But look at the competition those years. They were far better than the current one.

2001 side included: Toni Carrol, Iestyn? Senior, Sinfield, JJB

This is the worst Leeds team I've ever seen - even when everyone is fit. It's a team game and the team is awful. Sutcliffe makes Dave Hesselwood and Mark Massa look awesome, as for the forwards I'm dreaming of the glory days of Gary Price and Andy Sykes.
Has Dave Furner ever got a job on. McDermott's protestations after his sacking look even more ridiculous now.

Fortunately I think both Sinfield and Furner know its a rebuild job, Sinfield even mentioned it in his latest post match interview. I don't for one second think Sinfield thinks its job done if we get through these Middle 8s

Personally I will be happy A. if we get through the middle 8s with a game to spare and B. if next year we just look like a more complete side, I'm not expecting us to be back up in the top4 for at least 2 years and I'm fine with that as long as we look to be heading in the right direction.

I was a big fan of McDermott but in hindsight I will say I think he should have gone after last years GF, he deserved the benefit of the doubt in 2016 but a plan should have been put in place through ought 2017 for 2018 without him. I also still think Sinfield is the right guy for the DOR job.

Indeed. And Darren Fleary, Anthony farrell, barrie Mcdermott, francis Cummins, Mark Calderwood, Ryan Sheridan etc.. with most of the golden generation playing some games on their way through.also had the 2 great imports Mullins and Clyde who didn't have the best of times through injury and Robbie Mears an ex origin hooker.they finished 5th in a very good SL at the top end. Not a bad squad at all and they would have put plenty on this current lot.

The 96 side and this both plumb similar depths for me. If - if - we beat Salford, TO & TWP then I might be forced to conclude that this one's the shade better of the two. But only by a fanny hair.

The 96 side was in completely different circumstances to this, and as a result of that, this is really a worse team.

Also needed Dean bell to come out of retirement to beat Paris

Could we really see Sir Kev or burrow doing the same

It's like ''the good old days'' syndrome this, only in reverse

If you think this team is s*** then you can't have been around back in....

Could we really see Sir Kev or burrow doing the same

A one legged, half fit, half pace, Sinfield is still a million times better than Sutcliffe and would probably take us to the wins we need, even now.

Coming second in league many a time. Being turned over by the Pieeaters. Losing many semi finals. Only 1 Yorkshire cup success. However at least they did not give up with 20 minutes to go each week

Agreed

We had Mercer luckily return that year aswell who made a huge difference. Didn't we go through even more players that year than this?

In agree. Thompson's defence is woeful with high numbers of missed tackles. In both games that Smith and Thompson have played together Smith had a much higher work rate per minute and made 1 missed tackle compared with 19 from Thompson

Sinfield rated JJB as our best forward against Widnes!

He had no choice given our serious injury crisis and Sinfield has reported he is having to do the same!

He probably was, not saying much though is it.

Well it indicates he should not be written off quite so quickly. Some posters seem to have forgotten his big efforts in the first part of the season when we had no props and we had only lost 2 games in the first third of matches despite the injuries. Before his injury we were only losing games by a couple of points with the very odd exception.

He really wasn't. Crosby looked much better. But I wouldn't expect anything different from Sinfield, and exactly highlights why it needs someone not connected with the players for next season.

But JJB made more tackles, more marker tackles, more meters and more metres per carry and he also made more tackle busts and fewer missed tackles than Crosby and he played more minutes with a better work rate per minute. So his performance was more effective than Crosby which is why Sinfield made his comment.

Singleton also put in a high work rate per minute and made the most tackles but only made half the metres of JJB and less carries which were also less effective.

In that regard I completely agree, I think Furner has the chance to leave a permanent mark on the club, it's the sort of experience that's difficult to come by, a big club needing a total overhaul and a boss who sees it exactly the same way no doubt. Nobody will be expecting Furner to make us champions - even by the end of his three years.

McD should have gone in 2015. I was also not a hater but to allow the team to get to the state it's in now is borderline criminal. He was never able (apart from 2015) to show league consistency. We became a big game side, but that relied heavily on players that are now gone. So now we can't win a big game and all that's left is McD's speciality - crap league form.

And history repeats itself.......

Actually despite numbers from a sheet you have no way of knowing that. You wasn't there was you? You can obviously say what tackles were made and metres per carry, but you have no idea how effective they were, let's not pretend. You said yourself they played more minutes, so obviously the individual stats should be more, but I repeat that in no way determines effectiveness, which is the word you used.