Disappointing performance overall. Harrigan is right we did put in the effort, but only when we realised we were in a contest. I'm not saying that we went there expecting to win, but there were periods in the game where we were very low in intensity, particularly in defence.
The issue I have is this. Leeds have for years relied on individual brilliance, a point I made in a post match discussion with another poster. This is has been a successful tactic because we have had some of the best British players of their generation all playing together at the same time. We could usually rely on one of them to do "the impossible", Burrow in the GF last year is a good example. This, combined with the fact that we could play a full team of kids and still finish in the playoffs due to the lack of quality in the lower half of SL, means we can coast through a season and then "turn it on" for the play offs. The other poster I mentioned above made a good point about SL being like a horse race, it only matters where you finish, not where you are during the race.
I'd like us to move Sinfield back to 13, and get him defending back in the middle again where he has some of the bigger guys to help him out. His defensive positioning in the centres is questionable. That would release Burrow back to 7 where he is more effective, and McGuire to Stand off where he isn't responsible for bringing the forwards through (something he's not terribly good at).
As Sal says, our pack looks old and tired at the moment, and although this may change later in the year, it's a bad sign. We need young fresh blood in the engine room over the next couple of years.
The biggest problem I have is our lack of structure and technique in so many areas. We don't hold the ball well in attack (remember Smith having to teach the players how to hold the ball?) nor do we have good technique in collision (McDermott mentions this in his post match interviews), meaning we don't physically dominate the speed of play. Sal also mentioned the number of times BJB goes into touch, and Hardaker's lack of vision for his winger, but hopefully this will improve with more experience in the Centres.
In terms of positives, we have a whole host of good young kids who will improve over the next few years if they receive the right coaching and mentoring, so we shouldn't be slitting our wrists after last night. We will be in the mix at the end of the season again, partly because of the quality we have, partly because of the experience (no one knows how to win a big game better than this collection of players) and partly because there aren't enough quality teams to mean we won't get a shout at it again.
I think we have the basic ingredients to go well this year again, but we need some pretty big improvements in a number of areas to win any of the remaining trophies. I don't see us winning it from 5th again this time round, but would probably have said that last year too.
What do I know........
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