How come last season when we had Paul Stridgeon as conditioner who had a great reputation, we were always conceding tries and looking tired in defence and everyone said we were lacking fitness.



Then this year instead of getting Perelini we got Jimmys mate from Bradford Nigel Halmshaw and we look a lot tougher in defence?



Is it because Halmshaw is super-conditioner?

Maybe because we are doing less defending therfore less tired? I dont know maybe this new fella is better???? Either way seems to be working

More to do with better structure, better morale and far far better coaching

better Mental fitness

Fitness was never an issue apparantly so it must have been the above.

We conceded a lot of tries and looked quite tired in some matches early this season, too.

We didn't look particularly tough in defence when we were shipping in an average of 40 points a game with Jimmy and the Yorkshire Mafia.

That will be it; we respect possession more and also have less problems gaining field position.



I heard a very interesting thing about the appointment of the current conditioner recently. And no I won't repeat it on here.

Thats like 'I've got a secret and I'm not telling'

I know but it isn't really ideal for public consumption. But probably wouldn't surprise anyone with a view to what it is was like before Tony Smith joined.

We can all have a good idea, sadly. Just out of interest, why was it "like that" before Tony Smith joined?

You see, I don't think Smiths that big on respecting the football. I seem to remember his Leeds side winning SL but the stats said that they made the most mistakes in SL in their own half. This was put down to the fact that they were willing to play rugby from deep, and part & parcel of their flair.



I think Smiths philosophy is, I'm more than happy for us to try anything, anywhere, WHEN, we're completely confident in our defence, and feel that we can defend that next set and defend our line should we turf the ball on the deck. So in time, and I think there's been instances of it recently, the players will be encouraged more & more to play more enterprising rugby, regardless of field position and will end up doing more defending probably.