I asked in what way is it worse.

That in itself is depressing,even if true.

Think Turner is already thinking what he will look like in a red and white shirt.

You really can't use average squad numbers as any kind of indication. What is the average of numbers 1 to 17 added together?

When did we last have an owner and coach that are actually willing and able to take us somewhere?

Yeah that would be right. Gentle inherits pap,is in the process of sorting it but lets not give him chance eh?
Even if we finish in the top eight we havn`t a cat in hells chance of reaching the final with this current set up.

Its always darkest before the dawn,I am sure we are in for better things,just annoying seeing us lurching about at the moment.

Definatley annoying, but this season was always about transition. Sooner we all accept this the better.

our defensive structure and technique is way better than last season,

Once or IF, we get a better FB and SO, that can pass at a faster speed, our attack will improve.

Tonight, we lacked power,all our big boppas was sat in the stand.

Heremaia (as you accept) and Horne. Whilst Horne has been here for years, Gentle hasn't been, so he won't have been training to Gentle's methods as much as others with the time he's spent injured.

I agree with your general point that we should be better than we are even with the players missing, but I think you're painting the situation as overly simplistic and downplaying the mitigating circumstances out of anger.

I think of tonight's 17:

5 won't be here next year (Turner, Manu, Aspinwall, Nicklas, Radford);
3 won't be in our first choice 17 (McGoldrick, Crooks, Pitts);
Horne will be fullback rather than halfback, and tbf has had 2 good games when he's played there this season;
Seymour will hopefully have a halfback partner of the necessary quality to share the playmaking responsibility;
Lynch should have other props taking some the burden he's having to carry;
Watts will be much fitter and more used to his teammates on the back of a full pre-season.

Which leaves Whiting and Westerman, who I thought were amongst our better performers, Yeaman (who had an uncharacteristically sloppy performance, but is one of the most dependable players in the squad normally) and Briscoe, who is clearly a class act when supplied with good possession.

With the right acquisitions I still think we could be much better next year.

Tonight has come close to being the straw that's broken the camel's back. Yes, at times some things we did were woeful but other things for a depleted side gave hope and a sense of us 'giving it a go'.
What upset me more than taking nearly 2 hours to get there from only 20 miles away was the officials performance.
I'm not going to go down the road of blaming them for the loss even though my phone was going mad in my pocket from people I know who support other teams were all saying Leeds' first 14 points were .
It is the fact that home or away, whenever you play against a perceived 'top 4 team' you so do not get any rub of the green from the officials.
I've accepted this I suppose for a long time, perhaps like many others. Sorry, no more. No other sport (apart from football at Old Trafford) would put up with such one sided decision making.
I love rugby league and will love Hull FC till I pop my clogs but come on, I like many others work damned hard for my money. Money that literally runs into thousands each season when it's all totted up.
I'm seriously considering walking away and spending it on a damned good holiday instead unless something changes.
Sorry if you don't agree but right now that's how I feel.

I think this is your old habit of reading into things and then complaining that [iyour[/i expectations have not been met. I've not personally seen or heard anything that has the club saying we [iwill[/i finish in the top 4, only that that is the aim. Every team in any sport should be setting their aims higher than they can probably achieve, it's how you drive yourself to improve. Top 4 was always unlikely, and as soon as McKinnon left it became almost certainly unattainable. From the very start I've thought/said that 6th would be a good season this year, and I've still not changed my mind on that.