All that and still 2nd in the league ?

but we'll be awesome when we get it right

Excellent analysis.

I'd expect the believest head in the sand brigade to be burning effigies of you within the hour!

Well summed up. I think we know what to do with right centre but it seems to also rely on the 1st choice full back been available.

The fact that we are still second in the league says more about the league than it says about us.

We do still have the playing personnel to win something but this year feels like a significant decline over last in terms of our playing standards and general performance levels.

We may indeed have the right centre spot sorted for the remaining 7 or so games left this season not sure about next year.

Left centre is also a worry with Senior only really able to put in 1 top flight performance for every 4 or 5 games.

If Senior vacated the left centre position who would we the starting 2 centres be next season?

While I agree there is no need to panic yet, I don't think we can say that our poor performance against Wigan doesn't matter, because we are second in the table. It may not have been the big one on Friday but every game should matter on the road to Old Trafford.

Every game does matter but losing isn't as season ending as some would think.
Wigan were better and took their chances we were average in defence and once they got a roll on gave away daft penalties again.
However i think we will still finish top 2 and make the grand final and in the grand scheme of things losing to wigan other than 2 points dropped and a poor performance won't matter!

I didn't think we were discussing next year at this point.

I would hope a centre replacement for Smith was found and that will at this point need to come from outside the club IMO. It's interesting that Shenton's form has picked up with a move back to his favoured flank.



I don't agree with that statement based on this season's form. I'd reverse the formula and Wigan did an excellent job of keeping him quiet on Friday. Not having a recognised threat on the right hand side helped them concentrate on keeping Senior in check.

Indeed I was thinking about this season initially although that lead me to think about the fact that this season is nearly over and we will need to get something sorted and the sooner the better...although I guess it's a bit difficult to guess someone elses train of thought on a written messageboard.

Senior was very well sheperded by Wigan and perhaps 1 good game in every 4-5 was a bit harsh. Even so I reckon that's where things are headed for him, be interesting to see how he goes after a proper off season followed by a full pre-season's training!

I am becoming increasingly convinced that Mr Mc Clellan is out of his depth. The selection of Ratu was pretty left field and I guess is a clear signal of Gibson's imminent departure and not much faith in Watkins as yet. Having Worrall on the bench and then simply not using him seemed strange to say the least as was his explanation - "we thought we were in with a chance so didn't wan't to put someone of his experience into the fray?"

I have never been one for calling for the coaches head as soon as we hit a blip, but I do think that we are in need of something new/extra/different right now and that may mean a change at the top

What he's really saying about Worrall is that he doesn't think he's any good. The lad is not 17, and has played a number of games. Was he hoping we'd be winning by 50 and then be able to put him on. It's a 17-man game, and rotating your forwards is a key element of that. Playing a man down effectively is bound to add to fatigue. Dumb dumb coaching.

Its something that happens from time to time and I can never fathom - selecting a player and either not playing him or using him for only a few minutes. Guess is that the coach feels things are finely balanced with the players out there and the replaement could upset things.

Not sure who else could have been selected though. With Bailey & Kirke injured there's no other forward with experience available and Senior to second row wasn't an option as Smith was already playing full back.

Its baffling when a player only gets 5 minutes or so in a game. And your right that it leads to fatigue of other players, especially when you lose another player to injury. You could understand it if it were a utility back on the bench, but not a forward.

I remember thinking it stange when Bailey only payed the last 7 mins at OT last year. I hadn't noticed he hadn't been on, but when he came on, he was the only person with a clean kit

Two injuries and the first team forward squad is pretty much down to the bare bones where the next in line is considered way below who he could replace on the field. The term making up the numbers comes to mind.

Leeds have been running light all season though, a fact recently acknowledged by the CEO himself.

2nd in the table is pretty good to say we have not played particularly well yet.

Time is running out though and we have got to start hitting some consistent form. We need to get a "roll" on or this season will just be another 2006.

The only good news for us is that no team is playing with a high level of consistency yet, though Huddersfield could be my dark horse team to go all the way to GF.