I meant more that as a coach wihtin sport in England, your strength very quickly becomes your weakness when it goes wrong. Capello's discipline was the order of the day when we ed qualification at a canter yet when we had a crap World Cup he was a rotter as he didn't let them have enough beers after the match.

Cull was articulate when we were winning in '05, he was a silly sod who liked the sound of his own voice in '06 & '07.

Agreed.

Aint that the truth. I still fondly recall the gnashing of teeth on here after we lots to the Giants about how 'unfit' we were.

With coaches the part I always find is a joke is how when we have a couple of defeats, there are a load of terrace experts who say "where the coach went wrong", eg "he picked the wrong starting 17". If we'd lost to Leeds at Wembley then I bet people would have said that it was Smith playing Monaghan at halfback, when he's a hooker, that cost us the game. It doesn't just happen in RL it happens in all sports, every Arsenal fan in Africa can tell you a list of Arsene Wengers tactical failings. Also there's always people who are involved with playing or coaching amateur sides who will reckon that because they've been involved with a Sunday side they are tactical analysts of elite sport. When we have our first bad patch under Tony Smith I look forwards to reading all the "Che" booty-kissers giving their damning analysis of their hero's failings.

The other thing that can happen in the modern day internet generation, is there are always bitter players who are on the fringes who are annoyed at a coach, who will go complaining about him to their family and friends, and it's not long before those views come on the internet. I always enjoy the fact that right throughout the season we hear from everyone how good our youth team is and how many young players are getting rep honours, then at the end of the season when some of the young lads have been moved on, there will be a thread on here every year from someone's Dad saying how the youth set up here is rubbish, we're losing players to other clubs because all they focus on is fitness here not proper skills.

Read Damo's bit on southstander leeds.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1563

Read Damo's bit on southstander leeds.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1563

Fickleness is a horrible trait. I fear for those who have joined in the recent good period. They have only tasted sucess with the Wire, I think that to truely enjoy the success you also must feel the hardship of the doom years.

That being said I more than happy for any glory hunters (not a phrase I particularly like) joining the band wagon and revelling in the current style of rugby, even if it means 1 out of 50 stay IF times go bad. More fans = more money.

You mean that match when we ended up with 11 players on the pitch and still only lost by two scores? That one? Season over.

Yeah, that's the one. I might dig up the thread when we win the GF.*

*banter.

At no point in that game regardless of King, Grix, Cooper, Bridge (anyone else?) getting injured did we ever look like we were in that game, from the off we looked flat and yes unfit the previous week against Wigan we were also guilty of looking a week behind them in terms of readiness.
I won't say i was one of the doommongers but those injuries at Cardiff were a very convenient excuse.

no i'm the same over that, all those crap passes that hit the floor, nothign to do with injuries, and nothing to do with fitness.

We just weren't on, giants were case closed, regardless of the decent fist we made in the second half.

Likewise we weren't exactly on the boil against KR either.

spot on

as I said at the time...we were ringrusty, and were to some extent against hkr
Week on Week, we've improved since Cardiff
Hopefully, we'll be like a runaway juggernaut come Wembley and Grand Final

It is a mouth watering/ scary thought.
I'll admit at the start of the season, i feared Hoffman, Lima and Finch. Now, after having heard Finch may get a go out against us. Doesn't faze me. I actually believe now we are the best team in super league.

I do think there will a dip in the performance this season. As Phil Clarke says so often you can't maintain a high performance for every game. Lets hope we have a wakey style wins, instead of Hudd style losses.

I do believe though we can and should win something this year.