Define failing.

Leeds won 3 and drew one of their opening 9 Super League fixtures in 2010. Was Brian McLennan also "failing" or were his apologists queuing up to offer excuses for the side's home defeats to Hull KR and Castleford?

It's a good job you weren't in charge of Manchester United in the late 1980s Damo, otherwise they may never have experienced the most successful era in the club's history.

We had a similar sort of season in 2010 (like 2009) under Brian McClennan and remember how that turned out?

2009 is a totally different circumstance to 2011. For one in 2009 we were back to back champions. In 2011 we’re Challenge cup finalist runners up and failed to get to Old Trafford last year.

Failing is when you fail to improve a team which Brian McDermott is clearly seen to be doing. I look forward to been an apologist if he does turn things around though.



I acknowledge that there’s a big difference between fans speculation and opinions compared to the real deal. But there’s no doubt that Alex Ferguson is one of the rarest of kinds. There’s very few coaches of any sport that can stand by him and claim that they’ve done as well.

Finally I’m sure that if anyone from the club does read this then it won’t be taken too seriously. I may want Gary Hetherington to take action, but it doesn’t mean he will. It’s just an opinion I’m putting across that’s all.

I kind of agree with G1 re: The Smith Legacy.

With the benefit of hindsight people have forgotten how dire we were in 2006 and for a lot of 2007 as well. The biggest achievement Smith made was building that team up again for 2007, which culminated in of the clubs greatest ever performances at Old Trafford. I think Powell would have lead us to the league title in 2004, that squad came together beautifully that season, Powell's team plus Bai and Lauitiiti.

As for the Brian Mac thing, our performances did drop off once he left I seem to remember thinking. The jury is still very much out on him as a coach (and Lowes as an assistant for that matter), I don't think his success as assistant holds much relevance now.

Which only happened after his departure from the club had been announced.

I'm assuming that announcement freshened the place up quite a bit and it all felt fresh.

Prior to that, as you've already indicated, Leeds throughout 2006 and a lot of 2007 were absolutely dire.

I thought Bluey brought some joy as well in 2008. The side looked a lot happier in that season, I actually remember Sinfield smiling during his after match Sky interview after the win at Saints. It was early in the season and it had cacked down with rain the whole game, he even made a joke about it. I think Smith leaving was a big weight off for some players, Smith's made a big point about "pressure" on the pitch after the '07 GF win, maybe they all had had enough of it.

It's a funny thing about a group of people, you can get all sorts of mixes and all sorts of characters but sometimes they just gel and sometimes they don't. Or in the case of pre-cap Wigan in the 80's and 90's you just pay them more than anyone else and guarantee silverware every year and it doesn't matter how many total t0$$ers you put in the same room.

You do know that you’ve just opened yourself to an inevitable lecture by Rogues Gallery for mentioning this don’t you?

Anyhow I think that my column has expressed that 2006 wasn’t all that good and that the only difference with 2007 was how we played against Saint.

Superb DHM!

Has he announced his departure from Warrington. He's freshened them up.

I recall the rumour mongers that the players disliked Smith etc etc. The Chinese whispers were given credence in 2006 and a lot of people spouted some silly vitriol. Of course, the players themselves spoke about Smith in glowing affectionate terms after the 2007 final.

Speaking of which have there been many (or any) glowing tributes top Bluey since his departure (aside from Keith's last week). What's Bluey up to post Leeds btw?

Helping New Zealand RL out and making sure that it develops. A community type role I think. It was talked about on here around a month ago.

Smith made some baffling decisions in his time: 2005 (Cup final!) and 2006 (Light weight pack to try and out maneouvre the opposition), but by the back end of 2007 he had rebuilt a team that had fallen apart in 2006. That for me was a far better achievement than the title win in 2004, and showed to me that Smith had matured as a coach.

You cannot knock Blueys achievements one bit. His record is just as good as Smiths and was achieved in a shorter time frame. I don't think he is the best coach in the world, especially not technically. Under him I thought we sometimes lacked any sort of choreography in attack, but the players certainly played for him the first 2 seasons.

Lets see.....Myler, Atkins, Solomona, Monaghan, Hodgson, Carvell, bought/brought in since he's been there would hardly suggest that he has made a silk purse from a sow's ear would it?

2010 ..... 2011?

Has he turned around Warrington's fortunes or not?

How many years had Leeds gone without a championship before 2004?

How many years had Warrington gone without a Challenge Cup before 2009?

You are being disingenuous by stating that HE has only just freshened them up.
He took over at Warrington when in his 1st season and they finished where in SL?
Would you say that the players I have listed in my previous post have fundamentally strenghtend the squad beyond the recognition from the one he took over, YES of NO? All or some of them at Leeds would not make a difference to our squad would they! YES or NO!