old would have had Webb on one side and McGuire or Burow on the other, and what did we have? Not a lot, McGuire eventually got there, but then the ball wasn't on.

- And what does all this bring to the boil? Frustration. Which then leads to penalties, stupid f*cking penalties. We winge and we moan rather than being pro-active in defense or attack. Diskin highlighted this for me. He gave a penalty for holding (shock I know), obviously disputed the call and was in discussion with Child (this I don't mind, I encourage open dialogue between players and refs), but guess who, was still bleeting for the next three tackles on the shoulder of Child? You guessed it. So we are hardly helping ourself.

In Bluey I trust. This will give him a test. We were all happy enough with him at the end of last season, we've done so well over the last few years, so this bit of rough has to be weathered. A few boos lingered at the end of th match, what a bunch of 'tards. I wasn't happy with what I saw, but only the players can recify this. I back them, it wasn't pretty and I don't want to see a repeat of it for quite some time. We love the smooth we have to put up with the rough, and we've experienced a hell of a alot worse than this.

Squad - no doubt the right centre issue will get dragged up again after this. I will add this - Ben Jones-Bishop can add his name to the list of wingers on the right who have seen sod all ball.

Positives - only one for me - JP. This guys on another planet, always battering forward and must demand the same level of commitment form his other team mates. On a trerrible afternoon, he shone, like he always does.

Credit Salford - They stuck to their game-plan and fully derseved the 2 points. I thought Smith and Myler ran the show. You know what they are going to do, careful recyling of the ball and then look for the kick (either long down field, which were all superb) or an attacking kick in the danger zone. Cashmere et al were strong enough in defense and Wilshere was superb in attack form deep on joining the attacking line, did we ever end up tackling that guy?

In summary - if you cut corners, you get found out. Sleeves need to be rolled up and players need to apply themsleves better. We have no tempo in our game, we need to find something. There's a lot of games to go, so plenty of time to swing things round. We know when we need to peak, but we do need to start rolling into some kind of form. The differnce between us now and at the start of the season, was least then we had our steel in defense. Hard work pays off, we need to remember that.