Talk about coaches getting too much credit, suggesting Lee Briers is the reason the Broncos' attack is firing is way OTT. If you were looking for one person who has transformed their attack, its Reece Walsh. He scares the hell out of defenders with his pace and opens up spaces all around him. They have Reynolds who generals the team, Ezra Mam who is developing into a decent 6, and two of the best strike centres in the competition. I really don't think it takes a coaching genius to make them a hugely potent attacking side. Not saying Briers isn't doing a good job, but way OTT to suggest they wouldn't be about the same with any other coach in there.

You can have all the best strike players if they don't work to a pattern they will be redundant. Great thing about Brisbane is they play to their strengths - a bit like Penrith - which is their athletic ability. Watch their plays their all about exposing the opposition so the greater speed/power comes in to play. They are not an off the cuff side/kicking side nor are they a tight physical side like Penrith who simply grind you down to a standstill.

Someone whether it is Briers has devised an attack that suits the participants. He might have been lucky to be in the right place at the right or he just be a very good coach.

I would agree with much of this - the one question I have given the squad he has "Is Smith adding value - are the team performing to the best of its abilities on a regular basis" that is all that matters he can only coach what is there - if the honest is yes great, if not then "Houston we have a problem" Which do you think it is?

Whatever this team needs in terms of recruitment to move forward, Smith is not currently getting the best out of the players we do have.

Maybe, maybe not. I honestly don’t know. As I said, the spine was poor, and now we only have 50% of it, so things aren't going to be pretty. Ultimately I think it's time the club did the brave thing and really backed a coach. McNamara, despite is England stint, was pretty derided when he took over at Catalans. They had some wobbly seasons on the back of significant investment, but despite that Guash stuck with him and it's paying off. Coaches need time, investment and a lot of luck to be successful. Just think we need to give Smith the first two and hope he is blessed with the third. Sacking him (especially given the dearth of available quality coaches) would be a cowardly act of short term fan appeasement on the part of the club. I don't think they'll do it.

The make up of the team is an irrelevance - does the team he puts out perform to its ability or even exceed its ability - that is what Smith is paid for?

I am with you I would give him more time but surely there are limits to how long the club and its supporters can accept performances of this quality. A team with the resources that Leeds have should not be in the position they have found themselves since 2017.

Now I’m no RS apologete, but are we sure this group of players isn’t performing to their ability?

I don’t think they are. But I also think the fact a number of senior players been told they are likely to not be kept beyond this season my have impacted smiths ability to get them to buy in and play to their ability.

I totally agree with your sentiments re 2017. Just think that frustration and anxiety transfer directly on to the shoulders of each incoming coach, and they can’t be held accountable for systematic failure. Will have agree to disagree on your point about the make up of the team being an irrelevance. To my mind it's always relevant. If the other team has better players, and sadly a lot of them do, you'll always be up against it.

Although I, as well as many others, am finding this season with little to no enjoyment I am not going to blast management about what they haven't done for next year until all is revealed. Ask me again in December and if there has been no to little excitement added then I believe we will be in a position to have a moan but here in August complaining about 2024 doesn't sit well with me.
I'm hoping RS & GH have an ace (or three) yet to play.

RS has convinced GH that he is an expert at polishing turds. All I see is his ability to attract and sign turds.

Are you deliberately forgetting about McDonell and Macdonald

And the moving of Walters and O’Conner into positions where they have got better.

Add in Ruane, Warren, Hooley, Roberts, 3 of those late teens early 20’s. See how they go in second season as full time pro’s

Clearly we haven't played as well as we could for most of this season. But its quite possible that by the start of next season there might only be Myler, Fusitu'a, Newman, Handley, Oledzki, Martin and Smith remaining out of the first choice 17 when he arrived. That means we will have moved on the vast majority of the senior players that were here just over a year ago. Which is exactly what a lot of us suggested needed to happen.

No doubt some of the guys would have been toxic to a sporting team once they knew they were/are leaving. Even if not, they most likely are good friends with other players. Would it be a huge surprise if morale amongst the squad wasn't brilliant during this process?

I'm not saying Smith hasn't made mistakes, but assuming we bring in some real quality this season, the shake-up of the squad in a year and a half will have been enormous. I'm not sure many coaches could have kept everyone playing to their best in that situation, and I assume GH brought him in to do exactly this.

We are down to 5th now, so no.

Exactly

Many if not most fans wanted a clearcut of dead wood and wasted Salary cap, if anyone thinks that can happen A. Quickly and B. without some upheaval and unrest they are kidding themselves.

Smiths Biggest test is when he has got rid of those players and brought new ones in, he will live and die by that a bit like Powell has at Warrington. The biggest difference between Powell and Smith is that Smith is at least looking to the future with the younger players, can't say the same with Powell and Warrington as a club either.

That is my point - if the opposition are a better side all you can expect is the team to play to its potential - I don't expect them to win every week I hope they will play as well as they can. Not sure that is happening TBH

Double Mac one is just plain burger the other more a veggie not enough beef.

When we mathematically can't get into the playoffs then I'm hoping some of the academy players are put into the side to test their arms a bit. Give them a sample of what they're aiming for.

Good job Leeds are a grade A club or they could be struggling to stay in SL given the recent performances when the IMG reconfig happens.

Not sure there are many academy players who have a long term future at the club in SL. Who are you suggesting? Don't forget even if this year is a write off for us it wont be for the teams we are playing so the intensity and physicality will not drop off.

Upheaval and unrest, we have had several seasons of upheaval and unrest. I rather not experience anymore of that thank you very much.

Keep buying season tickets people it will get better next season........or maybe the one after or whatever

You do what you like but don't tell me what I should be doing. I'm sorry if I'm not a whinging fairweather supporter that can only get behind my team when they are winning.
I dispair reading on here these days, think I'm going to take a break from this forum