By apb
April 27 2006

SO what does the future hold for Leeds Tykes? Do we stand a relaistic chance of bouncing straight back into the Premiership at the first attempt? Or is this the beginning of a slow and painful death...?

Half Empty

Its easy to see that things are looking pretty bleak. The Tykes gathered together their best ever squad of players for the first leg of the newly sponsored Guinness Premiership in Spetember 2005, and having taken the money to play the first "home" game at Twickenham against a London Irish team that more than one pundit tipped for the drop. An excellent way to start the season with a festival atmosphere down at HQ. Well, you'd have thought so, wouldn't you?

Of course, we all know what happened. The pre-season hadn't really worked, and the result on that first day was a humiliating defeat. And another one the next week. And another, and another and another. Only five weeks in to the premiership season, we'd lost any momentum we might have had from the previous season's great escape, and the crowds were already on the backs of a few players who didn't seem to be able to cut it. Even a change in the coaching structure didn't do much to raise to doom and gloom, apart from a few bright spots (notably the Cardiff game at Headingley).

A hint of hope was that - whereas in the early season we were suffering heavy defeats - in the latter part, we were only going down by a few points, often grabbing defeat kicking and screaming from the jaws of victory. The fate was finally sealed the day after the Irish game down at Reading, where the two points for a narrow loss and four tries scored just hadn't been enough. Down, and out we were.

Could it get any worse?

Yup. Exactly a week after letting it be known that he would apparently stay with the Tykes come what may, Justin Marshall let it be known that, now relegation was a certainty, he'd rather be off playing in the Celtic League.

Could it get any worse?

Yup. The suspicious lack of several stalwarts in the most recent Tykes line-up has fed the rumours and speculation of an exodus of players. Snyman, Gerber and Kerr we knew about - sad losses to the Tykes, but these guys owed us nothing and they go with our best wishes and thanks. The rumours of Phil Davies' departure have also heated up. Speculation is rife that if he doesn't get announced on Friday as the new Wales Director of Rugby, he'll almost certainly be getting the probably vacant Llanelli job. I believe if this is to be the case, then Phil should also go with our best wishes and thanks for a wonderful job done this last ten years. But it would still leave us without a head man.

Could it get any worse now?

Oh yeah. We hear Gordon Ross is off to Castres. Rumours abound of Balshaw's return to Bath. Danny Care being "spotted" at Harlequins last Saturday. Mike Shelley retiring. Kees Lensing? Staying or going? Tom Palmer? Chris Bell? As Timofe's posted on the messageboard, using Photoshop to blank out the definite leavers from the team photo, and perhaps also to "grey" out the strongly rumoured, then there doesn't look to be too many left. The silence from Headingley is deafening, and we as fans can do nothing about it but wring our flat-caps and ask "what if...?".

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. As the poll asks "what will happen next year?", my reply is beginning to verge on the "we're doomed!" response.

Half Full

Stuart Hooper is staying. This is excellent news. Sure he's not had as good a season this year as last, but form is temporary, class is permanent. Roland de Marigny has stated he would like to help the Tykes back to the top again (no contract announcement or anything, so taking Marshall's example as a template we should be cautious, but it's a good sign anyway).

Very few release clauses in contracts we are told, so those who are going will go because of that, and those that are left we know we can keep (again, Marshall notwithstanding).

An excellent Academy system, acknowledged throughout the Premiership as one of the best, if not the best in the top-flight. Many of the lads coming through have sampled first team action, and have not been found wanting. Vickerman, Crane, Doherty, Biggs, Care etc have all prospered as a result of their association with Leeds.

And Harlequins.

They are a precedent that every relegated team will want to emulate in future. With good academy structures, good funding, and a strong club oriented ethos, they didn't (as cynics in the world thought at the time of their demise) whinge and whine and try to wriggle out of it, they knuckled down and got themselves out of it.

And they changed their DoR at the same time, I might add! Dean Richards came in after relegation and looked at getting the right talent in at the right time, and made sure he had a team that would work for him. There was no baggage, and the Quins players were able to get to grips with Richards' way of working without having worked for him in the Prem.

Leeds are in a similar position in many ways, and provided the will, the determination, and the passion to succeed in the club is there, then this will feed through to every part of the Leeds psyche. The crowds, while small, are passionate and will continue to be so. The players that remain will remain because they want be there. Mr. Caddick's backing will be with us too. He said so: "I'll battle on. That's what Yorkshiremen do."

And when HE say's he's not a quitter, I think we can be sure he means it, unlike a certain Kiwi I could mention....

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