I agree it wasn’t going to be s quick fix....so don’t spunk away most of your money on two marquee players that leaves you unbalanced in the rest of your squa. The squad he inherited were still champions, made a decent fist of the WCC in Melbourne and were top 4 after around 8/9 rounds last year. Sign a replacement for Galloway, keep Garbutt, replace Hall with the money he was on. Don’t blow it on a position we didn’t desperately need in centre (as good as Hurrell has been it’s pointless if other positions are weakened by not being able to spend more on those positions) and we should easily be around the fight for 5th, at worst around 8th.

Marquee signings leaving the squad unbalanced and forcing several players out is completely against a “it’s not a quick fix”....it’s trying to force things and it’s failed. For all the talk of it’ll take time he tried changing too much too soon, the wheel didn’t need reinventing (McDermott took most to a GF win), short term it needed tweaking but Sinfield went OTT:

Don't get me wrong I'm not an "avid reader" of all things Leeds, but the Hull game & the Wakey game they took an early lead, looked good, then went behind & gave it up.

I wonder if we'll soon see a "for the 'live' of god allah or whoever FURNER GO!!" thread over on the Leeds board soon?

The Brian Mc one ran for over 7 years. Even when Leeds were winning silverware there was weekly calls for McDermott to be removed.

Depends how you look at it, those 2 games you may have a point (although I think we may have ‘won’ both the second halves in those games)

Basically Leeds have forgotten how to win whether they are in front or behind.

Like I said earlier, don’t worry this will still be McDermott’s fault. No chance Sir Kevin of Sinfield will get the finger pointed at him even though he appointed Furner based on his admiration of him being his teammate back in 03-04 and then released the best metre making prop in the league and replaced him with Wellington Albert, James Donaldson and Dom Crosby, the latter of which hasn’t managed a game all year. Still his mate Ablett got a new 2 year deal and again hasn’t played this year also.

There’s plenty of criticism of Sinfield on Southstander.com

Really, what has he done to you to make you so bitter?

Hurrell and Merrin have been two of our best players, but we could have signed 4/5 players for the money those two were on and balanced the squad out better. No point having a 4 try centre if the rest of the team is gifting more points away than that. Plenty of other teams ahead of us in the table that haven’t signed marquee players and we’ve won a fair few trophies without them so let not pretend they’re a must need.

It’s basic Salary Cap management and Sinfield has messed it up big time. That’s the real reason Garbutt left, so we could afford Merrin, nothing to do with injuries or attitude, Merrin’s salary meant someone had to leave and we went and a sold a player who was the best in the position we were already short on and looking weakest in now.

And yes one of the main criticisms was that were weren’t spending money, but them criticisms came from idiots who didn’t realise or understand how tough it was to afford the stadium work and that it was a necessary sacrifice for the longer term.

I’m judging him solely on his performance as Director of Rugby and it’s been god awful. Honestly if someone came in with no previous Leeds playing connection and performed like he has over the last 9 months they’d be getting a ton of stick but his playing record is why he’s not.

Well...maybe you'll Get Bradford next year, so that'll be one full house

You’ve got absolutely no clue why Garbutt left and if you think Leeds issues are as simple as Garbutt staying and Merrin not coming, then you are not thinking straight,(garbutt was a Leeds player last year, you know the year we only just avoided a MPG).

The Marquee signings are not the issue and they have been signed lomg term to aid the very good group of young players coming through (very much like 2002-2003), there have been 11 players released from last years playimg squad and likely to be a fair few released after this year, the club is in a massive transition and fans like you are looking far too short term. If we get relegated this year I’ll agree the new regime has failed.

You’ve got absolutely no idea whether he is doing a good job in the role he was brought in to do, he is responsible for the whole Rugby operation, how is our Academy doing this year, what if that bears fruit for another 10 years.

For all the rhinos fans delving into their clubs failings, maybe you might consider that the Rovers side is a tad better than some pundits would have you believe ( Schofield for one) despite our small squad & current injuries?

I’m not looking for a quick fix at all. If we finished 8th/9th with more losses than wins then fair enough but to be bottom with no effort defence is inexcusable.

Merrin and Hurrell were signed to sell season tickets for the new stands, if you can’t see that and go for the “helping youngsters” then you’re deluded. Garbutt was released to accommodate Merrin, that’s why Parcell and Cuthbertson were offered out too because of cap space (they didn’t have the injury excuse that was levelled against Garbutt).

Yes Garbutt was a Leeds player last year and we finished 9th, only just slipping into that place late on after being up around 4th/5th and that’s with plenty other prop injuries including his. Wonder if Sinfield will release Ablett and Ward this year after their injury hit years....I doubt it.

Oh don’t get me wrong you’re a decent side and can trouble any team on your day, but even you’d have to admit as well as some of your play was tonight, Leeds’ pitiful effort in defence played a key part.