“Time for a change?” – Fans and media react as Leeds Rhinos are again canceled out in France

VaselineMay 11, 2024

1 3 minutes read

“Time for a change?” – Fans and media react as Leeds Rhinos are again canceled out in France

Leeds Rhinos were dealt another blow to the play-offs as they lost to Catalans Dragons in the heat of Perpignan and that 26-0 defeat turned up the heat on head coach Rohan Smith.

A win would have seen the Rhinos complete the double over the Catalans by round eleven of the season, but in truth that never looked likely, with Leeds putting in a below-par performance.

The defeat also means Leeds are yet to string together three wins this season, another factor contributing to growing calls of concern from fans over head coach Rohan Smith’s tenure.

Smith took Leeds Rhinos to Old Trafford in his first campaign after taking charge of the club in 11th place, but since then inconsistency has been the Rhinos’ hallmark and that was proven again today.

Leeds Rhinos hit by media after canceled in France

Credit: Imago Images

The first-half display was among the worst performances of the season according to Sky Sports pundits Jon Wells and Jon Wilkin, with the pair shocked by what they had seen.

In fact, Wilkin got in on both sides, stating, “Quite simply, the first 20 minutes of that game showed me exactly why neither of these teams can go do anything this year. Because it was a joke.”

The reaction from those closest to home and the city of Leeds was equally strong The Yorkshire Evening Post hitting the Rhinos players in the traditional ‘Player Ratings’ track at the point of sale.

Lachie Miller has been one of the team’s star performers this season, but has now shown himself in the best light, with the YEP calling him out for a “disastrous start with four errors in the first quarter”.

Nor did Miller’s performance escape Jon Wilkin’s goal, who initially took aim in surprisingly sympathetic fashion, before claiming that every one of Miller’s first-half efforts resulted in an error.

In his half-time analysis, the former Saints captain said: “Bless him, he’ll want to forget that half of rugby because I don’t think I’ve seen a half of rugby where every contribution made was an error. . I’m not exaggerating.”

He would go on to quantify that the problems were not solely Miller’s fault, claiming the Aussie was just a “symptom” of the dysfunctional side.

“It’s a symptom of Leeds. The new signings, it’s not all about them. There is a bigger story here at Leeds is that through midfield they are soft and don’t compete defensively at all. They don’t have anybody who has a bit of dog in them and is going to hit somebody.

“Mickey McIlorum does this for a living. Where’s the old Leeds dog? I don’t see any spirit there.”

Have Rhinos fans seen enough of Rohan Smith?

Credit: Imago Images

The lack of spirit was something many fans were left to question, but one person many questioned was Rohan Smith, with Leeds Rhinos once again heading home from the south of France after a humiliating defeat.

Last year it was a 61-0 defeat, but arguably the nature of today’s performance was just as bad, with the Catalans incredibly sloppy but simply better than the hapless Rhinos.

Leeds Rhinos’ social media team also took a lot of flak after their match report on X captioned: “Rhinos lost to injuries in Perpignan” attracted a lot of attention.

One fan reacted: “’Devastated injury’ is not a valid excuse. We were completely clueless. No direction. No spark. Please leave Rohan Smith and Matt Fraudley in France so we can try to salvage something from this season.”

“Devastated injury” is not a valid excuse. We were completely clueless. No direction. No spark. Please leave Rohan Smith and Matt Fraudley in France so we can try to salvage something from this season.

— Another Dave 🔥 (@DaveSinners) May 11, 2024

As that commentator demonstrated, Rohan Smith was a man who was at the center of many fans’ complaints, with the club’s final score chart posted on X receiving similar responses.

“Sacked in the morning” was the sentiment of one fan, while others also hinted at the notion of “leaving the coaching staff in France”.

Should Leeds Rhinos fans be careful what they wish for though? After all, they are just two points outside the play-offs and four off top spot. With injuries to key players, including three of the club’s regulars in Brodie Croft, David Fusitu’a and Paul Momirovski, some sympathy should certainly be given to Rohan Smith and his coaching staff.

Despite this, fans continued to trade with Jason Demetriou’s name thrown in the hat by some, however, a former Headingley fan favorite claimed Rohan Smith is doing a “good job”. Those were the thoughts of Matt Adamson, who spoke exclusively to Serious About Rugby League about his former club.

Leeds Rhinos will make full use of the week off before returning to Super League action and hopefully, for their sake, winning ways when they face St Helens, but after that, an easier battle of Castleford Tigers, Hull FC, Leigh Leopards and London Broncos will face them. .

The question for many Rhinos fans at the break will be “Is it time for a change” or “Wait and see” with the next five games crucial to the club’s playoff hopes.

VaselineMay 11, 2024

1 3 minutes read

Leeds Rhinos hit by media after canceled in France

Have Rhinos fans seen enough of Rohan Smith?

Vaseline

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