I have no affinity towards Leeds Rhinos. I very much watch their progress with no personal attachment or investment in their fortunes. And, as controversial and unpopular as this might sound to the supporters of the club, I think there is a quite significant gulf between expectation and reality at the minute.
Let's rewind the clocks a year or so to when Rohan Smith was appointed as head coach. It was made transparently clear that the Australian had been brought in to oversee a long-term rebuild of the playing group. And everyone agreed, everyone sang off the same hymn sheet. They said that Rohan Smith needed time.
But that standpoint was never really challenged. The patience that fans said they would offer was never tested because the Rhinos were winning every week and made a Grand Final. Last year's appearance at Old Trafford does appear to have made some lose sight of the bigger picture at Headingley. To a degree, Rohan Smith is a victim of his very early success.
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Because in reality, he still hasn't been able to properly put a stamp on this squad. Last year's salary cap struggles were well documented. He had little room to manoeuvre and tried to make the most of a difficult situation. He signed some projects and took on senior players where allowed. But he parted ways with a lot of experience too in the shape of Zak Hardaker, Liam Sutcliffe, Brad Dwyer and Tom Briscoe, who are all regular starters elsewhere this season.
The team that lost to Salford last week had ten players in it that were 24 or younger. The Reds team had three members of England's World Cup squad, as well as the reigning Man of Steel, a Grand Final winner and a few more. On paper, Salford had a better team. Fact.
And yet despite all that, there were some calling for Rohan Smith to be sacked after a 22-12 defeat to last year's Super League semi-finalists. What happened to patience and long-term thinking? Whether Leeds fans are willing to accept it or not, this is a team in transition, a team that is currently being built for the future. It is a very young, albeit very talented, team. But that explains why the performances have been so erratic and inconsistent too.
For a number of players in this team, this is the first time they've played week to week at this level. But it comes with an adaptation period. That is where Leeds are at right now as they plot a return back to the very top of the competition. The reality is they're not that far off anyway. They're only four points adrift of second-placed Wigan.
Fans should enjoy the wins but the overreactions to defeats need to be challenged. It needs to be remembered this is the first full season of a rebuild, which generally take two to three seasons to come to fruition. And very few teams attempt to do it with so many young players in their ranks.
Perhaps the perception would be different if Leeds had never come back at the death to beat Castleford and reach last year's play-offs. Who knows. But the reality is that this young side, for as infuriating as they might well be, are building. The future looks bright.
Rohan Smith's recruitment for 2024 is critical to the progression of this team. He has the cap space to really make this team his own next year and bring in talent that compliments the young players that have developed under his watch.
Only time will tell how that plays out, but Leeds fans should probably try and enjoy the journey a little bit more.
The latest House of League podcast with agent Graeme Taylor alongside Matthew Shaw is available on Spotify, Amazon and Apple, or you can listen below.
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