YEP Jury: Why the real Leeds Rhinos must stand up against Huddersfield Giants

TOM RHODES

Well, a very quiet weekend with no Leeds Rhinos. However, there was a lot of entertainment elsewhere in the Challenge Cup.

I must say I was expecting Catalans to beat St Helens in Perpignan but, wow. How that team can keep pumping out performances like that every week, they must have some quality backroom staff.

Other notable performances were Huddersfield Giants’ big win over Hull FC, removing the smug faces from the black and whites.

Looking ahead to our fixture on Thursday, we just need to hope the Giants are worn out from beating Hull for us to take advantage.

We desperately need a win to boost morale amongst the players and, more importantly, the fans. It’ll be nice to see a few old faces back at Headingley such as Ashton Golding and Tuimoala Lolohea.

Let’s hope Gary Hetherington has found our future coach in Australia. He’s been there now for over a week so should hopefully have it narrowed down. I’m hoping John Morris will come over and coach but I doubt he’ll leave Cronulla.

OLIVER LIMON

Rumours are rife Gary Hetherington is Down Under recruiting our next coach.

I favour the Flanagan father-son combination. This could be the ‘dream team’ to revitalise a squad which, on paper at the start of the season, looked like minimum top-four contenders. I believe the Loiners need a new coach and half-back to rescue us this season and beyond.

Although, the ‘smart money’ seems to be on Ryan Carr. We all know Hetherington’s next move will define his legacy at the club.

Get this decision wrong and it’s no exaggeration to say the wilderness years could be back with the Festive Challenge the only ‘glittering prize’ we will see for a while.

Back at HQ, JJB has fresh impetus from half-back coach Scott Grix; there is time to work their magic on a squad that’s hit rock bottom. I’d love to see Leeds bounce back against Giants, then Castleford. This will require a ‘Lazarus’ scenario.

There has been heavy criticism of the Rhinos omnipresence for the televised games. Let’s hope, with the spotlight away, Leeds can produce a performance worthy of the cameras and the home win we desire.

JOSH MORROW

Having no game last week could be a blessing in disguise after what has been an awful start to the year.

The team has some serious work to get in and the enforced break will have allowed them to get stuck into trying to turn this season around. Hopefully, a few players will be back fit too.

I think the reason the poor season so far has hit the fans hard is that this is the first season in a long time when you could look at the squad and be genuinely excited at the possibilities.

Suspensions and key injuries haven’t helped but, at times, they haven’t even looked like scoring and, even more worryingly, at times there seems to be a lack of effort from some players.

The next coach that comes in is going to be key.

The man I would want to take charge is England coach Shaun Wane.

If it happens to be Ryan Carr, who seems to be the favourite to be the next man in charge, I would love to see someone like Jamie Jones-Buchanan, who is Leeds through and through, as his number two.

KHYA GOTT

Last weekend, we didn’t have a game and I was glad we had a weekend away from getting beaten; it almost felt like light relief.

But we are back in action this week and I’m hoping that Jamie Jones-Buchanan has worked through as much as he could during that time and, I’m saying this for the third time this season, we can truly kickstart our season.

We are up against an in-form Huddersfield Giants side so it’s not going to be easy. Giants have won five of their seven games so far, compared to our one.

We have to give it a good go this week.

We need the win to avoid falling even farther behind; we are back in front of a Headingley crowd so there’s no better time to do it.

I think the win is crucial for us this weekend.

If we are still losing matches with Jones-Buchanan at the helm, we have a massive problem.

Things needed to change at the club and they did when Richard Agar left; now things need to change on the pitch.

It’s time to ‘show up’.

IAIN SHARP

Leeds fans, in the weekend just gone, enjoyed the opportunity to do the garden, wash the car or go for a walk, safe in the knowledge that their team wasn’t going to be subjected to another depressing thrashing, as they weren’t playing!

As I said a few weeks ago, given the current malaise, I can’t see where the next win might come from and the Toulouse game on the 22nd looms as a vital game.

Unlike the other major slumps I’ve had the misfortune to witness first hand (the 80s and another in the mid 90s) with a now salary-capped sport, Leeds can’t just buy their way out of trouble by bringing in new players like they did in the past. It’s going to take some clever manoeuvring. Gary Hetherington, away in Australia, perhaps faces the most difficult choice of his tenure as chief executive. He needs to find a coach that will have to turn things around with the playing roster he’s currently got and without fresh blood.

I’ve seen only one coach capable of such a task, perhaps my best in nearly 40 years of Loiner-watching, the late, great Graham Murray. Oh, if we could only find someone like him ...

KENDLE HARDISTY

Watching the Challenge Cup this weekend and seeing the likes of Hull KR and Huddersfield progress through to the semis is what the game is all about.

Either Hull KR or Huddersfield will be in the final and will get the chance to play at Spurs’ ground. It’s great to see someone different in contention. Saints and Wigan are showing their consistent presence in the competition and progressing also.

Leeds have had two weeks off. We play Huddersfield Giants on Thursday and still no head coach. It seemed like the perfect time to bring someone in to get around the players and boost morale. Gary Hetherington has been in Australia holding interviews and looking at options so it will be interesting to see when he returns and if he has the person he wants.

You feel, as a fan, Thursday is the perfect chance to try to turn the season around.

Ian Watson seems to be finally getting the best out of his Huddersfield squad and they are tricky opponents.

If Rhinos perform like they have been, another loss is on the cards.