There was a moment in Leeds Rhinos' dismal defeat to Hull FC that suggested their issues are far greater than many had believed.
After Andre Savelio had crashed through another case of feeble defence, the players trudged to the try-line, heads down, defeated.
As they waited for the conversation they stood as individuals, hands on hips, staring vaguely into the distance with moody faces. There was no talk, no communication, no plan to address their issues or how to try and win the game. It was a team that had conceded defeat.
That, beyond any of the soft defence or misfiring attack, was the most concerning sight of all. In that moment, the Rhinos did not look like a cohesive unit, and you have not been able to say that of Leeds on many occasions, whether performances have been good, bad or indifferent.
The warnings were there from the first kick chase, a laboured, half-cooked attempt. When Richard Agar spoke about a lack of intent following the game, it was those efforts he was talking about.
They continued after the game. Most players walked the perimeter of the pitch after the match, as is always the case at Headingley. Some even apologised to fans. Others, such as Aidan Sezer went straight down the tunnel. Again, it might not seem like a big thing, but to many, and particularly at a club like Leeds, it is.
You can forgive one bad performance. The Rhinos somewhat got a pass for two bad performances because one was poor attack and one was poor defence. It's hard to justify three performances in a four-match period that Leeds have just mustered up.
The worry is knowing where it will get better. The return of Kruise Leeming and James Bentley will help no doubt, but as Agar alluded to, that wasn't a poor or significantly weakened side on the field.
A lot of players have got to get better. It's no secret that Sezer has been nowhere near the standards expected but some of the consistent performers aren't playing to their regular level. It's a team-wide issue, not an isolated one.
Leeds are now one win from five and already in a position where they've some ground to catch up. Last year, that didn't seem as big of a concern given the sheer number of absentees. This year? There are more valid reasons for concern.
