Sir Gregory ParsloeP wrote:
Been away for a few weeks and missed today and I’ve no inside information but things feel badly wrong at the club.
Leeming, our only spine player in his prime asking to leave early in the season.
Walters, a young player with a lot of upside who can do things few players can, signs for Wigan as soon as the window is open and now in the week our full back is ruled Out for the season, Hetherington exits Austin , who has offered more attacking threat than anyone else this year.
I know Austin gave a dumb interview and embarrassed GH but that goes to the heart of the matter. Players now do not respect GH in fact I think they probably hold him in contempt. See Walters. We tried another lowball offer and he was gone.
So far we’ve only signed Goudemand, another plodder.
The Leeming and Walters exits both seemed to take Smith by surprise and don’t show any evidence players want to play under him.
On here a few comparisons are made to Tony Smith but he looks quite different to me and much more like his old man who had a capacity for falling out with players. I can’t imagine many players want to play our one man out attack and passive defence.
In short I think it’s time Caddick stepped in and told GH to stand aside from the rugby operations and show some real intent and get a quality Aussie coach in. The one area you can improve quickly is head coach and there are no salary cap restrictions.
Put £500k a year on offer and get a class act.
I think we need some drastic action as I genuinely believe GH is now a significant liability to recruitment and just viewed as a tight old bloke.
We’ve had one top four finish since 2015 and are a mess.
As much as I'd like to see us bring in some coaching maestro from Oz, Wire apparently put 500k on the table for Holbrook - and he passed. If we are going for grand gestures I'd spend on Rugby players of genuine class. Murray had Harris and a strong supporting cast; Smith, Bluey and McDermott were all spoilt for choice. There is just not a shimmer of stardust to be seen in this current side. I've seen some pretty dire Leeds sides in the 40 odd years I've been following them (I know you go back further) but we've always generally had a player or two of genuine talent. Just don’t see that now.
