The improvements were necessary to get us out of the zone we were in, 2003 just made the playoffs, 2004 just missed out. We had to make sure that over the next few years we were doing better than just hovering around the playoff zone.

We have hardly set the world alight with all these signings since 2004, have we?

Give Smith his dues since he has arrived we are a better outfit ... So let him continue to do his job and recruit who he wants too, If we need 4 more signings im sure Tony knows what to do.

WE HAVEN'T SET THE RL WORLD ALIGHT SINCE 1974 NEVER MIND 2004

to be honest i do not think we are a better outfit since Smith arrived.

Cullen had us up to 4th in the league we now sit at 9th which i think is just about where we were when Cullen took over all those years ago.

You could argue that we are actually going backwards. And we cannot blame Cullen he went nearly 18 months ago.

I said at the time the Club needs a massive clearout and it does not matter who is coach as long as Briers, Westwood, Monahan and 1 or 2 others are around then forget it.

Obviously with 14 teams in SL this year our position looks mid-table but last year with only 12 teams in SL, 9th would have been seen to be really bad.

Smith inherited a great young team at Leeds, he did'nt bring the likes of Burrows Maguire into the side they were in place already.

Remind me what he did at Huddersfield and in the World Cup last year!!!!

We should have stuck with Cull.

Is this the first anti-Tony Smith post to be registered on here?

paul... is that you?

I agree with Fletcher ender the rot is a lot deeper than the coach. Cullens inaction in getting rid of these players he mentions (he points out the names of Briers and Westwood who Cullen lavished with praise) has left the current coach with a major problem and one it will take a long time to sort out. Cullen had a great team which got to 4th in the league and rather than kicking on from there he dismantled the nucleus of that side - Grose, Fa'afili, Gaskell, Toa, Lima, Noone, Wainwright, all players who Cullen moved on because he wanted to 'take us to the next level'. How much of an improvement were their replacements? Hence under Cullen we slipped steadily backwards from that strong position.

How does this sit with TS giving Briers a new contract though?

It doesn't. There's so much bitterness, petty point scoring and uninformed comment on this forum, it makes me want to puke.



Blurrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh.

I reckon the following factored into the decision:-



- lack of viable alternatives for the same price

- still a genuine threat on his day

- only 1 year

- keeps player churn to a minimum

- excellent in field kicker



He was average at best on Sunday and made some dreadful last play decisions - yet he still made one of our precious few clean breaks and set up a try for a bloke who was playing his 2nd game in years.



I know Briers has his faults, but on balance, it makes sense.

Pepto Bismol?