Leeds Rhinos are up against it all season because they’re the current Super League and World Club Champions meaning that other teams really get themselves up to play against Leeds. I’m happy as long as Leeds Rhinos play well a couple of times during the season just to give me a glimpse of what to come at the end of the season and in important games. If they win trophies then great.

Brian McDermott has certainly earned his place off the back off a great Challenge Cup run and Super League grand final win last year along the World Club Challenge this year. The current playing standards aren’t pretty at Leeds but you could say that for most of the other super league teams too. Is Brian McDermott and his like responsible for that as well?

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for all your replies!

Tvoc – Again, the stats don’t tell the story. Of the 10 rankings you give, 5 of those were outside the play-off places, so not as good as you would have me believe. McDermott’s first season was in 2006 (albeit not a full season), but the Club began to undergo major changes from as soon as 2007 with Ian Lenagan retaining his London shares and yet becoming owner of Wigan. This would suggest to me that Mac did not perhaps have the backing to build the team that he would have liked as no financial investment was made. Several of their key players, such as Henry Paul, were allowed to leave the Club and were never replaced, and then in addition to this they had a number of injuries to key players such as Henry Fa’afilli. With all the success we’ve had over the last 8 years, I am confident that the Club will continue to invest in our team, so the coming years do not concern me at all.

In terms of the 2011 fixtures against Warrington, Wigan and Saints that you quote, I have to admit disappointment in you. The results against Warrington at home and Saints away certainly add some drama to your statistics but we played really well against Wigan at home, losing only in the dying minutes, and we should have beaten them away when Danny McGuire scored (Stuart Cummings publicly admitted that this try should have been awarded). We were also very competitive in the Saints game at home for about 60 minutes, but again a disappointing last 20 lost it for us. We may have lost to Warrington twice in the League, but our performance in the play-offs was outstanding; we won when it mattered. I’m going to repeat myself here tvoc – the stats do not tell the story.

Nantwichexile – I’d be interested to know how many of Webb’s penalties have actually been for dissent, do you know? I thought most were through “sloppy technical offences”.

DHM - Again, thanks for the patronising definition of aggressive. Liam Hood may be 20, but that doesn’t mean he’s physically ready (to be honest, I find that logic a bit strange). You don’t hit an age and suddenly magically become physically ready to deal with older, more experienced players who are ready to batter you – it takes practise and experience which he won’t have had in the under-20s. I also mention above that you have to be mentally able to cope with the change and again, this isn’t something which magically happens overnight, it takes time and experience and I fully believe that with the promise he shows, we SHOULD give him that time. When I talk about bringing players in from the under-20s I talk about phasing them in and for all your patronising, you haven’t been able to tell me why I should change my mind on this.

Finally, some of you have talked about the fans forking out to watch sub-par rugby and whether or not we should cheer the team on. I’m going to reiterate my point that this Club has given us some fantastic memories over the last few years, and frankly I’ll be running off that for a long time to come. I know it’s disappointing to see what we’re seeing at the moment, but who wants to be the one to say “yeah, I didn’t go to the games in the back half of the season after we lost to Wigan and Warrington, but I went to the Cup Final and Old Trafford”. For me personally, I want the right to say at the Final that I WAS there for those games (I'm no early '00s Bulls fan!!) We are SUPPORTERS and we should do just that – SUPPORT. 10 years ago the fans turned up win or lose and I would like to think that most of us will do that now (as I know most of you will).

Some great points - like anything, it never seems such good value for money when we're losing games but considering the success we've had over the past few seasons it's very harsh to start throwing in the towel now on the back of a mediocre mid season slump.

As for McDermott, I remember speaking to some fans after last years Grand Final win who will still wanted him to get the boot - I'm not sure what some fans are expecting tbh

Slightly OT but some of the posts on the Rhinos Facebook page really do reek of the typical arm chair fans who rant to sack the coach but can't back it up with a valid reason nor explanation as to how it would help us for the rest of the season. I think it's just an easy option to blame the coach if i'm honest. It was nice the majority of travelling support last friday were behind the team and coaching staff, and that they recognise the best way to get out of this current slump is through support rather than needless panic and personal attacks.

You have to factor 'hope' into your reasoning. People keep shelling out the cash in the hope of getting value for money.

I'd like to add to all of this (and apologise of it's already been mentioned...) the fact that I'm getting sick and tired of seeing the word "McDumbnut" and other variations of it on these pages. If people don't like the coach and want rid, fair enough - that's their opinion, but do we really need to resort to abusiveness towards a bloke who clearly cares a lot about his job and the club, and is doubtlessly working hard to try and get teh best results for the club? In this particular instance, whether he is "good enough" or not is irrelevant - he comes across as a very decent bloke, and taking the pi$$ out of his name is bang out of order.

Depends upon how you define value.

There is an emotional attachment with being a supporter that you cannot compare with other commodities.

But there's also the social aspect. For me, I've been going to the rugby with my son since about 1995. It's something we do together and it's something we enjoy. I also meet other friends and acquaintances at the match. Some I only now see there. We catch up, chat about the rugby, maybe have a whinge. To be honest, the 80 minutes on the pitch is only a small part of my day/night out.

The are other posters on this forum who meet up in groups and make rugby a large part of their social life. You have been involved in a few yourself in the past. In this age of social retardation brought about by facebook. twitter and internet message boards I think it's a damn good thing. What if Lawrie, for example, refused to see his mates, meet them for a pint until Leeds started winning again?

But, hey, maybe I am a sapp. Maybe life would be better if I sat alone in the dark in front of a computer screen laughing at the silly fools parting with their cash to go out and watch a game of rugby. How clever and superior would I be then?

Some people can't seem to grasp that fans still go because they actually still enjoy the occasion of turning up for a match, the getting ready at home, the making your way to Headingley, having a pre-match drink with your mates (some you might only see at the rugby) talking about the rugby and having a bit of banter about other topics, getting there just in time perhaps to catch the end of a Under 20's game and seeing if anyone catches your eye, the excitment of the warm-up and wondering who is in the starting line-up for both sides and how are we going to play, the opera guy singing Volare, 80 mins of rugby action (which i guess must not excite some people as much as spending their Friday nights at home playing Scrabble instead whilst listening to the game on the radio) following by a post match discussion/debate/drink with your friends or family members.

Just because they don't enjoy it anymore they have to come out with suggestions that those who do must be 'brainwashed', 'clueless' or 'fickle'. Perhaps they need this to feel better about the fact others still get an enjoyment out the sport that they no longer do themselves. I've always found it ludicrous that 'fans' complain that players (who are the ones who spend their lives training, recovering from the injuries and batterings their bodies take, and competing in one of the toughest sports) are criticised because they 'owe' fans performances because said 'fan' has in return gone to the much harder trouble of 'turning up and handing over £20'.

Some i'm sure will try counter this with 'well they wouldn't have a wage if it wasn't for us', yes but you wouldn't of got many a great occasion over the years of watching RL from their hugely demanding physical efforts, and i don't and never will feel any sort of 'ownership' of players just because i spend money towards the club, if that was the case then i guess i also partly 'own' my local supermarket, corner shop and chinese takeaway. I've never paid anything towards Leeds Rhinos because i've felt force to, i do because i want to, unfortunately some can't seem to accept this is possible but that highlights more of a problem with them than it does myself or anyone else of the same view.

Finally some sense in the last couple of posts.
It always confuses me when I read people on here saying "god I feel sorry for the season ticket holders".
It's not an obligation to buy one, it's as much about the social aspect as it is the rugby, the enjoyment dosen't just come from whether we get the 2 league point or not.

Ok 'Brian' let me repeat maybe I am just having a bad day at the office (again damn it) but I feel nowt but doom n gloom at t' moment with recent and ongoing events.

I would hope the club might now be showing signs of valuing the likes
of Amor/ Singleton/ D.Smith above the likes of Kirke/Moore/Lleulai and yes even Peacock.
The future is surely more important than continuing to support crumbling and/or average-at-best, antique incumbents (despite their past achievements) ?

Losing is fine (yes we were unlucky to have Danny's try disallowed at Wigan last year) as long as we show some competitive 'fight'.
This season, were Saints (Langtree), Wigan (Headingley), Warrington (Halliwell Jones, in the first 25 mins) fair examples of this ? I was pretty embarrassed as a supporter. The performance of Bradford at Easter was pretty abysmal too.

You can't deny Hall has been wasted on attack and that Hardaker is not best suited to the left with his step off the left/inability to pass to his left. Get him on the right or, of course, at FB ...OR even switch him with Hall (during the match at least). That might get a few defences nervous.

Most of all get some go forward in the pack and control that bluddy ruck.

Taking the pi$$ out of his name. Christ (oops!) what a crime. Lighten up. Personally I think 'McDumbnut' was quite inspired.

There's a difference between outright unthinking brainless abuse and some choice, funny comments that I have usually found on here.

Each to their own. I personally think he's earnt a level of respect higher than that. As a teacher I hear 11/12 year old kids use similar nicknames on a daily basis - I would have hoped that supposed "adults" on here would be above such things. Obviously not...

Some people are easily impressed...

... i'm surprised you're not more happy with our performances!

I agree!! Now shut up SandwichExile!