Before Richard Agar’s sacking as Leeds Rhinos head coach on Monday, GARRY SCHOFIELD looked back on another dire performance.
You don’t have to be a navigation expert to know that Richie Agar is in very rough waters as he struggles to avoid sinking as coach of Leeds.
The Challenge Cup provides a potential lifeline, but do his players have what it takes to land that crucial knockout blow on Castleford at Headingley in Saturday’s sixth-round tie and help him grab it?
Judging by Friday’s pitiful second-half performance at Salford, not to mention some of the other stuff they’ve served up so far this season, I’m not at all sure they do.
It’s only fair to give some credit to Salford because they produced a solid show to claim their third win of the Super League campaign.
I like their coach Paul Rowley (just as I do Richie) and I like the way he works to get his team to play in an attractive and entertaining style.
They were trailing going into the final 15 minutes but remained patient and turned the screw as Leeds fell away.
I liked the performances of both Ryan Brierley and Brodie Croft especially, and the pack really put in a shift.
It appears the Salford players are enjoying the environment Paul has built and are responding to his coaching.
But I just don’t see that in the Leeds set-up; in fact I’d go so far as to say some of the players are letting down the shirt, and their coach.
After five defeats in the first six games, Richie is getting hammered, and obviously as the man at the top, criticism when things aren’t going well comes with the territory.
But I think his players need to take a close look at themselves, accept some responsibility, roll their selves up, show some pride and do something about the situation.
As a former player and captain and now a supporter of the club, I find it frustrating, annoying and disappointing.
I don’t see any real purpose, leadership, character, fight, togetherness or team spirit among the current squad.
To be blunt, I thought the performance against Salford was a disgrace.
In the old days, a good number of them would find themselves dropped to the ‘A’ team and having to prove their worth.
But unfortunately, we no longer have a meaningful Reserves competition, and as a result, too many people are in the comfort zone.
Is there that pressure to work hard every training session to the best you can be and to produce that consistency that marks out a top operator?
Last week, after Leeds’ home defeat by Hull, I said Richie had two games to turn things around, and now it’s down to one.
Should they lose to Castleford in front of the BBC cameras, Leeds will be out of the Challenge Cup and their season in tatters before the end of March.
Given the way his time at Hull ended after a live-televised match against Warrington, Lee Radford will no doubt feel for Richie and the situation he is in.
But of course he has his own issues to contend with at Castleford who, like Leeds, have just one win from six and are below the Rhinos in the table.
That said, there was more positives in defeat at Wigan for Castleford on Thursday, when they showed a bit of resilience and character in tough circumstances, than there were for Leeds after their trip across the M62.
Here’s how I rated the two starting sides at the AJ Bell Stadium:
Salford: Brierley 8, Sio 7, Cross 7, Lafai 7, Burgess 7, Croft 8, Sneyd 7, Ormondroyd 8, Ackers 8, Gerrard 8, Lannon 8, Wright 8, Taylor 8.
Leeds: Walker 4, Briscoe 3, Broadbent 3, Sutcliffe 3, Handley 3, Austin 2, Sezer 2, Tetevano 3, Leeming 3, Oledzki 3, Martin 3, Bentley 3, Smith 3.
It’s an interesting twist that after Salford hosted Leeds and Castleford went to Wigan, the Challenge Cup has thrown up Leeds versus Castleford and Wigan against Salford.
I’m tipping Castleford to win by ten at Leeds, and the night before, Wigan, for whom Jai Field is really lighting things up now, to beat Salford by twelve.
Sunny Cumbria
In last week’s column, I brushed on another of my old clubs Barrow, who have made such a bright and encouraging start to the Championship season after their promotion from League 1.
As I said, things are going really well under the sensible chairmanship of Steve Neale and the canny coaching of Paul Crarey.
It was great to both them and Whitehaven get prized home draws against Super League sides in the Cup, and it’s just a shame Barrow were paired with Workington in round five, because otherwise, Cumbria might have had three sides in the last 16.
With such a rich Rugby League heritage – there is a strong amateur scene feeding the three professional clubs – the county really is a stronghold for our game, and it’s a crying shame that it seems to have been pretty much left to fend for itself rather than supported by the powers-that-be.
Whitehaven, who made to the Championship play-offs last season and seem to be settling to life under Jonty Gorley, who has replaced Gary Charlton as coach, take on holders St Helens at the LEL Arena on Saturday, with the game being shown on The Sportsman website.
And Barrow are at home to Huddersfield in front of the BBC cameras on Sunday.
Upsets are few and far between these days, and I’m predicting St Helens to bounce back after their unexpected defeat by Toulouse in France and win by 24 and Huddersfield to triumph by 14.
But you never know, and at the least, it’s a welcome pay day for both clubs (hopefully the locals will turn out in their numbers while the travelling fans enjoy a day out to a great part of the country) and a great chance to show the wider game the good work which has been going on in the region.
In the other four ties, I’m going for Hull by 38 against Sheffield, Catalans by 32 against Featherstone, Hull KR by 24 against Leigh and Warrington to take revenge over Wakefield after their Super League loss and win by 28.
The loss of two Davids
I’d like to offer my condolences to the families of both David Stephenson and Dave Hadfield after their deaths.
David Stephenson was a quality centre and best known for his highly successful time at Wigan, but he was also a former team-mate of mine at Leeds and played a big part in helping us win the Yorkshire Cup against Castleford at Elland Road in 1988.
We also roomed together with Great Britain and he was really good company.
And I’m not surprised there have also been warm tributes to Dave Hadfield, rightly described as a giant of Rugby League journalism.
He was a top-notch writer, who almost always hit the nail on the head in his articles, because along with his way with words, he had a real passion for and knowledge of the game.
But he was also a really warm and pleasant man, the kind you’d have to try really hard not to like.
Having a talk with Dave was always entertaining, and always a pleasure.
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