Quote Worlds Apart="Worlds Apart"Oh agreed. And results have certainly been disappointing. That said, look at the timeline without rose-tinted glasses on and it seems a bit more reasonable:
v WARRINGTON: Narrow defeat to a side who are up at the top of the table. Playing with no hooker, we lose our captain & chief playmaker after 20 minutes. Would have drawn but for a slicked penalty kick, with the halves being run by a 21 year old coming back from injury and a 19 year old playing his 5th senior game.
v WIDNES: A Bad performance, compounded by the loss of 3 players to injury during the game against none for them. Injuries worsened by all being in the same area of the team meaning the pack is weakened as forwards move into the backs to cover.
v CATALANS: 4 point margin in the toughest away of the season, carrying a bunch of injuries and with the established weakness in the halves. Missing best prop due to suspension and losing another forward during the game. Difference between the two sides two difficult touchline conversions for Lilley.
v HUDDS: Won
v WIGAN: Bad performance against a side playing well.
v SAINTS: Won, convincingly the better team for most of the game.
v CAS: Sutcliffe's kicking the difference between the two sides.
So a couple of things to note there:
1. We've won 2/3 of our home games, the other lost by 2 points.
2. Most of the losses (Warrington, Catalans, Cas) have been by a single score or less - oftentimes it's been kicks for goal that've been the difference.
3. In not one of those games have we been able to put out our strongest team, and in many we've gone in with key absentees (McGuire, Falloon).
4. In most of those games we've lost players to injury partway through and have had to make up the slack.
Now I DO AGREE that our final play options haven't been great and we've suffered the old problem of 2013-14 of not using the possession and territory we have effectively. But to be claiming that the season is over, or that the coach that just won the treble should be fired is utterly ridiculous.'"
You say not to look through tinted glasses, and then write that. A fairer reflection would be:
1. A poor Warrington team that needs to gel who coughed up enough possession for an oppossition team to win three games. Yet Leeds could have played for another 89 minutes and would have struggled to get another point.
2. We did not lose players in the same area. We lost a winger, a forward, and a substitute back, not the picture you have written. We were already over run before the injuries and utterly abysmal.
3. Catalans also had players missing,band the best prop you talk about has just been dropped for the last two games by a coach you ask us to back. We were torn apart in the second half of that match, with many blown tries by Catalans. The scoreline massively flattered us in the end.
4. Yes we won, and despite the scoreline we were more convincing than that score. But it was the poorest quality teams I have seen in a Leeds match for the last 13 years.
5. Wigan wasn't a bad performance, it was horrendous, only saving grace was Wigans inability to take their chances and dropping the ball.
6. Saints, personally I thought a lot better by Leeds. Nearly blew it, and but for the try in half time probably would. But let's be honest, Saints were pretty poor, and you only had to watch their Derby yesterday to see that.
7. Cas. Utterly horrendous execution of plays against against a massively injury hit side in poor form. Defensively we were poor, and as per every game this year, our halfs had no idea whatsoever how to attack.
Now, you might be correct on your last statement about a coach who last year was successful, on the back of players though. And there is the point he was not backed by his boss for this season, which has hampered us further. But don't get into crappy spin on the results,
