Is anybody else getting fed up of hearing this as an excuse for our continued dire performances? I know i am.

Eddie Hemmings and the SKY team continually brought it up last night to the point it made me feel a bit light headed and almost as embarrassed as what i was watching on the field, almost as if it would be a miricale if we even competed with a Wigan team that itself, is a pale shadow of its former self with its own injury problems.

Before certain people get their knickers in a twist, i do appreciate we have had many players out, and some key ones at that, but then i look at the team sheet last night in our supposed no hope situation we had Hardaker, Watkins, McGuire, JJB, Cuthbertson, Keinhorst, Walters, Mullally, Singleton, Handley,Galloway, Achurch and Ferres on the pitch.That is 13 players, many of whom played a key part in last years success and others brought in who have played at the highest level. Even the young lads in there i would suggest have been around the squad for long enough to be considered capable squad members even with others available.

For me, there is absolutely no reason why the team shouldn't be able to do the basics as a unit and defend with organisation and discipline. To respect the ball and not try to throw it about still like the harlam globetrotters when it is clear you don't have the personnel on the field to pull it off.Basically, to know your limitations, none of this seems like it is being drilled into the team at this time. Infact, its hard to argue that it looks like anything is being done at all to change what is happening week to week. we must be the easiest team to prepare for right now because we are presenting the same gifts for every team we play on a silver platter.

In summary, I accept we have injuries but we still have enough quality on the field that should be able to compete with most teams in SL, shipping over 90 points in 2 games against Cas at home and an average, struggling Wigan is abysmal and should not be excused no matter what the adversity.

One word....confidence. And your teams got none at the moment! That'll come when you get a lucky break or a win but all the time your senior players cant pull them out the quagmire its going to continue im afraid.

Completely agree BT there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to play having
a basic structure with or without the ball that at the very least allows us to compete for more than 20 minutes if at all.
Yes Low/Zero confidence is a factor but thats where the Coaches & snr players should be able to get a grip but it's not happening.
Time for changes because whatever else we are allegedly trying its blatantly failing & the slump continues.

Confidence is a fair point too, but you don't get confidence back by doing the same things week to week that are failing you and hoping that things click. It takes hard work, adapting to the situation and pulling together as one, a siege like mentality is needed. Can anyone even suggest there is that at HQ right now by going off the body language during and after the game with the laughing and joking that went on?

No I'm not fed up of that excuse. One or two injuries we could cope. Our back 3 is horrendous. Briscoe and Hall are badly needed. Our first choice back row (Ablett, Ward and Delaney) are badly missed. And i know Keinhorst has been fantastic, but we need Joel Moon back.

I'm getting fed up of people getting all excited and making out our first choice team is getting panned every week. Golding, Handley, Mullally, Walters, Lilley, Hallas, Smith, L.Briscoe are all getting valuable game time, but they need to be blooded slowly, not all at once.

Handley has been in better form than both Hall & Briscoe has shown ,Mullally is a 1st team regular signed as such & Lilley has easily been our best HB.
No-one is getting excited just pointing out facts.
Cas had Mcshane & Millington at HB the other week guess what not only did they compete they won they were also missing their Captain 1st choice centre 1st choice BR & others.
Wake up its a 25/30 man squad sport.

The same Handley who cost us 2 tries in the opening 7 mins of the second half yesterday?
Mullally didn't sign as a first team regular. Galloway, Cuthbertson, Garbutt, Singleton are all ahead of him.
Cas also had Hampshire at full back and Hitchcox on the bench in that game you mention against the world class Salford.
We played Wigan without our 2 best wingers, our best centre, our first choice stand off, both recognised hookers, and our whole back row. Time for you to wake up.

Mullally has been around SL long enough now to be considered an able squad player, if not he shouldn't have been signed. Handley has been playing very well, to the extent some were saying he should retain his place when others are fit. Sutcliffe has been garbage so far this year, are you saying he would have made a difference? Ferres would get in any back row we could put out and JJB would be in the 17 too. Falloon is a waste of space and has proved he can't make a difference for us.I will give you Burrow, we missed him. Keinhorst has been our best player and Watkins is supposedly World Class so our centres shouldn't be much of an issue.

All in all i'm struggling to find an excuse for us to be beaten back to back so badly to be honest.

Wake up??
World class Salford who beat us.
Handley made 2 errors how many has Hall made in recent months prior to injury?? Mullally was signed to be part of the 1st team numpty its a feckin squad sport.
Our 1st choice stand off? You mean Suttcliffe who you declared would never be a SO??
JJb & Ferres played both are part of our Backrow FACT.
Weak excuses that team available is capable & should be producing better.

I doubt a team in SL has put out its full strength side all year. Leeds are not alone in having injuries.

When we have got players back it hasn't had the impact that some on here were anticipating. We had 3 senior players back against Huddersfield in the cup and the defeat was larger than the week before.

On your injury front - Handley looked jaded yesterday and a rest would probably do him some good so the two wingers back would help

Would Moon be a lot better than Keinhorst - I am not so sure

Sutcliffe was fit the previous week and not selected to start so I would suggest the McGuire/Lilley combo is the best we have.

Falloon has been a disaster so I discount him but Burrow would have made a difference.

Delaney is another to discount - he can't manage 20 minutes - so Ablett and Ward yes agreed

So we are talking 5 players who would have an impact two of whom are wingers - the issues are in the middle of the park where we have had consistently 4 first choice props - Mullally gets a game very week so regardless of what we think McDermott considers him one of the best props.

Do you genuinely believe that is the difference between top 4 and 12th?

Injury excuses are just that, excuses. For me the area that is most at fault for our displays is the area least affected by injuries, in the props. Individually they have all been ok, but they have not been working well together, especially in defense. A good defender at hooker would be a massive boost

Ablett, Delaney, and Ward were not our first choice. Ferres would be in there if all fit, and was not signed as cover. Had it not been him it would have been Westerman, again a first choice not cover. Saying otherwise is just a convenient excuse. Ferres offers much more than Delaney anyway, whether regarded good enough or not.

That's your opinion. Why did they only offer him a one year contract then?

Wrong. Ferres was signed as a starting back row he is a current England international pal, in his prime, Delaney has been great for us but is all but finished. We also had JJB be in yesterday so simply put, your argument about our back row just doesn't stack up.

Same with the centres, you want Moon back only to give your World class right centre a rest?

Falloon is injured but the point is he is completely ineffective so he is irrelevant. Sutcliffe is injured but was having no impact anyway plus we now have the main man McGuire back but no change in performance.

Your last comment about anyone believing we should be top with the injuries is ridiculous, nobody would expect that. but we are Bottom....Bottom of SL with over half a season gone!! Looking up at the likes of Hull KR, Wakey and Salford (with a 6 point reduction) That is inexcusable for a team like Leeds.