If Rohan Smith's first game at Leeds Rhinos helped him discover first-hand the issues he faces, Friday's game against Wakefield Trinity is one in which there needs to be evidence that they're being fixed.
There was hope, even an expectation, that the Rhinos would show off a new style after Smith was given more than a week with them ahead of the trip to Salford. Instead, they looked more like the broken side that has resulted in them being in such a dismal position on the table.
That result, coupled with Toulouse's victory over Wakefield Trinity, has threatened to drag Leeds back into an uncomfortable situation where they're having to look over their shoulder at the bottom two.
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The Rhinos will slip to eleventh if they lose to Wakefield, a team that has lost its last six games. Leeds will enter the game as favourites and thoroughly expected to win. But the same applied when they lost to Salford last week, who had also lost six straight games.
Without trying to go into permutations too much, it's possible that Leeds could be a point off bottom come the end of tomorrow. On the flip side, they could be just three points off the play-offs.
Whether you believe the season can be salvaged or not, it's a more productive environment for Smith to start planning for next season if they can look up the league rather than down it. Developing individuals and implementing his beliefs can be done in a better environment and signing potential recruits will also be easier.
Smith undoubtedly needs time to address all the issues and to get the squad firing on all cylinders, but he needs a result against Wakefield to ensure he doesn't get dragged into a short-term battle against relegation.
