Just on the whipping boy rabble thing, you had fans taking their tops off and twirling them around when ferres scores last night,


It's a little sad to see,

There will be someone who can come until the end of the season and see to it that the team isn't getting thrashed every week and then relegated. Leeds can sort out long term options in the winter. But right now actions needs to be taken.

The issue is when BMac was appointed - if I remember correctly there was a statement which said job for life "

I think Leeds have some issues that won't be easily solved if McD is replaced.

The pack concerns me the most. IMO the current pack has only one forward, Ferres, who is currently capable of producing top level SL performances from both a physical and ability perspective. Ablett and Ward would join him if fit. The others appear to have either failing bodies, insufficient fitness or lack of ability. Some have a combination.

I'm not that keen on the indiscipline of Ferres. Penalty count has gone down but the daft kicking ball away when Jimmy k knocked on does not help the team. Cuthbertson is a real talent but this elbow/ arm issue
which was there last season appears to be hampering his game.

With half back issues as well and not much to come from
the academy for a year or two, I am not convinced that say Powell at cas would want to come back, regardless of pay. He was moved out as the golden generation came through. He has missed the best 12 years and will be under more pressure at Leeds.

A few alternatives for Leeds that could be implemented fairly quickly to try and help McD.

1)Bring in another person to change the dynamic. Sinfield as asst coach, kicking coach, mind coach, guru, witch doctor, defence coach - whatever just get him in.

2) bring in a sports psychologist to lift confidence etc.

3) bring in an old hand like noble short term to give a counter point.

not saying these are ideal options but the group all look like they could do with some help to seek to keep Leeds up which is the one and only goal now.

Can see you hiring Brian Smith to see you through the middle 8s then sacking it 5 games in when Hetheringron rejects his takeover bid... Wait.

In all seriousness, Brian Mc after the success he has brought your club deserves another season to atone for this, and to get rid of the many spineless players cough cough Hardaker.

This is probably the biggest issue though. Will they get rid of players and bring in the ones McDermott wants?

When you think of the type of player that personifies McDermott's spell it's one that reads 'experience, workhorse, leader'.....you look at the squad he's got now and it's depleted on all those things. Rumours of players he didn't want to keep like Burrow. Rumours of players he wanted to sign such as an experienced HB.

I'm pretty sure McDermott would've wanted to keep Aiton here but GH didn't make that happen. I'm also pretty sure that Falloon wouldn't have even made his Top 10 of potential replacements. A fan of workhorse 2nd rowers I'd suggest he wasn't the one who wanted Achurch. He's not a huge fan of throwing young lads in especially in key positions so I doubt he wanted Sutcliffe as Sinfield's replacement but was a more experienced option bought? No, and just like Burrow staying because GH said so this seems more like a GH approved squad than a BM preferred one.

And if you've not got the squad you wanted then no wonder cracks start to appear. GH will know what type of player/squad make-up McDermott would like and either should've given him it or replaced him earlier with a coach who saw it like GH did.

I think if McDermott had his way we'd be lining up like this right now....

6 - McGuire
7 - Gale
9 - Aiton

Instead we have Hetherington's - Sutcliffe, McGuire, Burrow/Falloon

Regardless of squad make up the question for me is this.

Would this group of players being playing as bad if they were coached by: Powell, Wane, Green, Bellemy, Robinson - if the answer to that is yes then its not a coaching issue on the other hand if the answer is no?

It's not a given that they would be performing much better.

It's a tricky situation and so many factors are playing a part in leeds sitting at the bottom and not all are down to the coach and any incoming coach would have them issues to deal with still.

The players also must take some responsibility for their performances, for the first half u competed and if played like that for full 80 would be winning more games than losing. I do not believe that for one minute at half time bm would have said right that's great now go and throw game away!!

Undoubtedly things are not right at Leeds on and off the pitch I just don't think.it can all be put at mcdermotts door

We are not even talking of winning games right now, competing is the first step.We haven't done that for the last three for sure, beaten by around 50 in all three.the cup game before that was also a game which we were never really in with a chance so you have to go back a month now to find a game where we competed for 80 minutes being the Huddersfield away game and if we are honest it was only because of our last ditch goaline defence and Hudds poor attack at the time that kept it close.

So what another coach could get out of this group now who knows, but what we know as fact right now is that Mcdermott can't even get them to compete for 80 minutes which is the most important thing to consider imo.

The point is no matter what team he puts out is McDermott getting the best out of the 19 players that take the field each week? Would Wane or Powell get the same standard and effort as McDermott is extracting from the 19? Its a given that Green, Robinson or Bellamy would not allow this debacle to have continued as long as this even with the injuries McDermott has had.

To say Robinson was a failure at Catalans is unfair - he was a huge success there and set a platform for what they are now achieving.

The job of the coach is to get the best performance out of the available players - it isn't about winning it about quality on the field.

But with McGuire, Hardaker and Cuthbertson Leeds win these games easily.

Those bemoaning the squad now will still have had Leeds top four in the eve of season prediction comp. What has happened is the complete disintegration of a champion club in a few short months post Sinfield and Peacock.

McDermott won't turn this around, he's the one that has overseen it.

Yorks 9/301 at the close of play.

Lancashire's day.

Rumour now that Furner is on way to take over.

Seen that but it's twitter so i take it with a huge pinch of salt.