Dale Fritz in the playoffs

Andrew Schick in the CC. Murrays first CC game.

Both horrible.

both last minute IIRC

It was Murray's first competitive game in charge. I hadn't been so happy with a heartbreaking defeat for a long, long time.

Castleford were pummelled.... into victory.

Yeh,vowles was awesome for them aswell

Ironically, considering last seasons two big wins, we couldn't win in the wet under Murray. I liked Murray but he came over I think for four years to "build" something at Leeds, then after just one year (where we won nothing) he announced he was leaving. I was very dissapointed with that. Smith came for 4 years and really finished the job off at Leeds. We had a nearly season in 05, then an average season with some re-building in 06' (we lost a huge part of the GF winning squad over that time including key players like Furner) which left us in a position to be hunting a third Championship in a row this year. I think Smith really did the job he was asked to do, Murray didn't.

I was sat in some cack hole of a clubhouse in Cheshire watching the end of that game in disbelief. It was the perfect end to the perfect day (I can't remember how many we got hammered by that day). A flat water pint and hair full of mud. Wonderful.

I thought murray was only supposed to be here for 2 yrs

Actually now I come to think of it I remember 5 years not 4. As I remember the North Sydney job came up and he asked to be released (or had a clause that allowed him to take a job in Australia).
Then of course Norths dissapeared along with the job.

Murray like all Hetherington coaches at Leeds (bar Powell - strange that) was signed on initially for 2 years.



It was never that sort of game.

14-Feb-98..... CC 4..... Lost 12 - 15..... Headingley..... John Connolly..... 7,067

You can say that again - ask Brett Mullins

I'd say Mullins got what he deserved in that little episode.

If you watched boots n all last night McDermott's comments on Smith were "Strict disciplinarian who will get to grips with the culture"

Perhaps - but not everyone would have reacted in quite such a physical

manner

his words after the 2005 challenge cup final were somewhat different.

After seeing an angry, fired up Dean Sampson at first hand I think Mullins came off lightly.

First was selecting Senior who couldn't even run in the warm up - so on a very hot day Leeds were effecitevely down to 16 men.

Second not selecting McDermott - his idea of a fast more nimble pack was flawed given the weather conditions and the lack of man power

Third not having the firepower to stand up to big Hull pack that simply bulldozed Leeds all game

This is digging up an old argument but had Marcus Bai not handed the game to Hull in the biggest F**K up since Don Fox I doubt Smiths team selection that day would ever have been spoke about.

He also didn't play Scruton, which meant we wnet into a Cup final with only 2 recognised props, with 4 available, against a big and dominating Hull pack

Surely you're not summarising Adolf Hitler as "a strict disciplinarian"?

Isn't the main reason people just "don't like" smith because he dropped our head cheerleader Matty Adamson?



I'm with Gareth on this one - why does it matter how nice a coach is as long as he's successful (for example Alex Ferguson comes across as a right grumpy get - eg won't speak to the beeb cos they once asked him a question he didn't like - but I bet there's no scum fans who'd swap him for a nice guy like Kevin Keegan)

Dropping Adamson was one his best moves and definitely contributed to the success in 2004

WTF

Smith was our most successful coach in the history of the club

What about Ant & Dec as coach, everybody loves them.

Gareth when have you ever heard a player come out on record and say a coach is rubbish - it just doesn't happen.

Only the nieve would believe that all players think the coach/manager is good - that is simply not realistic - not in rugby not in any workplace.

What happens is managers just go - there contracts are not renewed just like Smith - even you would admit his departure defies logic - if as you suggest he is a great coach with a great record why would any club get rid?

Did leeds "get rid"

I do remember Hethro coming out after the england deal was announced that he would have offered him a new contract. This could possibly have been done to save face all round though