Another benefit of having more than one youngster come through at a time is not putting all your eggs in one basket. If Simpson comes back fit and kicks on along with Ned McCormack and maybe Smith, we won't be betting everything on Newman staying fit/not throwing his toys out of the pram. That doesn't mean I'd want rid, but we wouldn't be held to ransom and end up paying overs.

That's why junior development needs to be continual, a lesson lost (amongst many) during the Golden Generation. For every Danny McGuire there are multiple Jordan Lilleys.

I will stick my neck out and say that both Presley Cassell and Zak Lloyd will make first grade. Matts knows the junior set up much better than I do but from what I've seen these lads both have what it takes. There are others too with good chances especially in the younger scholarship side.

A back row in a couple of years with a fit Gannon, Cassell, Lloyd, Littlewood will put lots of pressure on the existing first graders. A few lads that haven't made it in recent years basically haven't been big enough - I think the ones coming through now have a great mixture of size and talent. Would include Simpson, Smith, Lumb (once he fills out) in that mix for the backs too. Hudson, Ruan, Warren and a couple of others are also going to be in the mix for 2025 if we retain them.

Anyway lots of positivity for the future in my view, but we still need to fix up some holes in the squad if we're going to progress next year. If we did sign Eseh permanently, it would take immediate pressure off prop but I still think we need a marquee type proper prop to push everyone down the pecking order.

Replace Goudemand, Frawley, Fus and Momirovski. I realise that it’s not that simple due to contractual obligations. Plus the pack needs strengthening so it’s not an overnight quick fix. Maybe make an effort to convert Momirovski into a winger. Nevertheless for the first time in years I am reasonably optimistic. More than happy to wait a couple of seasons to see a strong foundation set in place. Unlike the last few seasons when along with the majority on here, could see the ongoing shambles unfolding on a weekly basis. Smith was a snake oil salesman of the highest order.

For the sake of British RL I hope Sinfield Jr can do more than just kick a ball high.

Spot on Jim, it's quite stark isn't it when you look at that vs recent years.. we've looked to address that with Croft and Ackers no doubt but it's been hugely underwhelming more often than not. Hopefully Blease will change that

To create a side similar to the best ones in the golden generation would be virtually impossible, due to the salary cap, plus the higher payments in the NRL. Not forgetting the higher salary cap in the British rugby union, who are also losing players to France due to the French having a higher salary cap. The main answer to this problem is spend your money sensibly and grow your own talent. Something we have failed to do over the last few years. Hopefully Blease will adress this situation, assuming hethrington supports him as I fear some difficult decisions may have to be taken.

I think it is possible to assemble a side which costs more than the salary cap - but you have to have a good number of homegrown players and then spank it a bit on your marquees.

Not forgetting a bit of creative accounting. Which has gone on for years.

I rewatched the Leigh game in cold blood last night. I agree with Kaeru that we lack quality, and our forwards are just outgunned as a set in terms of size (actually most noticeably in the back row against Leigh) but also aggression.

However, there were lots of occasions where our lack of line speed in defence was just awful. You can call it passive defence or any term you like, but there were multiple sets throughout the game where the line just stood still and watched Leigh play. This gifts easy yardage, and at times our defence would drift across following the ball, not pressuring playmakers at all. Its so static that even if they messed up a move Leigh could make 10 yards with a player getting the ball from a standing start. There were a couple of times where we also managed to leave huge gaps right up the middle as there was no urgency in players moving across to fill gaps as the defence moved to the other side following the ball.

Combine that with the lack of size and aggression in the tackle and we lose the collision a heck of a lot. It compounds - the defence is static, we lose the collision and the opposition get a quick PTB. Rinse and repeat. Good scrambling goal line defence saved us, but it's going to keep losing us games unless its fixed. We start sets further back than the opposition, who generally try hard to pin us back on our line with aggressive defence while we let them get away far too easily.

I'm not sure we have the personalities who can play a more aggressive defence, or whether its just lack of oomph, but some of those Leigh forwards were loving it. Be very interesting to see what a new coach would look to do, but for me addressing linespeed would be a major priority.

Excellent posting, I make no apologies for once again pointing out the devastation smith has caused . All this is entirely down to smith , the next incoming coach has an enormous job to sort out this mess.

it comes from the lack of power in the pack. That is the new coaches No1 priority. Paramatta have a big powerful pack, BA sorted that during his time there, their team was extremely powerful and athletic in particular the season they got to the GF. Same with Rowley at Salford, they are powerful right across the park

Lads get coached in defensive line all the way through juniors, I don't think Smith has ruined these players or the side, that's just hyperbole.

Agree with the original post, good summary. We need a more aggressive and systemic defence. O'Connor runs out to put a hit on which is great when it works, but other than him McDonnell makes extra efforts for kick pressure etc and that's about it.

Ironically line speed is your ally when you're giving away size/power to the opposition, the worst thing you can do is invite a bigger opponent space to build up momentum.

The new coach and Blease I'm sure will be aware of this. Like I've said before, we likely need both better players and a more experienced head coach. I will point out that nearly every club employee I've seen interviewed has been glowing about RS and sad to see him leave.

There are lots of irritating habits in the side I think. I was nowhere near as rabid as most on here to oust RS but if we get the right man in, I think a fresh voice and some re-focus will do us good.

Interesting regarding the rhinos staff sad to see him leave, as a side issue I know several ex super league players and one super league coach. They all speak highly of Agar. Funny old world.

So your argument is that you know better than Chev Walker, Jarrod O'Connor, Mark Butterill etc plus the players and coach you mention?

Austin wasn't a fan of RS but then he was a toxic and anti-authoritarian and contrarian figure his whole career.

I'm sure things will come out as time passes, but as it stands we are getting a new coach in soon so RS is fish and chips paper.

Were you referring to my post ? Anyway it’s not as simple as your quaint reference to fish and chips . The new coach will inherit a sub standard squad of players. Most of them have for months under smith showed no sign of improvement, many have gone backwards. Plus the fact the squad has never played with any kind of structure or game plan. I refer you to once were loiners recent excellent posting regarding our playing structure .
Have a look at the league table , our position after all the money spent is scandalous.

I don’t accept that version of where Leeds are at or that Rohan Smith has ruined Leeds etc.

We are in my view probably three starting players short of a top 4 side.

Not easy to do but hardly cataclysmic.

I agree Kaeru. The defensive setup is something that a new coach would seek to fix straight away, and as you say, all of our players will have played in a range of defensive structures, many of which will have focused on linespeed. That would at least put us on a level pegging with opponents. If we then add in some extra power in a couple of forwards we would look a different beast.

Where we may differ is that I think we need three big, strong forwards to make a real difference.

I know a fair number on here are critical of Bentley and whilst he isn`t the barn stopping forward we crave for.
We have imo missed his tackling and defence these last few weeks.

When he keeps his head, he's an asset.

The problem is we are loaded with workmen backrowers. Only Ruan offers size and he's young / raw.

Bentley has been discussed to death but one thing he isn't is a player who will get us on the front foot. You can't just have one or two forwards responsible for all the momentum. Good sides hit the opposition with heavy artillery on successive carries; we have generally been unable to do this.

He works best as a bench player but then we have O'Connor for that role who is arguably better at it.

I'd be surprised if Bentley is retained beyond his (confusingly long) recent contract. If Blease wants a Murray-era pack we need a few different players.

Bentley is a better 2nd rower than O’Connor. Remember, this is a player who Saints wanted to keep and showed abilities that many thought would lead to him playing in the NRL.

Not signing at least 2 experienced props over the off season, instead adding another lightweight 2nd rower hurt us badly.

Bentley is fine as a player now he's stopped getting banned.

We are just full of similar backrowers, resigning Donaldson was another mistake to go with Fusitua and Goudemand imo.

Losing Martin,as good as he is wouldn't be the worst situation for us given our cap/QS / needs for next year.

A pack with a new monster prop and a strike back rower to start with Bentley and Oledski with Holroyd/ Lisone/ Gannon /Mcdonnell/Sangare fighting for bench spots is a better position to be in

I agree and that`s why he looked good at Saints with the props they had and like I`ve said before he will unsettle the opposition and make a bucket load of tackles something Goudemand and Donaldson don`t do.
Comparing Bentley with O`Connor is wrong as they play in different positions.

O’Connor came through at 13 and has played alongside Ackers at times, and is a similar body type to Bentley.

Stopped being banned?? He hasn’t played for months that why.

Anyway I’m not getting too far into that can of worms again; we’ll see what Blease makes of it all. I think we can all agree the overall balance of that Leeds pack isn’t right.

To be fair to Bentley his discipline did improve in his last outings, and I remember at the start of the season a lot being made of the fact that he'd given up alcohol. If he continues to knuckle down when he returns he should be in the 17 most weeks.