Having said the above, I just read BM's statement on the club website. As a whole its better than I thought, if you want an insight into BM's thinking.

But its a remarkably odd thing for a coach of a team supposedly wanting to win trophies to come out with. Its basically a shopping list of problems, all of which will miraculously disappear next year. Its also admitting that through all the dreadful first two-thirds of the season, BM and the squad had literally no plan B. That doesn't suggest any resilience at all. Pointing at meaningless wins vs Hull and Wigan as some kind of guide to next year really is scraping the barrel IMO.

One thing I do agree with is BM's view on Burrow and McGuire having earned some loyalty. However, I'd say 2016 was so bad that they've pretty much spent all their loyalty points. Its up to them to show BM's faith is deserved.

Actually I thought he was referencing playing injured and unfit players, which led to poor performances and often recurring injuries

Funny, because Mac wasn't so loyal to Burrow when he first joined and started benching and even dropping him...

I think last year really showed that if McGuire gets injured again or doesn't fully recover then we will struggle. In previous seasons we could afford for either Sinfield or Maggsy to get injured because the other would usually step up and allow either Sutcliffe or Burrow to get on with their natural game.
By not bringing in another half they will either have to make sure Lilley/Burrow can play without Mags or it will be a big gamble

They're only not the right ones in your opinion though. The issues with the defence will be covered in this part



I said right from week 1 the shortened disrupted pre-season was the key thing. People can and have mocked the Kiwis game comment but it's highlighted above how it altered and shortened our usual pre-season plans. To then lose time afterwards because of the floods made it even worse. People can say "well they eventually got sorted" with regards to pitches and gyms to work with but the problem was you never make up for that lost time (unless you try having a mini pre-season when the season starts ala his chasing wins comment) and pre-season is so crucial. How do people think we went from how we played in 2014 to how we played in 2015 without many squad changes? The work done in pre-season. Tony Smith admits the basis of the 2004 winning season was the work done in pre-season. Hull and Wire made some recruits yes but clearly they came back from being mid table contenders last year to top by having a great pre-season.

This is a desperate coach/club looking to deflect the blame away from himself/themselves.

There is even a new excuse - we tried to chase wins early!! That is simply idiotic.

It is all we and not I and that is an issue - take some responsibility for your shortcomings.

2016 was a complete and utter shambles and the Rhinos lack of agility in the face of adversity is duly noted.

What on earth are you blabbering on about. Duly noted? I'm quite sure no gives a damn about what you've ''duly noted''.

It's we and not I? that's because the club is a We. When they won the treble he didn't say 'I'VE won the treble''.

I think it's a fair article.

I think we need to move on. Last season has gone let's put it to the past, there's no point kicking and screaming because the club haven't crucified themselves with Mcdermott offering his resignation in blood. Things went wrong, mistakes were made but we'll be stronger for it, I am certain.

Very much this. It's just sport at the end of the day.

I also agree with what Mac said regarding chasing wins early, the bad start, compounded by injuries and playing injured players really damaged a team that was trying to find its identity again.

Roll on next season, if we can manage a good start, I'll be quietly confident.

Of course it's "we" and not "I". Whenever we've won things under McDermott he's always been about shifting the credit onto others (players, other coaching staff, management) so damn right he uses we when fail when he uses it when we've been successful. You stick together as a club and don't start pointing fingers at individuals.

That you want him to say "I" just shows up your agenda. Talk about excuses with regards to losing crucial time in pre-season, which is actually a fact not excuses....yet come out with your own excuses about why we were successful....."it was all Sinfield and Peacock, all the other teams were poor"....which aren't facts just lame opinions and excuses to try salvage something from previous claims writing off the coach and team who you thought would do naff all in 2015 (and on a few occasions previously).

The "chasing wins" comment is properly explained and you can understand what he means unless you're just reading those two words and taking it simplistically as we didn't want to win games.

Whilst we didn't deal well with adversity for quite a while, we did actually turn it around, all be it a few weeks too late to avoid Middle 8's. we finished the 23 Rounds with several wins under our belts, some against eventual silverware winners, climbed a few spots to get the better fixtures and we made simple work of the Midfle 8's. Might not sound like much but considering where we were at around the end of May/start of June strolling through the Middle 8's didn't look on the cards and we did actually work our way out of trouble in the end.

1. Interesting comment about the players not putting in acceptable performances - not much about him and his impact on these unacceptable performances? So who is pointing the fingers then - not much we in that comment.

2. The last six fixtures of 2016 included 4 against Wakefield, Salford, Hull KR and Widnes and the middle 8's should have been more of a breeze than it was - the performances against London, Batley, Hull KR and a loss to the Giants were hardly convincing. Let's not see this as a Lazarus moment!!

3. Given the club was in complete crisis/chaos chasing wins in those circumstances seems foolhardy if greater pressure was put on players to deliver.

4. He talks about hiding behind excuses - quite the opposite to what the CEO said at the time "we are a strong group that don't hide behind excuses" yet another confused statement in this piece - its typical of his muddled thinking that can be seen during game time.

You have an agenda to dismiss Sinfield's impact on the success of the team in 2015, just like you have with Tony Smith's impact during his time at Leeds - you are entitled to that opinion. To suggest anyone who doesn't agree has an agenda seems hypocritical to me.

1 - there was a load of "we" in that part of his piece....."I had defended the players until that point but those performances were unacceptable. WE had lost our way and WE were ALL guilty of relying on excuses too much. It led to MYSELF, ALL the coaching staff and the players questioning if WE were doing everything possible to perform." ......hardly shifting it away from himself to just players.

2 - yes and those teams were beating us earlier in the year. Not saying the performances were amazing but last time I checked you didn't get extra points for style and 2 points counts all the same. Wigan are an example of that this year.

3 - yes and he admits it's his major regret doing that. Does he have to word it a certain way calling himself a useless **** before some are satisfied?

4 - how is it muddled thinking of his behalf when you've taken one comment from him and one from someone else?

5 - not saying Sinfield didn't play his part of course he did. But this idea that's been built up that it was all on him and Peacock alone is ridiculous. As much as great players they were they weren't that great that they could be the sole difference between spending most of the last year in 1st and then spending most of this year without them last.

Simple fact is with the extended end to 2015 and then loss of pre-season time we must've been around a month behind where we were 12 months previously preparation-wise and of the other teams in the competition when the season kicked off. You can't have that and expect to keep up with the rest.

I think Sal takes this forum just a little bit too seriously, he was on about "dissenting voices" on another thread.

Ha Ha he rises from the ashes - kettle and pot I would say.

As I said in my last post - pity you didn't take time to read it - Printer is entitled to his opinion I just happen not to agree with it.

You have said in previous posts what is the point is criticising the club - again you are entitled to that stance but surely if that is your position why do feel the need to defend the club so rigorously?

Christ, he's off again. What ashes would these be Sal?



And he's back to making things up again...
You know I'd ask you for a link to back up your latest made up ramblings but on past history that just won't happen so I won't bother.

Printer = one fact for you , if Sutty had not got injured Leeds would not have got anywhere near the treble in 2015 so for you to dismiss Sinfield as a bit part player is so wrong . Regarding 2016 , you can make as many excuses as you like but even taking some of the ridiculous ones on board no way should we have finished out of the top eight . your comment that seems to suggest once these problems diminished that we strolled the middle eights was down to mainly one person only , our hooker . As i have said on other threads the competition is so ordinary a quality halfback and a good coach would put us with as much chance as the other three that can win Super League {Wigan , Wire and Saints

I don't think he is dismissing Sinfield at all, just that it is quickly forgotten how
sinfield was well out of form first half of 2015 and it was Sutcliffe playing SO when we were playing champagne rugby at times and winning well until his injury.

As opposed to 2016 when we were playing flat Tizer rugby.

No chance in hell would Sutcliffe have kept Sinfield out of the starting HB position come the big games, in fact he didn't. Sutcliffe started the several games before the Hudds cup game with Sinfield missing out or on the bench.....come the cup Sinfield in, Sutcliffe out (not injured). The week before the next cup game at Hull Sinfield was on the bench but then again so was Cuthbertson and Peacock (I.e saved for he following week). And Sutcliffe started that game at FB so he went with Burrow and McGuire in the halves.....but again come cup game Sinfield was in.

So no it's not fact that had Sutcliffe not been injured we wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the treble.

Sinfield started only 10 of the 23 regular season games at HB and he didn't play that well in those opening 5 (Rounds 1-5 before injury) yet we still were first going into the Super 8's. So we actually can and did perform without him being too critical in terms of his on field performances.

I was thinking more like a maturing puddle of P!$$...but close enough

What's interesting at the moment we current have 24 players signed up full time for next season (minus Hardaker, Hallas and Lilley(unconfirmed any deals in place yet). That to me is short, considering we are probably without Galloway for about 1/3 of it.

It is not only short in numbers its short on quality in key areas - half back, prop, full back and second row. The only place the team is really strong is three quarters and the one hooker

Have to disagree with you on second row. With Ward back fit he will be like a new signing and hopefully Ablett, who rarely strung a set of games together, back at it added to Ferres we have three international standard back rows right there. Keinhorst is good cover now too.

We have Sutcliffe in the transition stage to full back. May not work long term, but for now with him and Golding we are covered there. Props are a bit Meh i agree, but we have a full quota on our books for next year.

Assuming Sutcliffe is now a FB that just leaves McGuire and Lilley for the half back spots so this is the glaring hole that needs addressing.

Its funny though isn't it, because virtually the same squad based on 2015 was seen by most as very strong. You'd say much weaker at fullback but also much stronger at hooker. So I guess the real question - particularly if not much happens on the recruitment front - is how many of the underperformers from last year can turn it around?

I don't see us been that much weaker at fullback. Sutcliffe's catch/pass and kicking game, plus his improving goal kicking are light years infront of Hardaker, plus Sutty is far less of a liability off the field. Sutcliffe is a very solid defender. He can brake tackles and isn't slow.

I think Sutcliffe in his first season back from a shocker of an injury became any easy scapgote for venting fans. He wasn't given the time by fans or the club (due to injuries and form to find his feet again).

I think he's been treated very unfairly with many on this forum leading the witch hunt with pitch folks in hand.

I agree with that. Whilst still raw in that position I can see some potential in Sutcliffe at FB. Will he be as good defensively as Hardaker, no but I don't think he'll be fine in that department. The area that was Hardaker's weakness....ball in hand 20m away from the opposition line....I've already seen enough to suggest Sutcliffe will offer us much more there.

As long as they know they're going with him at FB and he can spend pre-season working on the role then I think he could turn out to be one of our best performers next year.

The second row is an issue for me agree about Ward but I didn't see anything in Ferres to suggest he is anything special in fact the number of penalties he gives away is a serious negative. Ablett has been a great player but like JJB his best days are well behind him. Jimmy is average at best.

Anyone who thinks Sutcliffe can perform anything close to where Hardaker was in 2015 is mistaken - he isn't defensively in the same league, running with ball same better in the line yes but his negatives far out weight his positives to Hardaker c2015.