Well when you get your gcse results next week, if you post them on here I'll be happy to bow down to your superior intelligence.

Spot on Easywire.

Wow.

Leeds have either shipped out or announced the shipping out of Luke Gale, Brad Dwyer, Bodene Thompson, Jack Walker, Jack Broadbent, Alex Sutcliffe, Liam Sutcliffe, Muizz Moustapha, Alex Mellor... that's off the top of my head.
And Smith's appointment - involving a relocation around the world at very short notice - followed the sacking of Agar and a stint with JJB at the helm. To suggest he hasn't had to deal with changes in the way Powell has seems not quite right...

Fwiw I'm glad we didn't choose to stick with Agar.

Fair point, there are a lot of changes - I hadn't realised there were so many. The problem Powell has faced though, is that we have a whole new set of backs apart from Williams who only arrived mid way last year and Ashton (who's still learning). Our forward pack are lightweight with new additions too - only Mulhearn, Clark, Walker and Currie are regulars from the previous season.

If you compare the two squads put out last night:

Leeds Rhinos
16Myler
29Tindall
33Hardaker
4Sutcliffe
5Handley
6Austin
7Sezer
11Bentley
12Martin
21Gannon
13Tetevano
24O'Connor
8Oledzki
Substitutes
17Smith
10Prior
14Dwyer
22Walters

And:

36Dufty
21Minikin
3Mata'utia
34Wardle
5Ashton
7Williams
27Dean
19Mulhern
16Walker
15Bullock
11Currie
20Harrison
12Holmes
Substitutes
9Clark
14Clark
37Holroyd
38Thomas

Please tell me if I'm wrong here, but most of your forwards seem quite familiar from last season and a good few from seasons before. Myler, Sutcliffe, Handley and Sezer have been at your club for at least 2 seasons - again, please tell me if I'm incorrect.

Therefore, on that basis, I'd still say, to my knowledge, that Powell has had more change to deal with. At the same time though, fair play to Smith as he's had to deal with changes too.

Of the Leeds towards who played last night:

Martin: 2019
Gannon: 2021
Tetavano: 2021
Oledski: 2017
Smith: 2016
Prior: 2020
Dwyer: 2018

These have been playing for Leeds this season and the season before at the very least.

Out of the Warrington forwards, only Mulhearn, Clark, Clark, Currie and Walker have the equivalent experience.


Backs-wise, only Ashton (inexperienced) and Williams were playing in the first team on a consistent basis last year, and he only joined mid way. Every other player is new to the team this season. On the other hand, out of Leeds' backs: Myler, Handley and Sutcliffe have been regulars (I was wrong on Sezer, he was new this year). Also worth noting, that our only experienced regular, Williams, arrived around the same time as Blake Austin switched to Leeds.

I'll let you be the judge, but the stats say Powell has had to contend with more upturn.

Would you have been happy if we had signed Rowley at the time (not with hindsight)? I certainly wouldn’t have been and if the choice was between him and Powell I would have gone for Powell without a second thought.
In fact I don’t remember anyone suggesting Rowley as an option but I stand to be corrected.

I am finding the constant attacks on Gazwire rather dispiriting. He is entitled to his opinion and gives his reasons for his views,as far as I know he isn’t ACTUALLY D Powell so perhaps now is the time to ease off on the personal stuff.

Cheers Captain Hook - very much appreciated.

No, I would've been fuming if we had appointed Rowley. I never liked his attitude or his teams grubby tactics. But listening to him talk, he has clearly matured and is proving his ability as an excellent coach. Personally I wanted Wane to be appointed as our coach.

Wane would have been absolutely excellent, but here we are…

Exactly as expected last night. Played without the gravity of a relegation battle, and profited from that. Williams’ pass for the Wardle try was worth the drive. But in the cold light of day, we’re just not a good team.

The weaknesses were there, and have been consistently there. But we have to take what we can from this and look at the two new juniors getting minutes in the bank.

Still, concerned about the long term plan. Holmes was the obvious choice for right second row, without any real challenge. But went with Harrison, out of nowhere. Dean will get the stick for the early Leeds onslaught, but in truth, Harrison was out of position and asked a lot of Dean and Matautia to cover up. I think Powell might be settled on Holmes at 13, which then shuffles McGuire back into the rotation of props with Vaughan, Harrison, Mikaele, Philbin, Bullock, Dudson and Kasiano. It’s a bit top heavy, so who’s going? Or if not, why has he picked a prop in the back row and his long term back row in the middle?

The only other sour note, Thewlis. Dropped for Huddersfield, back for Wigan and played really well all considered, then back to the naughty step. Obviously not privy to what Minikin is doing in training, but it’s not consistent with the long term plan, unless Minikin is now plan A for the right wing next season with Wrench now out of the mix.

Credit to Leeds, they did what we should have done around 5 or 6 times this year, and just cling on to a lead and snatch the points. But they were there for the taking in my opinion.

Re: Rowley, hindsight is a wonderful thing. But if he was appointed there would have been a mutiny. And he wouldn’t have seen Easter at the club.

It needed to be a serial winner. A winner who suited the brand and the style that the club is trying to adopt.