Some posts on the contracts thread about Cummins playing stand-off in 1996 started me thinking about the 1996 season and the bizarre changes that were happening to the team. IIRC at times we had 13-14 players out injured (or just not playing for other reasons) that season, culminating in our worst SL finish (3rd bottom).

According to the club's website these are the players we had on the books. Not sure I remember them all playing, and I think several left half way through the season, but still that's one hell of a roster.

Dean Bell - coach but played one game at centre when we were down to the bare bones
Gavin Brown
Dean Clark
Francis Cummins
Esene Faimalo
Jim Fallon
Jamie Field
Mike Forshaw - why did he never do anything for us?
Nick Fozzard
Anthony Gibbons
David Gibbons
Paul Gleadhill
Marvin Golden
Carl Hall - oh dear
Paddy Handley
Neil Harmon
Phil Hassan
Graham Holroyd
Harvey Howard
Adam Hughes
David Hulme - aged about 35 at the time IIRC
George Mann
Barrie McDermott
Gary Mercer
Adrian Morley
Terry Newton
Nathan Picchi (!)
Leroy Rivett (can't say I remember him playing for the first team in 1996)
Garry Schofield (surely he left before the start of the season?)
Matt Schultz
Mick Shaw - paved the way for the likes of Higham and Roby
Marcus St. Hilaire
Alan Tait
Craig Innes
Kevin Iro
Tony Kemp
Sateki Tuipolotu
Marcus Vassilakopoulos

Basically, the club was skint and many of the players assembled under the Doug Laughton era left the club and went elsewhere.

In the days before the Caddick take over, things looked very bleak indeed and I reacall one game (London away) even the then board didn't bother turning up for it.

Basically, many of those players that played that season and made few appearances for Leeds over all were the Academy side and like the current set up, only some of those players had the potential to make the grade.

Interesting stuff.

Its deceptive though. Some of those guys had left early doors - Schofield off to Huddersfield and Innes went to Manly straight after the cup game at Warrington.

Others arrived late on - David Hulme & Marcus St Hillaire, and Dean Clark came out of retirement.

Players like Morley, Field and Fozzard were probably a couple of years away from their best Leeds rugby; and some players, like Fallon and Iro clearly weren't that interested.

Add in injuries and the off field strife the club was in and its not that surprising we plumetted from runners up in the centenary season to almost relegated.

Great shame for me is whether some of the young players - often seen as joke figures - had their careers destroyed by being thrown in en masse at a club in turmoil. After all, they were part of recent academy and alliance winning sides.

my memory of 96 was playing wigan at home. Iro goes over in the north stand corner...but drops the ball over the line. Get's back up laughing, women from the very front row stands up and shouts at the top of her voice (whole stand probably heard, let alone iro) ''IT'S NOT F*CKING FUNNY IRO''

Some interesting points made by the posters above , but I seem to remember one of the biggest factors in our dismal season was the reluctance by the club to embrace the summer rugby concept , thus meaning we entered the season woefully under prepared . Certain other clubs grabbed the bull by the horns ( I know ) and stole a march on us .

I remember the South Stand being very much against the board with plenty of "Sack the board" chants

...and people moan about this season

And should make us all thankful for these past few years! Regardless of what happens this year.

Difficult times and will always be grateful for the rescue by Caddick and Hetherington to get the club back on track.

They didn't just get us back on track either they propelled us into a golden era.

Before 04 we'd only won 3 titles in our entire history, now we have 4 in 6 years.

By this takes me back

couple of mentions - Craig Innes - pure quality, Jim Fallon ex RU player big winger, remember him scoring against Cas in cup quarter final to win it for us