Quote: Ferocious Aardvark "Can I just point out that without the points deduction, we would have finished the season 3 points behind Leeds, who are the SL Champions? Yet I have read plenty of their "fans" - invariably the "McDermott Is A Rubbish Coach" brigade - who still say they are crap, although they tend to have had to evolve from "he can't coach" to "he may be able to sort of coach but I really hate the style of rugby we are playing, I don't enjoy the games any more" etc.
Personally I think that glory years are rare, and whether any team achieves them is in the lap of the gods. So, for example, Leeds have now won the SL title 2 years on the trot - and it is a massive achievement. Yet I can't call those seasons Leeds glory years really, as they haven't really stood out as the seasons have gone on, not in the way that Saints or Bradford used to in their pomp.
So personally, I would like to see us continue to evolve and build gradually, and hope agaisnt hope that the combination of progressive youngsters that we have, the quality of the established players, and maybe one or two shrewd signings, somehow end up being the magic mix that is so unpredictable but that you definitely need in order to even think about "glory years".
If it happens, it happens. For now I just want a competitive and learning/improving side, preferrably with a nucleus of our own best youngsters, playing with the "spirit of 2012". That will do for me, and let's see where we can go from there.'"
In our "glory years" we won SL four times. Leeds have won it five times in the last 6 years. It irks me to say it but if you take the whole SL era since 1996, Leeds are the only ones competing with St Helens for "the best club in the SL era".
There are 3 trophies on offer at most each year, 4 if you count the irrelevant hub cap, and Leeds have won 2 this year. They are the best club around as they seemingly have won the comp for the last 2 years whilst not relying on bending the salary rules like others (including ourselves in the past) have!
For many BUlls fans, the 2005 win from third was the best of our 4 SL titles (although I think the first was as it was under the old system), even better than our brilliant season in 2003. Does 1999 come close because we finished top but lost in the final? NOt for me I am afraid.
I dont normally ever want leeds to win anything, but lets not forget, they have helped us a lot this year when we've needed it the most! They deserve their plaudits. 9 years ago, Sinfiled was abit of a joke character when he shouldve gone for 2 at Cardiff, and we were the most successful club around. How times have changed!
So, well done Jimmy and Brian Mac. True BUlls legends. But lets not get concerend too much with Leeds, we have got bigger matters in hand here! BUt 5 titles in 6 years does in my opinion count as a golden era!
