I think I should expand on my comment of the season being a failure if we don't reach old trafford .
It would be pretty boring if we got to old trafford every year, so I would be quite content if some years we won nowt,so long as the effort was there.
The reason why we should be at old trafford this year is the strength and quality of the squad, I think next year we will be weaker unless GH spends some money. This he claims he will not do, his ambition is to promote from within,we shall see on that topic.
If you look back to how well we played in the world challenge final and an outstanding victory at saints you can see we have the capabilities of rising to the occasion.
All will be revealed in the next few weeks.

I dont think we should be too hard on the Coach or squad for not making OT should that happen afterall other teams have been just as good and better than us.
Where i think there should be bigger questions raised is with some of Mc'D's selections and the transition within the pack also who is retained/signed etc etc but that should definately also involve GH.
Whatever our past success it's clear imo that the squad needs freshening up and certain players moving on/new arrivals.
I think the transition within the backs has been decent but they are not getting utilised properly imo and as for some of the forwards i just dont see how they are still here let alone retained for next year and beyond.

So why do we need a coach then if it's the conditioning team that obviously win us titles?

Let's just sweep aside the achievements of TS, Bluey and BMcD - it's Jason Davidson who deserves all the credit.

Sometimes I think you're on a different planet to the rest of us.

Did I suggest that?

You suggested we should congratulate McDermott for getting these players to peak at the right time of year, where a group of them have been doing it for a number of years. I just stated the bloody obvious in that three coaches in a row have done that with the same conditioning team.

Isn't it the conditioning team role to ensure the players peak at the right time?

Has McDermott asked the conditioning team to do it differently to Smith and Bluey before him? I don't know by the way, but would guess he is sticking to the tried and tested.

There's a lot more to peaking at the right time than "conditioning"

To be honest from our showings this year I don't conclude that the forwards are main worry going into 2014. I think this year has shown the weak spot to be 6,7 & 9. We've not struggled really to get into the opposition 20, we have however struggled to score once there.

I wouldn't be concerned if we go into 2014 with this as our strongest choice 17 forward line-up.
PROPS - Peacock, Leuluai, Singleton, Bailey
2nd ROW - Delaney, JJB, Ward
LOOSE - Ablett, Sutcliffe

However we all pretty much agree that Burrow shouldn't be an 80 minutes starting hooker and although some have called for it I don't think the role of Loose Forward nowadays (more a stronger forward than extra playmaker type) is one Sinfield can or should fill. That leaves Sinfield, Burrow & McGuire all best suited to the halves.....but 3 into 2 doesn't go, but as mentioned above I don't think any should be playing anywhere other than the halves.....so that leaves the big question/dilemma/decision of.......one of the golden trio has to make way.

That is what the 2013 season has really shown us.

Accepted. But you can't do it without the conditioning team doing their job to the planned strategy. Various ingredients make up that "peaking".

Hence why the players and coaches over a number of years now have praised that department of the club.

The point is, I doubt that strategy and tied and tested way has changed since the last year of Smith. Same result each time, no matter who the coach was.

You still have to have the players in the right frame of mind. But even Graeme West won the title at the back end of Wigan's dominance. Christ, he actually did better than the previous as he won the grand slam of all four trophies available. He's in the history books, but he wasn't the reason for it. Where did he go from there, in a relative very short time after it?

I was just about to say the very same - It's about getting the team to peak both physically AND mentally.

It is the coaches job to ensure that both these aspects happen and the same time and, more importantly at the right time. BMcD should be praised for getting this right for the last two years.

I think even beyond that, there are aspects about how you play, and when. If you attack the same way all year, teams will work it out eventually. We always seem to come up with something new, against opponents who have running the same systems for ten months.

I'd agree to a point re the forwards, except I think part of the reason why we've struggled in the opposition 20 is a lack of movement and support runs primarily from the forwards. Whether that's by design or not I don't know.

I dont disagree Printer but i still feel we need at the very least 1 younger quality Prop.
JP can't keep carrying this pack plus i think even more so next year we have to rotate better with Kylie staying and i'd like to see Kirke and Moore minimum to be released.

Add Delaney, JJB and Bailey back into the pack and we are likely to see a significant improvement.

You never been to Gipton or Harehills then?

www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-5964457 At least someone from inside the club is willing to speak out and be honest about our problems in the opposition quarter at the moment. Im sure with a weeks rest, a few more bodies back and a bit of extra work we can hit the play offs on the front foot.

www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-5964457 At least someone from inside the club is willing to speak out and be honest about our problems in the opposition quarter at the moment. Im sure with a weeks rest, a few more bodies back and a bit of extra work we can hit the play offs on the front foot.