Headingley's hardly compact is it?



I was always under the impression it was pretty much full size. Much like myself.

This is the best Leeds side I have ever seen! ......In fact, this is the best rugby league side I have ever seen (including Australia)! ......And to think, some of your supporters were actually saying that your coach should walk early on in the season!!!! ......Talk about being complacent and overly use to winning!!!! ......Haha!!!! ......Those that did don't know a good thing if it bit them on the nose! .......Get a grip Leeds fans who actually question your coach and the way your team plays in 2015! ......You are without a doubt the best team within the world today! .......That said, Cup final day is a completely different kettle of fish! ......Haha! ......Come on Rovers! .......Fingers crossed!

Indeed. And there has been a deafening silence from this group of keyboard coaches in showing any credit for what Big Mac has achieved so far this season. It seems they are waiting for Leeds to slip up before they start on him again. If we don't win the treble it will be the coaches fault for sure. When Mac first came he tried to get us to play the same way but the team were not quite ready for it, but BM was slated for playing "Harlem globetrotters" stuff with no structure and these same critics have been consistently calling for a new coach since.

I was on here at Easter saying how structured we were and his good BM had done. however to say they weren't ready is absolute rubbish. he's had 5 years with more or less the same players.

Like most jobs you are judged on results.



This season could still go all 2005 on us.

Leeds will win at a canter, we have no threats and can't defend. This is the best Leeds team ever and sending off a few legends.



As long as Leeds have that mindset we are in with a chance. Lets face that's what Wigan and Wire thought in this cup.



For all the great play Leeds have they also have a stinker in them, lets hope its at Wembley.

Easter!! I know things are a bit behind in Tadcaster but surely Welles Fargo runs through there by now?



But since news has not reached you yet .....we have been top of the league for most of the season, we are a Wembley finalist and in a good position to finish in the top 4 maybe even in first place. We are playing a most attractive style of rugby admired by opposition fans and coaches alike. Even if we end up missing out on all three Cups the coaches achievement this year deserves great credit already.



Yet the best you can recall saying is something vaguely positive about our structure at Easter! Which underlines the point I made that Mac's long term critics will never be satisfied until he has been replaced which tells you a lot about their judgement and/or stubbornness which explains their deafening silence on the subject.



With regard to the offloading style: if the team were ready why did we change from the offloading game experiment 2011 then? Were you one of those that were critical of "the Harlem Globetrotters" style at the time?



In those five years he has won everything except the hub cap and even becoming Champions from 5th in the table during which time he has seen over the ongoing transition. Despite this achievements in each and every season the same gang of critics have been on his back so even when his team wins Cups



The current team is quite different from the one which beat Bradford at the Millennium Stadium in 2011. In fact 9 of the 17 are no longer with us and only Hall retains his place in the backs. It is likely that only 6 of that same 2011 team will be turning out for us this Friday against Wigan with only 3 in the same positions



So if you have finished chomping on your Easter eggs long enough to digest the fact we have an excellent coach who has answered his critics on the field. He has shown he can get the team to win cups against the odds and now play with structure in defense and free flowing in attack in a most entertaining fashion. On top of that he is managing the difficult transition so far with sound judgement too.



It would be nice for you to acknowledge his fine achievements.

I believe McDermott had far too much credit for previous achievements, which I don't think was deserved, and just followed the course of previous coaches with the players at his disposal. The rugby under him was dour, and poor to watch, and he continually flogged players to death with no idea of player welfare.



However, I don't think anyone can argue about what he has done with the side this year. This is his team now, and I said that at start of last year, but last year he failed in the main. This year however, the rugby played is a joy to watch, and far better than anything previous during his reign. I don't think he is flogging players, and I think in the main his tactics have been spot on. I think he has learned from his failings, but pity it took so long. I have always said 2005 was our best side, and we didn't win anything that year. I think this team playing is the equal of 2005, and if we win nothing this year, my opinion will not change, McDermott deserves credit for what he has done this year with this team, as cups or not the performances have been first class most of the time.

I agree.

Having grown up supporting Leeds in the Roy Francis era, I loved watching the team play open and attractive football, and accepted that sometimes we would be outplayed by teams who played more negatively and conservatively. Would I have had them change their style?

Definitely not!

The same applies this year. If we win nothing, I will still retain some great memories of the entertaining way we played and the skills which were exhibited over the season.

(Of course, if we do win one of the three on offer, I would be delighted, especially for those who are departing after giving so mush to the Club and its' supporters).

i have always have recognised his trophy winning. however I also have pulled his failings such as his use of replacements at times.

I also have said, and I said the same of smith and mclennen, that we had no structure, no plan B. it was the talent of the players that was relied on.

I could have praised him last easter but then, cup apart, the season ended like a crock of sh*t, partly due to over playing players.



what I said was this season has been brilliant because he introduced a structure, set plays and made us a joy to watch.This has been long overdue. the majority of KEY players have been around for all of his tenure, and whilst he deserves every praise going this season I would still question why it has taken him so long.if he continues in this vein I look forward to him staying as long as possible.i also think he has become very tactically astute. perhaps he was happy to let the older players continue as they have but waning powers have forced him into a rethink? who knows but he certainly looks a top coach this season.

whilst i'm happy to explain my reasonings i'm still waiting for the better full backs than hardaker, any time you feel like naming then feel free

I do think he must be in with coach of the season, given our previous low finishing in the tables.



If we keep 1st going into playoffs and get the CC it must be nailed on

SL is in the entertainment business and we have entertained. Even if we don't win the Oscar we have been the best so far so why hold back on giving credit when it's due

Can't see us being complacent with Sinfield and Peacock, they won't allow it to happen with it being their final year.



We haven't conceded more than 16 points in our last 8 CC games stretching back to the start of the 2014 competition and that includes games vs Saints x 2, Wire, Hudds and a Cas side who scored points very well last year so it's going to be very tough for HKR to score enough points to win IMO.

I think looking back at his early years at Leeds then yes McDermott was learning on the job (one he inherited 12 months early) and of course made mistakes, he also seemed awkward and uncomfortable which made it hard for people to at warm to him personally regardless of results.



Key thing I think though is recruitment which I'm not sure you can lay at his door, around that time it was our poorest for a long time. Ben Cross, Moore, Griffin, Hauraki, simply not good enough as well as losing our first batch of 'core' players in Senior, Webb and Ali. He's too often been left with a squad that he's clearly not fully confident in a chunk of the players. Switch to the last couple of years and he's been recruited Briscoe, Moon, Cuthbertson, Garbutt and finally seen the likes of Stevie Ward and Singleton ready to play weekly to a good standard.



Interesting several weeks back I read GH talking about Cuthbertson saying we tried to sign him 5 years ago but it didn't happen. Could've made those early McDermott years very different if we'd have pulled off that singing at that time.