What you want is a quality of play that is competitive and defence that shows commitment - Finishing 6th and going out in the first round of the play offs illustrated Leeds' inability to deliver either.

If for no other reason but to give you the chance to be your pedantic self , Leeds were one win from being double winners in both 2011 and 12 , that's pretty close . No ?

And we're the only team to do the other double. WCC and GF wins in the same season. And we've done it twice.

At no stage have Leeds ever been just one win away from achieving the double. That would require winning the Challenge Cup followed by an appearance in the SL Grand Final.

And when they did win the Challenge Cup?

The SL results speak for themselves.

1999 - Qualification Play-off: St Helens 38 Leeds 14
1999 - Elimination Semi Final: Leeds 16 Castleford 23

2014 - Elimination Final Round 1: Leeds 20 Catalan 24

I'm sure you'll find a few doubles involving the Lazenby Cup too seeing as you're that desperate.

Ooh, nice semantics. See what you did there.

There's a bit of truth to both sides of this discussion. The record books will show this season as more successful than most in the club's history because we won the CC. That win means a lot to a number of our squad. Hopefully it won't interfere as much with next season or thereafter, but I think some are definitely underestimating the mental impact of finally getting a CC win will have had on some of the squad (Sinfield's been playing for 17 years, JJB 15 years etc).

Having said that, I think fans generally have a right to expect far better from the team at the end of the season. Not winning the GF necessarily, but at least hoping to be in with a genuine chance. I think GH is fully aware of the need for improvement there, but in any event the change in league structure and format will force a different approach - and not just from Leeds.

I tend to think that Leeds can genuinely challenge for the championship next year, even without many changes to the squad. What we've yet to see is any evidence that the club has genuine plans in place post 2015.

Equating the Lazenby Cup with the World Club Challenge.

Straw clutching noted.

I thought it was the worst Grand Final I can recall watching.
Saints without any playmaker were clueless against 12 men.
Similar to the LLS which they won almost by default by being the least bad of all the potential winners in the last weeks of the season, they then won the Grand Final due to the stupidity of one their opponents not by good play on their own part.
I do agree though that Saints have shown great spirit in the face of huge odds & for that they deserve congratulation.

The Lazenby cup in the 1950 and early 60s was taken very seriously indeed and attracted very large crowds

We also had 4 tackles then - the game has moved on and the relevance of the Lazenby Cup has disappeared.

Never saw the game played with a 4 tackle rule. Out of off-season interest, did it result in anything other than increased kick frequency?