Back from the brink

Leeds Carnegie went into yesterday's game at the Old Deer Park facing a third consecutive defeat within a week. This appeared to be the culmination of a season fraught with inconsistency and a portent for beatings to come in the play-offs.

As has been the case all season the squad confounded all predictions of its imminent demise with a resounding win against a side which has been in the top four all season. What can we put this down to? A dry pitch? Players returning from injury? New forwards giving the pack a bit of steel? The answer is probably a bit of all three. McColl is a quality player who attacks at pace. Williamson & Aulika have been around and know the forwards game...and yes the pitch was dry!

Looking at players who were missing yesterday I am starting to feel a bit more optimistic atbout the play-offs. We have won ugly on many occasions this season so know what is needed. The first game is at home to the Pirates - whom we have already beaten at Headingley. If we win that then anything is possible.

Good business or desperation?

Deadline day for Championship signings saw Leeds Carnegie dip into the market twice. The result? Two seasoned forwards signing for the rest of the season.

Halani Aulika is a Tongan international prop who can play 1 or 3. Our recent experience of Tongan forwards leads me to have high hopes - another Vili, another legend.

Ed Williamson is a more unexpected signing. A powerful hard running backrow forward in his Falcons days who thought his career was over when he sustained a bad hand injury last season. A recent operation has given him a second chance. In his own words he is "back from the dead" and certainly has a lot to offer, adding some much needed grunt to our young backrow.

We would have liked a seasoned centre as well but signing these two looks to  be  good business and will make the trip to Nottingham an even better day out.

That was the year that was...not!

As the year draws to a close Leeds fans everywhere will be breathing a sigh of relief. 2011 - good riddance! This was the year that has seen the club relegated, lost most of the senior players again, had the "sugar daddy" factor removed and been reliant on young players to find our level in a tough competitive league.

Anyone who still thinks that we will bounce straight back into the AP is deluding themselves. As things stand we are shaping up to finish 6th which will enable us to progress to the promotion play-offs. Our current form suggests that we will struggle to get past the semi-finals. Our development this season has been erratic to say the least. At least our defence is improving. However it is the failings in attack that are causing concern to many fans. Will we get any better before the play-offs? Possibly. Can we rely on players coming back from injury? No. So what you see at the moment is pretty much what we will have going into the play-offs.

2011 has seen realism hit the club and it's fans big style. 2012 will not be any different!

The Corsairs are Coming!

This weekend the Leeds Carnegie players have to pick themselves up, dust off the remnants of last week's defeat at the Mem' and get ready to face the sons of Kernow in the  fixture where they can avenge the drubbing at The Mennaye back in September.

Getting 50 points put past you is bad enough but it must have been a real eye opener for Diccon Edwards and his coaching team. Since that black September day the 'Neegs have won 7 games without showing any real consistency. They are 7th in the league, 7 points behind Rotherham and are in danger of staying in that position.

A win against the Pirates is possible, unlikely but possible. Diccon has named a strong team - all they need to do is play to their capability and it could be very close. Leeds to win by 3!

Bananaskin avoided, just!

Leeds came back from Esher with a narrow win. Enough to get the lads up to sixth in the league. The skipper and Big Mac both came on in the game so will be in contention for selection against Rotherham. They will be needed! Rotherham beat neighbours Donny this weekend and will be looking forward to our encounter on Friday night. carnegie will have to up it's collective game to get anything out of that fixture.

Our Nemesis returns.

Today Leeds Carnegie plays a routine fixture down in Surrey. Despite the "bananaskin" potential of this match the Tykes are ( in my view) expected to win. In six days time we have a home fixture against Rotherham Titans. Roth are a few places above us in the league and beat the lads down at Clifton Lane earlier in the season.

The game next Friday will provide a good indicator as to how much we have improved ( because we have!) and tell us much about our likely final league position. If we win then a top four place is realistic otherwise top eight and playoffs. How many times in the past have Roth widdled on our bonfire? Time to stick it to them and move onwards and upwards methinks.

Time to Raise our Expectations.

The autumn has, so far , been quite horrid for Tykes fans, until last weekend when the pups were unleashed at Bedford . They came away from Goldington Road with all five points, bucket loads of kudos and a much needed boost to their collective self confidence.

This must now be taken forward into the Nottingham game! It is not unreasonable for us to expect a degree of consistency, game on game. Despite the fact that we have won four consecutive fixtures the home games have been flakey performances to put it mildly.

Our senior squad players seem to be bearing the brunt of the injuries at the moment so it is down to the youngsters to shoulder the burden of performance. To me it seems that they are up to the task. Tomorrow's team has enough about it to see off Nottingham. I expect to see an improved performance and a place in the top half of the table by Xmas.

The Season Started Yesterday.

Leeds managed an away win down at London Scottish yesterday just after England's world cup dreams were trampled into the New Zealand dirt by the rampant French. Do I feel sad? No, I feel relieved that our season has finally started, albeit with lowered expectations and we have the prospect of back-to-back wins to look forward to if we can overcome Moseley at HC next Sunday. We also had the big plus of Mike MacDonald returning with a forceful second half performance. Perhaps now our scrummaging will improve - always a good sign of better things to come.

Looking at the Championship table I can see us getting up to about 5th or 6th by Christmas. By that time many of the kids will have found their feet in this tough division and we will be in a better position for the play-offs. Bring it on!

Kids Clobbered by Cornish Corsairs

Not a good game to pick for your first outing on national television, away at Cornish Pirates, a team who have over the past few years become the powerhouse of the Championship. It certainly looked like men against boys from my armchair.

I hope that Diccon has identified the areas where we need to improve. If not then they are the scrum, lineout, rucking(too slow), defence & game management. Easy enough to sort out if you have the manpower which of course we do not.

After Saturday's beating I have adjusted my sights for the season but we will still have to start with a home win over Donny on Sunday.

Another Stiff Test for the Kids

Two defeats on the trot for the kids. Bristol are up this weekend enjoying the sort of form that their long-suffering fans could only dream about last year at this time. The Tykes were given a torrid time in the set piece last weekend. Will they fare any better this time around?

It is too soon to expect a win with tries flying in from all corners of the ground. What we do need to see, however, is improvement in those areas where we have been lacking. That plus some leadership from the older players otherwise we could be bottom of the heap on Monday morning.

Cry Havoc and let slip the Dogs of War!

The weekend is upon us. The wait is over. Diccon Edwards has named his side for the opening fixture of the season. The team is peppered with young hopefuls, eager to make their mark and establish themselves in the 1st XV: Craig Hampson at 9, Ollie Richards at outside centre and Curtis Wilson on the wing. Add to them newcomers Ryan Burrows, Davie Young and Stevie McColl and the Tykes fans will not recognise half the team. Diccon Edwards stated that his teams will always have a winning mentality when they go onto the pitch. This starts tomorrow when he lets slip the puppies!

Now is the Time....

Well we are on the home straight this week. September beckons on Thursday and with it the start of the Championship, which for Leeds, is a jump into the unknown, despite the fact that we seem to be there every other season. This time we have to negotiate several familiar hurdles ( being the relegated team we are the scalp to take, we have lost most of our squad again & hence have no real idea how the new boys will get on)  plus the rugby equivalent of Beechers Brook which is the play-offs.

Already I am filled with trepidation, not just because Bristol got tonked in the play offs & Wuss nearly came a cropper last time round but because we have no experience of this phenomenon. Do we come out of the blocks like a whippet on speed or do we build slowly for the main event in the new year. Both strategies have their merits. I would settle for a first day win and then a nice steady progression climaxing in a play-off final win. Well you can dream!

Time to dust down the yellow hat!

Leeds Carnegie got their pre-season underway last night with a defeat up at Kingston Park. The scoreline reflected the fact that Leeds had 10 players making their debuts for the Tykes. Despite the heavy defeat the match gave Diccon Edwards a good marker to how effective  training has been. The season proper starts 2 weeks tomorrow. The lads have another run out at Rodney Parade on Tuesday and then the real event starts on 4th Sept. First up is London Welsh & you do not need a long memory to remember the opening day when the Exiles won at Headingley. Time to exact revenge methinks.

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.

New Coach

It is now three weeks since Back left the club. Gary Hetherington has been busy in that time. Players' departures have been announced. Some expected, others not totally unexpected. Alongside all that activity we hear that interviews have taken place for the role of coach. Who has been interviewed? I've no idea but some people have thrown their names into the hat:

Llyn Howells - experienced coach who knows the Championship very well. Downside is that he has not achieved much whilst he was at Donny.

Simon Middleton - more than 10 years at Leeds, knows the players and the club ethos. Downside as defensive coach his sides leak points like they are going out of fashion.

Gary Mercer - ex RL man who knows the club. Experience? Limited.

Other names have also benn bandied about. These include John Callard ( the fans favourite) - lives locally and has worked with the backs when they were good. Diccon Edwards - former head of the academy who would be a Lanny-like appointment (& hence a bit of a gamble) and finally Phil Greening who has done good things at London Welsh & who quit to try his luck elsewhere.

Whoever gets the job will have to hit the ground running and adopt a different approach to his predecessor. These are hard times and money is tight ( while we have the Key/Back debt on our backs). Her will have to get the best out of the players we have already. I cannot see GH letting them out on a shopping spree. Two or three key positions might get covered. Nothing more.

Expect a decision this week.

And now the good news!

Leeds Carnegie have issued a list of players who are being released. This list is considerably shorter than it might have been ( as I expected a real clearout). There are, of course, players going who we will miss. Leigh Hinton has been a good servant of the club and Juan Gomez has shown that there is still a place for pear-shaped props in the modern game.

Several players on the list were brought in 12 months ago to help the club move up to the next level so it is not surprising, given their failure to make any impact on the AP, that Fury and Browne have been released..

The good news is the players who are not on the list. Presumably those players, including MacDonald, Hardy, White, Oakley and Paul, are in the middle of negotiating new contracts. Hopefully we will get some concrete news in the next week as to who has signed new contracts.

I feel as though we have past the nadir and things are looking up!

Who is to blame?

Leeds Carnegie rugby club is in turmoil, again. The 3-year plan of the management team is in tatters and the Leicester duo, Back and Key, have gone - Key sacked & I suspect Back resigned before he too was axed.

So what went wrong and who is to blame? The second year of the plan had been a success in that the club had avoided relegation. When Neil Back trumpeted his "top 6 finish" as the third phase of the plan we thought that a mid-table finish was on the cards.

The pre-season was an absolute disaster. To my mind things had started to go wrong before then. I had heard that we were signing Charlie Hodgson from Sale. His body language, when seen on TV, said that he wanted away. I am sure that the Leeds management thought he was coming, hence the lack of any other decent stand-off in the close season signings. For whatever reason Charlie changed his mind & we were left scrabbling for decent players who could perhaps fill the 10 shirt. We ended up with a decent, injury-prone 12 who, to my way of thinking, did not fill the 10 shirt in any way, shape or form.

That was the start of the season-long failure to move up to the "next level". Everything else was incidental. No number 10 = no success! Therefore I have no hesitation in pointing the finger at a certain Yorkshireman from Halifax (not Mallinder this time) and saying;

                                        "Charlie - it's your fault!"

Back to Square One?

No big surprise today with the resignation of Neil Back. Anyone who has seen him over the last couple of weeks with a long sad face will know that this must have been on his mind.

The 3-year plan, of which this is the third, has been a massive failure , appearing to be doomed as soon as the pre-season started. However, instead of apologising for failing to deliver Back makes out that he has achieved a lot in that time ( as well as learning a lot) and has reached the point where he can take the club no further. This will come as something of a relief to those of us who could visualise another season like the last starting in September.

Back has shown himself to be tactically naive this season and his fighting spirit has not rubbed off on the players like it did last season, particularly in key games when we might have expected a win.

So are we back to square one? Gary Hetherington thinks that we are in a stronger position than last time. A lot will, of course, depend on who comes in as Coach and what fresh ideas he brings with him. I think that we need to get the new man in as soon as we can & look forward to the challenges ahead.

'Urry up 'Arry

One of the big plusses of the defeat at Northampton was the appearance and subsequent performance of one Harry Hannon, a hooker from the ranks of our academy, who came on to face Dylan Hartley in the second half when he replaced the excellent Phil Nielsen.

We were fortunate enough to bump into Harry on our way out of the ground after the match. On the pitch he looks a mean hombre. When you meet him he is a well spoken, polite young man. He had obviously enjoyed his AP debut but was a bit despondant about the result.

When asked how he coped with Hartley he replied that the England hooker talks a lot! Clearly unfazed with his baptism of fire he is one to watch for the future.

So hurry up Harry and make the Leeds number 2 shirt your own!