The thing for Leeds isn't new players, it's the pre-season. We normally come back to pre-season 7 weeks before New Year, last year it was only 4 weeks because we stuck around to play New Zealand on top of what was already arguably the most physically and mentally draining season any team has had in recent memory. Then factor in time lost after Boxing Day with the floods then we were probably around 5 weeks or more down on our normal length of pre-season. That's why we looked unfit, incohesive and the senior players who had the shortest pre-season as they come back a bit later were picking up injuries and struggling with form.

No coincidence that we started to win when we returned to our training ground and with the team hell bent on making amends for what happened this year then I think people may be caught off guard at just how high we climb back up the table. Anybody who thinks Leeds will only be able to squeeze into the top 8 at best are going to be way off.

It's commendable that you blame nearly all last years woes on the training ground issue, I'm sure there are many who can think of additional reasons. Come on, don't be shy, there's endless pages of it!

As to the prediction of a top eight position, I'll give you that one.

Leeds will be top 4 again next year. As questionable as their squad seems to have become, you can't keep a team with a champion mentality down.

Plus, there aren't 4 better teams in SL next year.

Wigan Warrington St Helens and Hiull there's 4 better teams than Leeds

I suggest that Wigan, Warrington, Saints, Hull, and arguably Castleford all have a stronger squad than Leeds. Add to the fact that you clearly can keep a squad with a "champion mentality" down as proven last season when they were kept down. Leeds couldn't even manage to get through the Middle 8s unbeaten - something even Hull KR managed the season before.

Wigan
Warrington
Saints
Hull
Leeds
Castleford
Catalans
Widnes
Huddersfield
Salford
Leigh
Wakefield

Can,t see much change in the top 4, reckon Hull will still be the top dogs in Yorkshire. Strength in depth will probably be the key when the long injury spells kick in..
There doesn't seem to be any directives from the RFL to improve the speed of the game, so we can expect some slow, low intensity games with the usual inconsistency of officials..........we just have to wait and see.

McDermott's record isn't great for the regular season. Some below top 4 endings rescued by a cup run to the final. A league leaders shield won on the back of the retirement of one last big effort for Sinfield and Peacock. A bottom 4 position. It is hard to say that Leeds's regular season efforts in the last few years have ever been that good and consistent. They were good, however, at a backs to the wall cup-run situation because players like Sinfield knew how to stay patient and win. Those players aren't there anymore, and the new system might catch Leeds out.

Leeds might find themselves stuck in a few years of mid-season mediocrity.

I think when you factor in the possibility of Mags, JJB, Burrow and Ablett being a bit more age related injury prone then that spine of mental toughness has disappeared. In saying that the quality of super league is not good which will mean an extensive run of wins will keep a club in and around the top 4.

Only for half a season and even then we picked up wins vs the likes of Hull and Saints. When then had the joint best run to finish the regular season off with 5 wins from 6. I wonder how many teams would've beaten Hull away and then Wigan back to back AFTER they were confirmed as being in the Middle 8's? Wonder what other clubs would've done if they had a 5 weeks shorter pre-season?



We didn't need to by that point as we'd already qualified and losing narrowly to Hudds (who desperately needed to win) with only 1 fit sub left in the 2nd half isn't exactly evidence as to how we'll struggle in 2017. Otherwise I could point out that Castleford, Hull and Warrington all lost at Hudds too, the latter got nilled.

Nope, Cas beat Huddersfield both times.

Quite right Towns88. We did the double of both Leeds and Hudds and beat Wakey 3 times this season. The undefeated West Yorkshire top dogs of 2016.

4th 5th 5th in the last 3 seasons.

Yep and that only tells half the story, the whole story tells us you were a massive 9 points off 4th.

Impressive given the injury list last season, but hey only Leeds had problems