McDermott said in a post match interview, "I don't think we were too far off today...."

In some respects, I think he has a point, we no longer have the pace or guile to damage a well structured defence. However, our defence was woeful at times, there was no structure on attack, the attacking line was far too shallow and the situation with Briscoe was laughable. All thee things lie at the coaches door.

Printer, you ask what the difference isbetween some of our previous inept displays and yesterday? Well, there isn't one, same coach, the difference being we had better players to turn it around.

First off well done to Hull no complaints from me the better team won and i wish them all the best for the final they have earned it.

As far as we are concerned i thought our pack for the first half hour matched them but it was a fatal mistake from Mac not to take Briscoe off following that first drop.the warning signs were there and Hull were clearly going to have an easy outlet there were he to be on the field which they rightly took advantage of. Conceding the try on the half time hooter, which was a mile forward by the way but there you go, killed the game. Watkins had some good moments but again is under used and we again the world class finishing of Hall but apart from those fleeting moments we fell apart in the second half and Hull bullied us at times to be fair and were clinical i think they would have done what the did to us to most teams playing like that.

Anyway, we have to dust ourselves down quickly and get back on the horse, we are still bang in the hunt for OT.

So you could say that the problem is therefore down to the players

Not here to gloat, promise, but after the chat on page 7 about resting those players, do people think it was a mistake in hindsight, or do you think it wouldnt have made much difference?

or the failure of the coach to augment a game plan which suits the players. recruitment has been awful, the squad is average.but the coach has consistently failed to solve the right side issue and the lack of structure or game plan is down to him and him alone. he is old school. no assistant skills or defensive coach. it's all him. no issue with that he's in charge. but he is solely to blame when a shambles like yesterday occurs

Or it could be the coach hasn't developed the players sufficiently to cope with these situations?

He certainly doesn't appear to have given them any kind of attacking structure to work with

No just think you were the better team on the day and we couldn't match you for any more than the first half hour. Resting players or not had no bearing on that imo.

Good luck in the final.

Resting players was nothing to do with it. If anything, yesterday proved we had players still not fit enough to return, considering how much they were blowing after 30 mins.

How Ferres got picked defies any logic

The only thing I can think is this is a coach trying to prove a point to his boss - i.e. the squad is simply not strong enough

What have you done to Briscoe and Ferres both internationals before you signed them. Now Ferres looks fat and Briscoe is a mile away from the player he was.

Seems rather silly to let Hardaker and that Walker lad go and keep Golding.

Some hard years coming up for Leeds I reckon but you will be miles better for it. Need to sort your pack out though.

I cant think of one game in nearly 2 seasons when iv thought "im glad we had ferres out there" he's been an awful signing but i dont blame the club,i was happy as larry when we got him,thought it was a cracking signing at the time!! Supose when ur guarenteed to get picked regardless of form or conditioning then it can lead to complacency

Hetherington has always had a thing about money and players salary needing to be picked. To be fair to McDermott here, when he wanted Webb out, he was forced to pick because he was a big earner, when he wanted Burrow out he was forced to pick. I am not suggesting he doesn't want to pick Ferres, because I don't think that is true, but Ferres is on big bucks, and history tells me because of that he would get picked.

If he is on big bucks then that is a serious error of judgement on GH's part - he is shadow of the player he once was

From a neutral point of view, Hull were the better side but game wasn't one-sided, and swung on two decisions, the forward pass try and the correct obstruction call on Leeds which halted growing momentum and conviction. Don't be too hard on your team.

Yeah i can imagine that being the case,after paying a fee for him and giving him a salarly an england international(at the time) would command id expect hetherington is keen for him to play,especially with the risk he took signing him in the first place in regards to how he became available. Some players are proffesional enough to still put the work in even knowing ther place in the team is a lock...Im not sure ferres is one of them after seeing the state he was in earlier on in the season. He did look a bit slimmer yesterday tbf tho