We must not forget either the input that coach Tony Smith has had since his arrival.

Having the best players is not always a guarantee of success, but Smith seemed to give Leeds the self-belief that has sometimes been missing in the past.

And now that the Australian has agreed to extend his stay until the end of 2006, any question marks against his commitment to the cause in 2005 should have been dispelled.

LEEDS FACTS & FIGURES At 32, Barrie McDermott is the oldest player in the Leeds squad Five players made the Super League Dream team in 2004: Senior, Bai, McGuire, Diskin and Lauitiiti Centre Keith Senior also made the World XIII

The loss of Diskin is obviously a worry but not a major concern.

In Andrew Dunemann and Rob Burrow, the Rhinos have two very capable deputies while skipper Kevin Sinfield has also worn the number nine shirt for Britain.

And talking of Sinfield, his disappointment at missing out on the Tri-Nations Series will have fuelled his desire for a successful defence of the title won convincingly at Old Trafford on 16 October.

Finally, I've got two big wishes for the 2005 season.

Firstly, there are no off-field scandals to drag the game through the mud.

Secondly, Kieron Cunningham finally gets to pull on a Great Britain shirt again.