Yeah, ok.

Yes I would - it debate/opinion nothing more it isn't fact we will not know until the end of the regular season. You are suggesting your point is fact - far from it - hypothetical nonsense as I said. Who would have thought Hull KR would turn round a 60 point difference against the same side a week later. Based on your logic that would not have been possible? Theory and actual two very different things.

Or... to do so they'll have to maintain this season's form for the next 7 weeks to give them a good advantage in the play offs and hopefully a home tie in the semis.
What's all this 'going back 12 months' malarky. The squad this season is different to the squad that ran out of steam last season. We've brought in (potentially) one of the best imports in years, we've lost some dead wood and players like Singleton & Sutcliffe are looking a different proposition to last year.

EDIT - Not to mention Stevie Ward, who's been like signing a new player.

So you're saying we'll lose to Hull at home in 3 weeks then? I doubt we'll lose more than 1 more game tbh, probably Wigan away.
I bet you're a right laugh on game day Sal. Do you cheer for the opposition?

What the bejesus are you on about? Do you know what the word 'prediction' means?

You seriously think Wigan showed the same intensity yesterday as they did in GF - seriously!!

Even by your own admission Leeds have only put in two good halves of rugby this year in SL - so how is that they keep winning games? It must have something to do with the quality of the opposition - even if you believe Leeds are that much better than the rest that can play well below their best and still win you have to question the quality of the other teams. You cannot have it both ways.

Leeds have played 3 of the likely top 8 in recent weeks they have drawn 1 and lost 2 comprehensively. They have 3/4 more to play before the end of regular season so they need to get their game head on.

What I said was Leeds were never the same team after the Magic mauling by Wigan - they struggled to beat Leigh another side that physically roughed them up. You put it all down to the CC that is your prerogative - we don't agree.

Yes its a hypothetical view point it isn't going to happen, Huddersfield are a different team to Leeds Wigan would not play an identical way as they did against Leeds - if I could type slower for you I would.

The spine of the team is year older and the end of the season will be much tougher they will have to play the top sides week in week out for 7 weeks. The play offs don't start in 7 weeks the play offs start in 4 months.

Of course it's hypothetical. That was never in doubt. Why did you pretend it ever was? Was it to try and cover up your ridiculous comparison of 2 clubs results against different teams?

The week of the Hudds Cup game

"Challenge cup holders Leeds Rhinos will stick with a winning routine for their “biggest game of the season so far”, chief executive Gary Hetherington has confirmed.

“Last year the team went into camp before every Cup game, that worked and they will be doing the same this season,” Hetherington said ahead of Saturday’s Ladbrokes-sponsored sixth round tie at home to Huddersfield Giants."

The week of the Magic weekend game

"We've not really thought about it up to now," Ablett said.

"We had a big week with the cup and then we needed to back up last Friday, so the Magic Weekend hasn't really been a focus or something we've talked about."


HASN'T really been a FOCUS

And yet Printer, and this is fact, they went into camp before the Wigan game.

The point was Loiner 81 asked if Huddersfield were an improving side - it was a snide comment following the CC defeat -that Leeds should fear - looking at their recent results I would suggest Huddersfield are improving and they are a side Leeds have struggled to beat in SL in recent years. I was merely pointing out the recent form of both teams.

You then jumped on the bandwagon - and then argued it wasn't hypothetical and now you are suggesting it was - which is it?

What on earth are you on about? I've never argued that my prediction of the results of a hypothetical scenario (Leeds playing Hudds instead of Wigan etc) wasn't hypothetical.
Your prediction (that Leeds will fall down the league table) isn't in any way hypothetical. That's a prediction based on a real scenario in a real context.

You then decided to jump in and pretend I was stating fact, for some strange reason. Presumably in an attempt to divert attention away from your ridiculous nonsense of comparing 2 teams based on results vs different clubs.

It wasn't snide and was about their recent performances, including the CC. Beating Salford doesn't make them a good side.

Recent form, ie this year with this year's squads is: played 3 with 2 wins to Leeds and a draw.
They were terrible today for the most part and were extremely lucky to get a point against the worst travelling side in SL.

Check their fixture list, they'll be lucky to make the top 8 playing like they did today.

I doubt this. But even if it is true, why the f00k weren't we focused on it, given it was a golden opportunity to put six points between Wigan and ourselves?

JP said in his post match interview that the problem was Leeds did not keep to the game plan which was evident in McDermott's obvious frustration. The original Roy Francis would have read that though!

It was quite obvious his game plan was the same as it was against Hull KR, and it simply would not have worked anyway against that Wigan side. I said the exact thing through the week before the game, so no hindsight, when people were writing off Wigan. We wouldn't have beat the Wigan of the week before against Catalans, because we seem unwilling to play the same way that Catalans played, and that was what was needed to beat that Wigan style defence.

if the other arent as predictable as your plan suggested you need to be flexible and have a plan b. McDermott is very good at coming up with a plan that often works but when it doesnt he doesnt appear to be able to work an alternative

You know better than JP then? He clearly said that we lost because we did not keep to the game plan. If the players do not keep to the coaches game plan then it is the players that should take the responsibility. JP knows that and was honest enough to admit it and further said we have a good coach.

See my reply to Gotcha. But really Sal you should know that the big attraction of sport is that it is unpredictable. Players have good days and bad days and if our players have some of those bad days you cannot keep blaming the coach every time. No team will put in perfect performances and certainly not every week as there are far too many imponderables. We are playing an attractive style of rugby that will not always come off - enjoy it.

The key word there is "Keep". They were playing to the game plan, and as I said it simply would not have worked anyway. What JP is referring to is that they moved away from it during the game. That is just a fact, not a reason for why they lost it.

I keep hearing about "no plan B" and how this is the fault of the coach. IMO it really isn't.

As a coach, you gameplan during the week for what you think the most effective way to beat that particular opposition is. I said earlier in the week that the way to beat Wigan wasn't to continually smash your head against a brick wall down the middle, but to get at them in wider areas. Leeds didn't do that, preferring instead to play with little passes in and around the ruck where Wigan are strongest. Whether that was the gameplan or not only the players and coaching staff know.

When it became apparent that wasn't working, the senior players (in particular the half backs) should be smart enough to change it on the field. Add some width to the game while still retaining an element of structure. Get your runners in the right place at the right time to enable you to hit the likes of Moon and Watkins with early ball to get at Sarginson and Tomkins, for example.

Where Leeds have fallen down on the occasions they've played poorly in recent weeks is that the halves - whichever the combination of Sinfield, McGuire or Sutcliffe it has been - don't seem either willing or able to play what's in front of them. It all seems to degenerate into disorganised, basketball stuff of people throwing offloads everywhere but with no shape or structure to the side. There seems to be a lack of someone vocal and authoritative enough to drag the team by the scruff of the neck into some sort of shape, the role that Sinfield would have had in his prime.

Whether mentally Sinfield still has the speed of thought to be able to see, assess and respond to the game on the fly or it's all just starting to move a bit too quickly for him, I think the need for an organiser to come into the side for 2016 is becoming more apparent. Scott Dureau is out of contract, and were I in Gary Hetherington's shoes I'd be making enquiries as to his future plans.

Dureau would be a good signing. Just rumour mill stuff but the other Aussie halves we've been linked with are Cronk - who obviously would be an amazing but unlikely signing - and Tyrone Roberts from the Knights. He hasn't been that great in the NRL but he's a running, play-what's-in-front-of-him half who's not that suited to Newcastle's rigid style. Kicks goals and can play hooker too. Would mean the end of Burrow if we got him.

The pack is the priority IMO, a workhorse prop is definitely needed. But, if someone like Cronk is available, then any team should be after him.

For me though, I want to see a big improvement from Singleton, and Achurch from the bench, as neither are doing enough to relieve the pressure on Cuthburtson and Peacock. Achurch has all the tools, big, mobile, great offload but he simply doesn't have an adequate work rate IMO, and Singleton, is aggressive and has a great energy about him, but he's physically way off IMO. Compare his dad bod carcass to the likes of Crosby and Sutton who are a similar age, but look way ahead of him physically.

if you could get Singleton's attitude and aggression into Achurch, you'd have a hell of a player.

Achurch reminds me too much of McDonald and Feather. All the tools, none of the heart or desire to stick his head in where it hurts.

Singleton I'm still not convinced by. Doesn't smash people either with the ball or without, which is what you need a front rower to be doing. Might be best used playing that "third prop" role at 13 in the middle unit maybe, as he's certainly mobile enough.