Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:46 am  

RoyFrancis wrote:

It's the same thing week in week out with McDermott as he can't read a game. If Plan A doesn't work there's no Plan B never has been and never will be!
GO!

JP said in his post match interview that the problem was Leeds did not keep to the game plan which was evident in McDermott's obvious frustration. The original Roy Francis would have read that though!

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:56 am  

Juan Cornetto wrote:

JP said in his post match interview that the problem was Leeds did not keep to the game plan which was evident in McDermott's obvious frustration. The original Roy Francis would have read that though!

It was quite obvious his game plan was the same as it was against Hull KR, and it simply would not have worked anyway against that Wigan side. I said the exact thing through the week before the game, so no hindsight, when people were writing off Wigan. We wouldn't have beat the Wigan of the week before against Catalans, because we seem unwilling to play the same way that Catalans played, and that was what was needed to beat that Wigan style defence.

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:05 am  

Juan Cornetto wrote:

JP said in his post match interview that the problem was Leeds did not keep to the game plan which was evident in McDermott's obvious frustration. The original Roy Francis would have read that though!

if the other arent as predictable as your plan suggested you need to be flexible and have a plan b. McDermott is very good at coming up with a plan that often works but when it doesnt he doesnt appear to be able to work an alternative

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:36 am  

Gotcha wrote:

It was quite obvious his game plan was the same as it was against Hull KR, and it simply would not have worked anyway against that Wigan side. I said the exact thing through the week before the game, so no hindsight, when people were writing off Wigan. We wouldn't have beat the Wigan of the week before against Catalans, because we seem unwilling to play the same way that Catalans played, and that was what was needed to beat that Wigan style defence.

You know better than JP then? He clearly said that we lost because we did not keep to the game plan. If the players do not keep to the coaches game plan then it is the players that should take the responsibility. JP knows that and was honest enough to admit it and further said we have a good coach.

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:42 am  

Sal Paradise wrote:

if the other arent as predictable as your plan suggested you need to be flexible and have a plan b. McDermott is very good at coming up with a plan that often works but when it doesnt he doesnt appear to be able to work an alternative

See my reply to Gotcha. But really Sal you should know that the big attraction of sport is that it is unpredictable. Players have good days and bad days and if our players have some of those bad days you cannot keep blaming the coach every time. No team will put in perfect performances and certainly not every week as there are far too many imponderables. We are playing an attractive style of rugby that will not always come off - enjoy it.

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:44 am  

Juan Cornetto wrote:

You know better than JP then? He clearly said that we lost because we did not keep to the game plan. If the players do not keep to the coaches game plan then it is the players that should take the responsibility. JP knows that and was honest enough to admit it and further said we have a good coach.

The key word there is "Keep". They were playing to the game plan, and as I said it simply would not have worked anyway. What JP is referring to is that they moved away from it during the game. That is just a fact, not a reason for why they lost it.

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:54 am  

Sal Paradise wrote:

if the other arent as predictable as your plan suggested you need to be flexible and have a plan b. McDermott is very good at coming up with a plan that often works but when it doesnt he doesnt appear to be able to work an alternative

I keep hearing about "no plan B" and how this is the fault of the coach. IMO it really isn't.

As a coach, you gameplan during the week for what you think the most effective way to beat that particular opposition is. I said earlier in the week that the way to beat Wigan wasn't to continually smash your head against a brick wall down the middle, but to get at them in wider areas. Leeds didn't do that, preferring instead to play with little passes in and around the ruck where Wigan are strongest. Whether that was the gameplan or not only the players and coaching staff know.

When it became apparent that wasn't working, the senior players (in particular the half backs) should be smart enough to change it on the field. Add some width to the game while still retaining an element of structure. Get your runners in the right place at the right time to enable you to hit the likes of Moon and Watkins with early ball to get at Sarginson and Tomkins, for example.

Where Leeds have fallen down on the occasions they've played poorly in recent weeks is that the halves - whichever the combination of Sinfield, McGuire or Sutcliffe it has been - don't seem either willing or able to play what's in front of them. It all seems to degenerate into disorganised, basketball stuff of people throwing offloads everywhere but with no shape or structure to the side. There seems to be a lack of someone vocal and authoritative enough to drag the team by the scruff of the neck into some sort of shape, the role that Sinfield would have had in his prime.

Whether mentally Sinfield still has the speed of thought to be able to see, assess and respond to the game on the fly or it's all just starting to move a bit too quickly for him, I think the need for an organiser to come into the side for 2016 is becoming more apparent. Scott Dureau is out of contract, and were I in Gary Hetherington's shoes I'd be making enquiries as to his future plans.

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 11:37 am  

Andy Gilder wrote:

I keep hearing about "no plan B" and how this is the fault of the coach. IMO it really isn't.

As a coach, you gameplan during the week for what you think the most effective way to beat that particular opposition is. I said earlier in the week that the way to beat Wigan wasn't to continually smash your head against a brick wall down the middle, but to get at them in wider areas. Leeds didn't do that, preferring instead to play with little passes in and around the ruck where Wigan are strongest. Whether that was the gameplan or not only the players and coaching staff know.

When it became apparent that wasn't working, the senior players (in particular the half backs) should be smart enough to change it on the field. Add some width to the game while still retaining an element of structure. Get your runners in the right place at the right time to enable you to hit the likes of Moon and Watkins with early ball to get at Sarginson and Tomkins, for example.

Where Leeds have fallen down on the occasions they've played poorly in recent weeks is that the halves - whichever the combination of Sinfield, McGuire or Sutcliffe it has been - don't seem either willing or able to play what's in front of them. It all seems to degenerate into disorganised, basketball stuff of people throwing offloads everywhere but with no shape or structure to the side. There seems to be a lack of someone vocal and authoritative enough to drag the team by the scruff of the neck into some sort of shape, the role that Sinfield would have had in his prime.

Whether mentally Sinfield still has the speed of thought to be able to see, assess and respond to the game on the fly or it's all just starting to move a bit too quickly for him, I think the need for an organiser to come into the side for 2016 is becoming more apparent. Scott Dureau is out of contract, and were I in Gary Hetherington's shoes I'd be making enquiries as to his future plans.

Dureau would be a good signing. Just rumour mill stuff but the other Aussie halves we've been linked with are Cronk - who obviously would be an amazing but unlikely signing - and Tyrone Roberts from the Knights. He hasn't been that great in the NRL but he's a running, play-what's-in-front-of-him half who's not that suited to Newcastle's rigid style. Kicks goals and can play hooker too. Would mean the end of Burrow if we got him.

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 12:04 pm  

The pack is the priority IMO, a workhorse prop is definitely needed. But, if someone like Cronk is available, then any team should be after him.

For me though, I want to see a big improvement from Singleton, and Achurch from the bench, as neither are doing enough to relieve the pressure on Cuthburtson and Peacock. Achurch has all the tools, big, mobile, great offload but he simply doesn't have an adequate work rate IMO, and Singleton, is aggressive and has a great energy about him, but he's physically way off IMO. Compare his dad bod carcass to the likes of Crosby and Sutton who are a similar age, but look way ahead of him physically.

Re: For the love of God,Allah or whoever-McDermott GO!!! : Mon Jun 01, 2015 12:15 pm  

Charlie Sheen wrote:

The pack is the priority IMO, a workhorse prop is definitely needed. But, if someone like Cronk is available, then any team should be after him.

For me though, I want to see a big improvement from Singleton, and Achurch from the bench, as neither are doing enough to relieve the pressure on Cuthburtson and Peacock. Achurch has all the tools, big, mobile, great offload but he simply doesn't have an adequate work rate IMO, and Singleton, is aggressive and has a great energy about him, but he's physically way off IMO. Compare his dad bod carcass to the likes of Crosby and Sutton who are a similar age, but look way ahead of him physically.

if you could get Singleton's attitude and aggression into Achurch, you'd have a hell of a player.

Achurch reminds me too much of McDonald and Feather. All the tools, none of the heart or desire to stick his head in where it hurts.

Singleton I'm still not convinced by. Doesn't smash people either with the ball or without, which is what you need a front rower to be doing. Might be best used playing that "third prop" role at 13 in the middle unit maybe, as he's certainly mobile enough.