Oh dear, you are funny!!

I am reliably informed that Stevie Wonder will make a real good driving instructor when his sight returns.

My "response"?

My view that Mclennan is somewhat limited as a coach will simply be enhanced.

do his limitations mean he should continue as our coach next year?

What's the point of even discussing? Hetherington isn't likely to terminate his contract.

Besides, if he pulls of back to back championships you can't even consider sacking him.

I just look at the players individual form. How many have really blossomed under Mclennan? Hardly any. How many look better players than they did 18 months ago?

its easy for individuals look better in a better squad. It can even make some bab players look good.

When the squad quality drops and you're asked to more or have to compensate for your teams weaknesses it effects your individual performance.

the season we're having correlates to our off season depatures/recruitment and was pointed out by the realistic fans on here way before our below par season thus far. Fortunately we still have a top 4 squad and anything can happen in play off rugby. The point is as defending champs and former world champs we should have not given up our top dog position so easily and given our players a fair shot.

we cant make broughton perm at the moment due to his studies, the rason he is out on loan at Hull is that it fits in with the degree he is doing (chartered accounting i believe) and he can only train at certain times of the week which fit in with hulls and not ours

I've read that explanation also and good luck to him combining the two.

I hope he isn't another one that gets away (like Peter Fox) especially as there is/should be a vacancy on one wing.

It is an interesting point about players going backwards - On Donald last season was his best year at Leeds by a distance it is no shock that a move to the other wing has brought about a similar performance level as was experienced under "uber-coach" Tony Smith. Playing on the wing without a proper centre and one that changes almost weekly cannot help.

For me Hall should now be able to stand on his own two feet and move to the right wing if that doesn't see an improvement then I would consider a different strategy.

For me the only player that has seriously gone backwards is JJB who had a really good season last year but this year is really poor. Could see him

Of the rest;
Improved - excluding the likes of Watkins/McShane/Worrall
McGuire
Ali
Hall
Ablett

Remained static/consistent - mostly mature players who have reached a peak who will not improve even under a great coach like Wayne Bennett
Peacock
Sinfield
Kylie
Senior
Webb
Diskin
Bailey
Burgess - not good enough at this level

Worse
Donald - positional in my view
Smith - positional - never will be a centre
JJB - change of coach required IMO
Burrow - injuries

I have said this numerous times if you compare McClennans record to that of Smith during his time at Leeds especially the 2007 and 2008 seasons McClennan comes out favourably against someone many on here believe to be a coaching god - so he must be doing something right?

What about the improved defense we have shown under McCennan? We have the best defence in SL, despite having to do way more defence than normal due to poor attack.

It may be that McClennan has been focussing on the basics, and once they are established bring back a bit more flair etc with the ball

Defensively they have to better, the amount of practice they get is unreal, as a side Leeds struggle for field position.

I would love to see the numbers in terms of time in opponents half v time in own half - I put that firmly on the fact that Peacock carries the pack and the other fail to step up (maybe Burgess is slightly exempt from that criticism).

:33lmhcfeDonald's performances in 2007 were the equal of 2008 and 2006 was a solid year too. I agree entirely with your last sentence.

:33lmhcfeAgree.

:33lmhcfeSorry david but I can't agree. Sinfield was regularly shortlisted for Man of Steel in the Smith year's. He's a shadow of that player now. You seriously think Bailey is the same player he was under Smith? I'd also argue Diskin has gone backwards. He's certainly never got near the heights of 2004.

Your logic is shocking. Leeds have to be the best a defense because they have to do it more? How do you work that out. Our defence is winning games for us. We could easily ship twice as many points as we do if our defence wasn't so strong. They look organised and strong in most games, and there are few weaknesses.

If you have never climbed on a bike do you fall off the first time you ride it?


After practice do you get:

A Better?

B Worse?

C Stay the same?

Now think carefully before you answer...........................

This isn't even worth a responce.

I don't get that.

If Donald is struggling to perform on the right because its not his natural position (see 2006 for details) and he has different stand in centre partners, why should it be expected of Hall that he'll succeed there (assuming he is naturally left sided)?

Deary me today.

[uTranslation[/u I admit I was wrong and that generally you improve by repetition.





Now find a rock, climb under it and stop being silly.

Titch, when you've dug yourself a hole, stop digging.


Now for God's sake take the JCB back to wherever you found it.

Why is your trolling still so poor then?

The Hall/Smith option on the right wing outscored the Donald option on the left over the final twelve games of 2008 by almost two to one.

Hall would have little difficulty reverting back to the right and a switch might just bring Donald out of his slump.

Why just the final 12 games?

Instead of 12 go for (I think) 20 and you'll add 7 tries to the Donald tally and only one to the Smith/Hall one.

I'd agree Donald struggles on his right side generally but if the issue is one of rotating makeshift centres I can't see how Hall should automatically be expected to negate that.

Sinfield is what he is - his game has not gone backwards he has simply remained static and the game has moved on - any player who lacks genuine pace will be found out as the speed of the game moves on - it is not only his lack of physical speed but his mental speed. When given time and space he is ok but in a faster game he struggles to make the decisions quick enough - that is why he has never truly shone at international level.

Smith dropped Bailey plenty because of his lack of desire for a battle - what we are seeing now is exactly what we saw under for two seasons under Smith leading up to end of the 2007 campaign.

Diskin has never been the same since his cruciate injury his inability to reach the peak of 2004 is a physical not coaching issue.

Smith was the same as McClennan he did lots of things wrong during the 2005 and 2006 seasons - its a pity that some - you included - seem to be able to brush that under the carpet!!!

On the try Leeds would score that kind against NL opposition which is exactly what England played against on Saturday - Halifax would have given the French a game on Saturday - you simply do not get that level of freedom in most SL games.

Because that was the number of games into this season when I looked at a comparison of left V right from the same number of games from 2008. Twelve matches is a reasonable sample and the point stands that Hall and Smith didn't have any difficulty on that flank compared to Donald's output on the left over the final three months of the 2008 season.



Twelve was appropriate at the time I originally made the comparison. Maybe not so now eighteen games in.



I thought Smith was the settled right centre now. The situation can't be any worse than it was with Ablett and Ellis operating there last season.