Yes, I have. Quite regularly thanks.

Hope you had a good holiday Gareth, and a safe trip back.

How does it feel to be a nothing on an internet message board? Surely the answer to that is: Who cares? Its an internet message board.

Cheers dude.

Was great but tiring. Landed back this morning so trying to stay awake so forgive me if my standards slip a little today

Welcome back, you've been missed....... no really.

Guffaw...

I notice we've struggled our way to the joint top of the league table in spite of that recognised right centre in my absence..............................


HTH.

Joint top



The gap between the two has narrowed thanks to St Helens recent faltering. Lee Smith's 100% endeavour is enough to plug any gap in the Leeds three-quarters to a point. He'll leave a notable utillity gap when he finally goes.

He certainley will. I wonder if it now pushes them to finally bring a top clas back into the team. Had we had an addition like that at the start of the season along with Eastwood/a n other good forward imo we'd be well clear at the top now

So which games that we have lost this season would we have won if we'd had someone different in the right centre or a different forward on the bench?

None Andy.

Don't you know Eastwood and a.n.other outside back would have left Leeds undefeated and that, and only that, would be a vindication of the clubs squad building.

Being in the position we are and challenged for an unprecedented 3rd consecutive title simply isn't good enough........for some.

Personally I think the poster was right to say we would have been in a stronger position. There is games we would have won.

However, that said, I do think you have been vindicated in what you have said all season, about the current squad been good enough to do the job required.

Perhaps a more fairer indication would have been had we been missing as many players as Saints are now. Would that have made a difference?

Leaving the squad understrength has so far this season seen it fail to retain the World Club Championship and get knocked out of the prestigious Challenge Cup at the first hurdle despite benefitting from a home tie.

If this is such a golden period for the club why is it the case that the Challenge Cup has not resided in the Leeds trophy cabinet since 1999?

The current league placing is acceptable while the performances have been good in short bursts.

Still too early to judge the season overall though.

I think for a period, we did, last year and still won the championship. Of course, our results would have suffered a little, as have Saints and as would any other side in the league.

Could the squad have been stronger? Yes. Did the club attempt to strengthen? Yes.

Those efforts having failed to come to fruition was the squad good enough nonetheless, even relying on the youngsters we have? Yes.

As there the need for the knee jerk reactions we saw on here? No.

Good enough to compete at a reasonable level? Yes

Good enough to defend the WCC? No
Good enough to win a home tie in the Challenge Cup in 2009? Apparently not.
Good enough to win the League Leaders shield? Perhaps.
Good enough to retain the SL Title? Let's hope so.

Your past position has been that the squad have been poorly coached at times, while I agree with that he has also been denied enough 1st team options.

Somewhere between the two could be the truth.

No offence but that seems a little picky. We have won the bigger prize 3 times since then. A Challenge Cup win would be nice, don't get me wrong, and the exit to Saints was disappointing this year, but I don't think it alters the view that the last 5 or 6 years have been among the most successful in the club's history.

A club of Leeds current strength should be expecting to pick up a CC more often than once in 11 years. Name another club that has had the relative strength for a 6+ year period and failed to land a CC.

Thank you. That is all I am saying. Im not saying we'd have been unbeaten i'm just saying I feel we would have been in an even stronger position than we are now which may i add is in no way a poor one. I just feel we could have done better and really dominate at the top this season. Apologies if i want too much. So stop going off on on G1 !!

Agreed. I'd sooner us be champs though than challenge cup winners if i had to chose one - but we should have won more. Hull fc final springs to mind although - the senior injury was a key one in that game

And the decision not to play McDermott.

Yep agreed.

Agree, Hull had a big powerful pack at the time so Tony Smith decided to push JJB upto prop during the game.

The week before we played Bradford though IIRC, and Barrie had by far his worst performance in a Leeds shirt - he was terrible, this may have had some bearing on TS's decision.

True, but if I remember correctly we went into the final with only 2 props, Barrie would have been a massive help in my opinion against the big Hull pack.
That final is about the one and only time I thought Smith got it badly wrong. Not with choosing Senior, but in not choosing Barrie.

Has Westwood had a kid or summat?