All 34 players left their guts on the field. As tense a playoff game as you are likely to see. That's the way it should be.

Peacock and Ablett were immense. I remember in saints last set peacock pulling out 2 important tackles back to back and he could hardly stand up, he looked like he was struggling to breathe. The man is a machine.

We were in control of the game until achurch and peacock coughed up the ball in our 30m. That gave saints the platform to pull one back and from then on it's an almighty battle. Had turner converted or they kicked the penalty from halfway....who knows.

The forwards and the defence showed much more steel than they did last week. though saints pack isn't as strong as wires it's not to be underestimated, saints were coming into this game with momentum as one of the form teams, and we were coming on the back of shallacking and as people keep saying due to the playoff format that's apparently a massive disadvantage.

Are we battered and low on petrol for next week? Or just battle hardened?

In reply to that last sentence id say both and hope Jjb and Delaney come through or at least 1 of them with Singleton the obvious choice to come back in.

I think it depends on whether you were just knackered at the end or injured.

Knackered players will recover in 9 days.

But I think there may have been a few bumps and bruises. I think both Delany and Ablett looked like they picked up knocks during the game.

Still a great playoff game and no one can doubt the effort and pride in the shirt. Not that much dirty play either.
Still fed up of losing to Leeds now after so many years........
We need to find a bogey team that we are not likely to meet in the playoffs.

Great performance. All the forwards looked good. Ablett was immense in the first half. We lacked a bit of cutting edge though. We go into next weeks game as we have the play offs the last 2 years, battle hardened and ready. I would not like to make clubcall this year

We had much harder games in week 1 and 2 then previous years though.

Who said last week that Danny should be pensioned off to Bradford?



Huge credit to Peacock too - his 76th minute drive got us in position for that drop goal: a true man of steel. You could give that award to the whole team, though. Maintaining that intensity with JJB and Delaney unable to return for the 2nd half, incredible.

Good to see the mighty McD eating a journo for afters:

[urlhttp://www.therhinos.co.uk/matchdaytv/?play=media&id=16394[/url

I'm sure the "targetting 5th place" brigade will be along shortly to congratulate Leeds on overcoming the massive advantage that 5th place offered Saints...

Meanwhile, I thought it was a great advert for play-off rugby. High intensity, went to the wire.

I thought we were value for the win over the 80 minutes. But massive respect to Saints for spending so long on the back foot and still coming so close to snatching the win.

We'll need to play better at (presumably) Wire next week. But we got the job done, which is what counts for now.

Thoughts are........

Ablett was immense, often looked like Peacock does when he looks like he can barely breathe and saw him down on his haunches a few times sucking in oxygen when play switch to the right side but kept going all night (which was vital given the injuries to JJB & Delaney). He also came up with a good drive in drop-goal set .

Peacock did what he always does, although he'll be kicking himself about that knock-on. Thought Burrow looked dangerous with his runs and Saints did very well to stop him making the decisive break. Kirke stepped up for the occasion. Watkins finished well but blotted his performance with errors in the 2nd half. Moon looked threatening but always looked to run back infield and never really fed Hall any chances. Hall again so strong in taking carries to give the forwards a breather. Thought we got the Sinfield/Burrow mix at dummy half a bit wrong tonight and that Burrow went in too much especially when he looked so probing with his runs.

And finally as Brian McDermott said after the 2011 GF "you shouldn't doubt or write off some individuals or characters in this team".......step forward McGuire. He was clearly struggling with injury but he tried his best to make a difference. The no-try seemed harsh (did you ever think you'd see McGuire (almost) score a try under the posts by carrying a couple of defenders over with him? He also came up with an inception and tackled Swift for him to lose possession on the wing on Saints' last chance.

The one feeling at full time though was this had a similar feel to 2010 when with injuries it took all we had left to go to Wigan and win, we then couldn't follow it up again in the return fixture. It just felt like the one last hurrah the team had left in them. But after the last few years I wouldn't dare write this team off but if they do win next week it'll even manage to eclipse the last 2 final eliminator wins in '11 & '12.

Fantastic game and nothing between the two teams, could have gone either way.

It's ages since I got so wound up at a game as I did last night.
Some of the refereeing decisions got me going & then our inability to hold on to the ball at crucial times at both ends of the field made me think that we were bound to lose.
Then the vital drop goal.
Wow!
I don't know what it was like watching on tv but the atmosphere at the ground, with over 12000 there, was electric.
It completed a great day for me since I'd also witnessed Yorkshire beating Middlesex on the other side of the North stand, to cement 2nd place in the county championship.

To run for the second 40 with two interchanges in a game of that pace & physical intensity was a truly outstanding effort. Peacock was dead on his feet long after the game finished.

Check out peacock during saints last set of posession when he tugged wilkins leg....he looked like he was having a cardiac arrest!!

I think I would agree to most of this.

One thing though, I thought Kirke was very good last night, but you have spent the last three months telling us that Kirke is only in because of injuries, and that Singleton is now high up in the pecking order, despite many arguing different about this coach. Do you accept now you were wrong?

Yes I do. As I got to the ground and saw the line-ups I thought Singleton should be on the bench instead of Kirke. But I also more largely argued that it doesn't mean Kirke will be making the 17 every single week for next two years just because he's signed a 2 year deal.....we'll have to see about that one.

Kirke will always be selected, always has. Any arguments that he isn't part of the 17 are based in fantasy.

And if he puts in performances at or close to the one from last night, he'll deservedly be selected every week when fit, no?

I've already said so, yes.

Although the irony of him being dropped after a good display wouldn't be lost on me.

with jjb and delaney off we were down two people who are big ball carriers. Kirke helped fill this gap. Without those injuries I'm not convinced we'd have seen it, even though he has shown he's capable

I think that's a bit harsh i thought he showed intent from the second he came on and maintained it throughout.

Best game I have seen this season. Could have gone either way
Wire Leeds final again

Agree as I said elsewhere he was agressive in both A & D and unrecognisable from the player I usually watch

You're not the only one Ferdy.....I was amazed, BUT also hugely disappointed in that he does not always play like that, despite his many many opportunities....

Only Leeds fans could take an excellent performance from a much maligned player and turn it into an excuse to have a whinge about the rest of the season so far.

I think fans of any club would be hugely frustrated seeing that level of performance from a player once every three years, when really it's the minimum a player of his experience and physique should be producing.

Is it not worthy of comment that such a display is so out of the ordinary or can we only comment on a player's previous match?

It's like comparing a good episode of tv show in which the rest of the series has been poor

People will judge by the series