I would agree with you. Think it is simply a case of rebuilding from the bottom up. It is clear we need a signing next year who can take the lead mantle from the likes of JP and KS. However, my concern is that the academy is bringing young talent in but at the moment we don't seem to be bringing in the so called 'workhorses or ugly players' who get things done and wind up the opposition. Delaney and Bailey come to mind. I thought Galloway may have that fire but not seen it yet.

The half backs are not really dominating play and I think thats where investment is needed next year.

However, I know the Rhinos will pull through. Think we will scrape into the top 8 and next year a top 6 finish is a realistic goal

I think you're right about on-field leadership and motivation especially in backs-to-the-wall situations. How often have we seen Kev or JP rallying the troops under the posts?

The problem is that you can't bring this in from outside, at least not straight away. Galloway and Ferres are both experienced players, but if they start shouting the odds in a new team it could have a negative not positive effect. Of the Leeds veterans, Ablett and Burrow just don't have that sort of leadership in them. JJB could do a version of JP's Sergeant Major role - even though he's always been more of an Corporal before - but I don't see McGuire as a Sinfield-like General.

The so-called "big 4" of which we were 1 have long been the teams that everyone expected to be up there come season end, in one of the major finals and winning the silverware.

However, and I've thought this for a few seasons now, Wigan, Wire and Saints more often than not would put a team to the sword, they would be ruthless and clinical in their dispatching of certain teams whereas we, on occasion, would seem to struggle to overcome the same teams.

Ive just always thought we lacked that ruthless streak and killer punch at times. Whether or not we knew we only needed to do so much to get the win, who knows? I just feel that the other 3 have performed more consistently when it’s come to the league games and the formula we seem to have utilised in recent seasons isn’t going to work anymore.

Maybe it was naive to think we could lose Peacock and Sinfield and not be seriously affected. I think most people expected some form of adjustment period....but not to this extent. I think it's correct that the leadership, game management and influence of Sinfield got us out of narrow scrapes, sometimes on a weekly basis which at the time maybe got brushed under the carpet.

Just little things like the right last tackle option at a crucial stage in the game, a difficult conversion from the touchline which puts us in front or gives us the 2 try cushion at an important stage in the game. You know, things that don't always gain a lot of attention because it's not a flashy try scoring play, and I guess these things happened many times that would help us to win games that could have gone the other way, which made a big difference to the table, our form momentum and ultimately winning trophies.

We just assumed we were doing what we do - winning more games than we lose. I guess it just never got scrutinized properly with no one pointing out ''Hey without sinfield, we'd be losing alot of these games and be in mid table''.

Now we don't have sinfield and suddenly seeing these games go the other way people are asking ''what the hell is going on?''

Could'a swore that Leeds finished around mid-table on more than one occasion with Sinny and JP at the helm. Or did I imagine Leeds finishing 5th (twice) and 6th in recent seasons?

I guess without Sinfield in particular, Leeds could have finished closer to the bottom of the league on several occasions in recent seasons then.

WOW! Maybe this season isn't such a shock after all

Not just those two, we also lost Kylie, Paul Aiton and Ian Kirke.