This year IMO has been the most difficult for trying to live up to expectation. After 3 in a row there has been no letup in the dislike for Leeds from clubs through to certain sections of the media.

I would have liked to have gone on and won it again but I do feel some relief that we've nothing to live up to now. No perch to knock us off.

I have no expectations for next year, we've done pretty well to finish 3rd after an injury ravaged season. Freshen things up and we have nothing to live up to next season. Hopefully we'll have better luck with injuries.

What are your expectations?

I've said it on a previous thread, this Leeds side should be entering a transitional phase, blooding some youngsters and slowly reducing the dependency on some of the older statesmen who have been fantastic servants and have made the last 5/6 years a joy for me as a Leeds supporter.

I feel almost like a weight has been lifted from our shoulders.

Expectations?

top 4 and nother good crack at old trafford.

In all honesty i thought we had the best squad on paper in the league this year at the start of the season.
Obviously we all know you don't win owt on paper but performances and injuries plus the emergance and improvement of Wigan ,Wire and the Giants etc have made it a very tough year.
I think a fresh and full off season and i or 2 additions and emerging youngsters we'llbe ready to challenge again next season although we can't over-rely on the elder statesmen of the squad too much imo.
I think we've had an outstanding few years and spoilt to a certain extent bit i still think we'll be challenging next year and then looking to kick on again in 2012 when some serious squad rebuilding will be required imo.

Exactly how I feel. Disappointed but ultimately relief.

We still have a very good set of players.

Finish third???

After the playoffs, yes.

As mentioned, I hope we're able to bring a few more of the youngsters through, and give more game time to Watkins and Jones-Bishop throughout the season. If we do this, and challenge for the top 2 next season then I'll be happy with that.

Because u played on the Saturday... Now ur clutching at straws!!

How the mighty fall lol

No.

Who out of the losing semi finalists beat the highest placed team?

Who did you play in the playoffs?

think its the first time i've ever agreed with you

I admit you're better than us... But to be clutching at the smallest straws of success as you are is amusing to see.

I was coming online to say something similar. I think you've summed things up really well there. Four in a row was always going to be a tall order, and it's been a credit to the players we have put out on the park this year to accomplish what they have. I've said it before, teams need a breather. Saints have breathers and now it's our turn.
It's going to be interesting to see how we cope without McGuire and Peacock for the first 4 months of next year and how strongly they come back. I'd like to see us sign a top quality, big go-forward prop and someone who can make an impact off the bench (back row or half back). I'd like to see the club look to bring BJB back into the set-up and have him develop on the wing and gradually bring on Watkins as Senior's replacement at 4.
I hope the guys play with a little more panache next year, and under less pressure. Attacking skill is where you win games against defences that slow you down and refuse to make mistakes. We have, McGuire apart, lacked the flair to do this consistantly enough. The guys have it, but it's not flowed naturaly enough this year.
I would add that we have gone into the last three playoff series fully fit and firing, it's so important as there is so little between winning and losing against the best.

I also, have no set expectations for next year. But we will be there or thereabouts, we will be in the mix at the end of the year and there is every chance of silverware. Isn't that nice to be able to think that. Not many clubs supporters can.

Congratulations to the guys, by no means a failed season and once again some tremendous moments to cheer. Enjoy your break.

We finished 3rd. That's a fact I'm afraid, not straw clutching.

In terms of expectations, a lot depends on the playing style we adopt. If we persist with the style we have had over the last couple of years, of a flat line attack and hoping for a bust and offload to a fast support player, without McGuire and our coaches insistence on playing a loose forward at stand off we will continue to slip down the league, but only by a place or two. If we decide to play a structured attack with more depth, and play Webb at 6, BJB at 1 and Sinfield at 13, we can then start to move forward and have more options with ball in hand.

One of the reasons that Wigan defended so well tonight, and they were superb, was that we didn't have enough players in motion around the ball. IMO for years we have structured our attack around offloads and fast support players, but we don't seem either fit enough or fast enough to do this anymore, and the lack of questions that we asked the Wigan defence meant they could cover most or all of what we threw at them.

It's worth noting that Saints have been without their main playmaker (Pryce) for a number of weeks and have still made the final, so by comparison we have one or two questions to answer in this regard. A look in the "points for" column will also reveal the same.

JP has been a major loss, and without him we have really struggled for go forward. This has been compounded with the loss of Burgess, but has revealed a major issue to be dealt with in the off season. We simply must find another top grade metre maker before the start of next season or we will be facing a big problem. The return of McDermott should really help both the pack and the discipline which is good news.

On a positive note, I don't remember ever seeing any team in any sport have more mental strength and determination than this Leeds team, and for this McLennan needs to be congratulated. We have some good young kids coming through in BJB, Watkins, Clarkson (who was a little out of his depth this evening, but that's not his fault) and Ambler, all of which need to see more structured game time next year.

The break that we will now have as a result of not having so many players on tour, and not having to prepare early for the WCC is a real bonus as we looked very tired towards the end of this season, a symptom of a number of years short off seasons.

So expectations are top 4, in with a chance of the GF again, and semi's of the cup.