Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 10:50 am  

Clearwing wrote:

The trying to buy success thing is something all sides with the resource to do so try. Wakey included these days. Sometimes the signings turn out well, sometimes not. Worse case, you're stuck with an iffy player 3 years max, probably less, who you then replace. Of far greater consequence is average quality home grown retained for multiple years. Obviously they help generate the culture but if they're mediocre talents then results will reflect this.

I don’t agree. There’s a difference in trying to buy success and trying to create a culture to have prolonged sustainable success. Powell and Ste Mills have made it no secret the number one thing they look at when they sign a player is his personality. We are with the new backing starting to create a top culture to then hopefully target trophies within the next 5 years. Leeds are targeting trophies now instead of getting their house in order. Having the likes of Connor, Bentley and Newman who are well known to be marmite characters won’t help this. These types of players would have been no where near the Leeds team of old. You’re losing your identity and we are creating a new one for us.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 11:24 am  

Pat Bateman wrote:

I don’t agree. There’s a difference in trying to buy success and trying to create a culture to have prolonged sustainable success. Powell and Ste Mills have made it no secret the number one thing they look at when they sign a player is his personality. We are with the new backing starting to create a top culture to then hopefully target trophies within the next 5 years. Leeds are targeting trophies now instead of getting their house in order. Having the likes of Connor, Bentley and Newman who are well known to be marmite characters won’t help this. These types of players would have been no where near the Leeds team of old. You’re losing your identity and we are creating a new one for us.

Good posting, certainly food for thought.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 12:46 pm  

It's one game. Let's not get ahead of oursens. Wakey will go well. Leeds will go well.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 1:04 pm  

DMF wrote:

It's one game. Let's not get ahead of oursens. Wakey will go well. Leeds will go well.

Agreed, I will reserve judgement until we are seven or eight games into the season. I have mentioned before ,that the Arthur situation isn’t perfect. But we were in dire straits. So Brad was the only realistic option. Our pack yesterday was a huge disappointment, made worse by the fact wakey had a few forwards missing. First half was disastrous, they ran us ragged, three quarters defence absolutely woeful. Wakefield played some good rugby drove the ball up the middle. Then moved it wide very quickly. Quite simple but effective.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 1:21 pm  

If we're going to stop being mediocre then dropping underperformers is a priority. At least we have a few options now. Clark-Wood and Jenkins will come into the team, and hopefully Sinfield/O'Connor.

The first priority has to be to sort this pack out. Its been a powderpuff mess for years. Fix that and a lot of the other problems can be solved. Don't and it doesn't matter who else comes in.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 2:16 pm  

Pat Bateman wrote:

I don’t agree. There’s a difference in trying to buy success and trying to create a culture to have prolonged sustainable success. Powell and Ste Mills have made it no secret the number one thing they look at when they sign a player is his personality. We are with the new backing starting to create a top culture to then hopefully target trophies within the next 5 years. Leeds are targeting trophies now instead of getting their house in order. Having the likes of Connor, Bentley and Newman who are well known to be marmite characters won’t help this. These types of players would have been no where near the Leeds team of old. You’re losing your identity and we are creating a new one for us.

Good post.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 2:55 pm  

At least we managed to keep one skill from last season.

The ability to kick the ball straight to a member of the opposition every time.

I actually saw the ball hit the grass once from a kick in the second half but missed who kicked the ball. I am sure that a review of the game will allow the coaching team to identify this player and quickly teach this issue out of him.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 3:07 pm  

I do think there's been a bit of an overreaction to the defeat. It was a poor performance, it's the first game, let's see where we are in 7 or 8 weeks time.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 3:15 pm  

Jack Burton wrote:

I do think there's been a bit of an overreaction to the defeat. It was a poor performance, it's the first game, let's see where we are in 7 or 8 weeks time.

Absolutely not, that's far too balanced an opinion

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 3:25 pm  

Jack Burton wrote:

I do think there's been a bit of an overreaction to the defeat. It was a poor performance, it's the first game, let's see where we are in 7 or 8 weeks time.

But its been the same old same old since 2018 pretty much, we start poor flounder buff and bluster in the middle then fall short, so hard to be optimistic as it already looks like the writing is on the wall. I’m sure we all want to get proven wrong.