That was the week that was!

When Leeds Carnegie announced an open forum night I was sceptical, to say the least, about the amount/quality of information that would be made available to the supporters who turned up - if any. Well I was wrong on both counts. There was a full house. GH declared that nothing was off limits & proceeded to give a candid talk on the mistakes, finances and, more importantly, the club's plans, targets & ambitions.

There were some shocks when the list of playing staff was announced - mainly because the "released list " was now 21 players long & the squad list contained approx 8 "anos". Presumably the  released players could not agree terms & the club will fill up the squad with cheaper options.

A pleasing aspect of the night was that the club are focussing on youth - plenty of academy lads have been promoted to the senior squad & the new coach has assured us that they will feature.

The other shock was the new shirts, designed to mark the 20th anniversary of the club. Green black & white will take some getting used to! But it also helps to reinforce the "rebirth" of the club - new coach, new strip, new ethos. I came away from the session feeling very upbeat ( as did a lot of other people) and looking forward to next season. The rollercoaster is back on track & I want to be on it.

Time to Look Forward

The appointment of Diccon Edwards as Head Coach at Leeds has been welcomed by the majority of fans. His first statement gives us much encouragement as to the side he will build to get the club back into the Premiership. Having worked with the academy players up until 12 months ago Diccon knows that this is the strength of the club.

Giving youth it's head and " if they are good enough they are old enough" is a bold policy to have. Certainly Neil Back was very cautious when it came to unleashing the kids but  Swainston, Denman and Wackett all got, and took, their opportunity to play in the Premiership under Back.

Edwards is looking to blend the youthful element with some seasoned professionals. Andy Titterall and Jon Pendlebury are already committed to the cause. Others have said that they want to be part of it. I guess that the re-sign announcements over the next seven days will tell us just what the players think of Diccon's appointment.