Because year on year we keep floundering in mid table because half our team are no good and it’s the higher earners that are no good.  In 2022 we had a much better squad and after Rohan Smith came in we got to the grand final with that squad. We then got rid of half the best players in that squad and brought in crap and kept crap. Players like Sutcliffe Mellor Prior Sezar Austin all deemed not good enough but all far better than what we have now. 

It’s just so sickening that we seem just as far off now than we were 5 years ago. 3-4 different coaches and we are still average to terrible.

If it means we get some exciting rugby to watch then bring it on. 

He's done a good job overall but going one out isn't why most people fell in love with the game 

I really like Croft, and I think even in a Leeds shirt he's done a lot to suggest he's a classy player. At the same time, over a year in, I'll admit he's fallen some way short of what is expected of the lead half-back at a club like Leeds. Last season much could be forgiven given Rohan-ball and the dire pack. This time around with Arthur in charge and a more capable set of forwards I think we should be seeing a lot more.


Take the last two games for example. We're well in the contest in terms of possession, field position, restricting the opposition in large parts of the game etc. But we're really lacking that control in the middle of the field when we have the ball, especially close to the opposition line. This is surely Croft's responsibility first and foremost? We can blame the likes of Cam Smith (admittedly absent recently) for killing plays, Frawley's positional kicking, and a lack of craft from Ackers, but Croft has to bear a lot of responsibility too.


The fact that Connor fits into the attack so effortlessly (seemingly) whilst much of what Croft is trying seems laboured is a worry. Maybe Croft just isn't a good fit for Leeds? I'm not in the definitely 'get rid' camp, but if he's not stamping his mark on games consistently by mid/late-season we need to consider potentially off-loading him, especially if he's in demand in Australia. After all, he's presumably taking up so much cap space.


As for Ackers, he looked good in the Boxing Day fixture last year, and while being solid since, hasn't ever really looked like an international 9. 

it's been the same on here since around 2006. I remember around 2010 when the likes of Burrow, Mcguire, Sinfield and Peacock weren't good enough anymore and should have been moved on.

I watched an NRL segment a couple of weeks ago, and they  were talking about how the great coaches can make an average player good, a good player great and a great player elite.


I think if you were to class elite as top 3 in their position in SL, I don't think we'd have a single player in that category. Maybe Ash when he was a winger. What concerns me is how many players are probably not even in the great category. 


A major problem we've had over the last few years is that we've had a lot of players with the potential to be great or even elite (Cam Smith, Newman, Oledski, Holroyd, Gannon etc.), and we've signed lots of players within those categories (Croft and Ackers and you could argue Bentley), but most are playing at a good or average level for too much of the season. 


If you were to compare each of our players against their SL counter-parts, who would be at the top end, who would be in the middle and who would be below. Is BA the right man to improve the players individually, and get them to not only play to their ability and potential, but beyond that. It takes more than just being super-fit to get there.