Arguing that until this year McDermott's record was poor is plain stupid. Under par on average in the league, but more than made up for by winning competitions. Even the under par league standings I'd suggest was partly down to having a hugely experienced 'been there done that' squad which always believed it could come good when it counted.

Having said that, I'm entirely with DHM on this year. The league table may say 9th, but for the vast majority of the time we were bottom. You only have to trawl back through the 'highlights' of many of our games and you'll see utter garbage being dished up, especially defensively. The team didn't just play poorly, it was barely functioning as a unit.

Players should take some responsibility, but in the end its McDermott's job to make sure they deliver. He quite simply didn't. Despite all the injuries almost every week we put out a team with enough quality to at least give the opposition a game. Instead we were embarrassingly bad in so many games its hard to keep track. One game like that a year could be forgiven, but multiple times and at home as well?

Sadly I think the victim mentality will hold sway, as will the natural follow on that 2016 was just a blip. We'll see some minor tinkering with the squad, maybe one signing to appease the masses and the rest as you were. I'd hazard a guess that part of the reason for that is that GH as much as anyone seems to have bought into the 2016 sob story - possibly because its easier than admitting that his he's messed up his role in recruiting and if stories are correct junior development and coaching in general.

I have some sympathy in the case of halfbacks, as Mcguire and Sutcliffe showed last year that they can be a pretty effective pair, unfortunately though, there has not been a game this season where both has been 100% fit. Mcguire getting injured in the first game (which he seemingly hasn't yet recovered from) was probably the worst thing that could happen, especially when Sutcliffe himself was coming back from a long term injury.
If we had signed someone like Wallace (who we were linked to) in the off season and as a result Sutcliffe was picked up by someone like Hull promising he would likely start, and Wallace didn't settle well, then we would similarly be bashing Mcdermott for letting go of a potential star for a short term fix

However, I have no sympathy for Mac in other areas
The main one is that we went into a season with only one specialist hooker in the 25 man squad (who himself was unproven in SL and injury prone), and we have so few hookers in the academy that we have converted a prop to 9 in the 19s
Not buying even a championship level hooker as backup was a massive oversight

The time frame was selected because it is the most current and the most reflective of McDermott's growing influence over matters.

Would you say the team is in great shape right now?

There were 8 players from 2009 that were still around in 2015 and that included all the key players

I take your last point he will have had a big say in youth development the day he took charge - that is part of his remit I think he took sole charge in 2011 since which time only Ward has emerged as a top quality youngster through the academy system. Leeds now have more overseas players than ever - they could field an entire pack of ex NRL players - why is this? There doesn't look like many youngsters knocking at the door - Cameron Smith/Lilley possibly? How long does it take?

So in a 25 man squad over two thirds had changed. That's a decent amount over a 6 year period. JJB hardly played and the likes of Aiton, Cuthbertson and Ward all had bigger and better seasons than the roles played by Burrow, Leuluai and Ablett. I think the general consensus last year was our best 5 performers were (in no particular order) Ward, Cuthbertson, Hardaker, Aiton and Watkins. The only one of the old guard perhaps who came into contention was McGuire.



Having a say in 2011 isn't the same as what is being suggested now that he's taken over it.

I mean aren't the posters who follow the academy closely saying the 16's are the best batch we've had for a very long time? Wouldn't that be a good sign of the changes started to show something?

people say, and I can't confirm it, that this and last years batch are better as BM has been relieved of his job with the academy

So if Brian was "in charge" of the Academy, what was Barrie doing in his role as head of youth development between 2009 and 2014?

Yes 2/3rds have changed but the culture setters i.e. Sinfield, Peacock, JJB, McGuire and Burrow were all constants - do you think the new players adjusted to their way of doing things or the other way round?

They say that about every batch - the problem at Leeds is not the quality entering the system its the quality that emerges at the end of the system.

person
Without a rugby manager - Brian McDermott as the most senior rugby will have been setting the playing/coaching development agenda - could be the other McDermott was simply following instructions?

No it isnt. It was picked because if you had looked at 5 years or the entirety of McDermotts reign then it would have looked even better, and had you gone shorter it would have looked better.

Right now the team isnt in too bad shape. Has won 5 of 6 including beating 2 sides at the top of the league.

Any more goalpost shifting???

We've gone from you saying McDermott failed to develop the side.....until it was pointed out how 2/3rd's of it has changed.

To all the key players were the ones who were there back in 2009....until it was pointed out to you who our best players were last year (our 2 MOS nominees from the McDermott era for example)

To now "oh but they were the culture setters".....that they were but that wasn't your original point about McDermott failing to develop the squad. It would've been quite easy for a coach to come in and mess up that culture but he's gone with it and it's been used as an even bigger focus point. He also kept the likes of those culture setters in JJB, Leuluai, McGuire, Burrow going into 2015 when many, yourself included felt the old guard should've been moved on a few times during his reign especially at the end of 2014.

Nobody is goal shifting just debating your points as you raise them - some of which I agree with

I would agree I would have moved on some Leuluai for certain - don't think I ever said move Danny McGuire on

Changing personnel doesn't mean developing the side - have our attacking structures evolved under McDermott are we any better close to the line than we were under McClennan?

So how was McDermott going to mess with the culture - his track record at London was abysmal he was hardly in a position to say "come on lads I know how to make things better look at my past successes!!" more like the other way i.e. Brian come with us and we will make you look good.

The best players last year were in part your opinion what part of Cuthbertson's development was McDermott responsible for exactly? The end of the 2015 season had the old guard stamped all over it - the way they ground the victory out against Wigan in the final was no different to 2004, 2008,2009,2012 it was as if somebody just replayed a tape - if you think Cuthbertson/Hardaker were pulling the strings at the end of 2015 I think you are delusional.