... Don't worry too much about the result tonight.

To quote Dougie Laughton's old chestnut, win your home games and around half your away ones and you'll be there or thereabouts.

It would be unrealistic for the team to go through the whole of the domestic season unbeaten and the last team to put on such an extended winning run, came a bit of a cropper in the Grand Final.

We're better than most (if not all) of the other teams in the competition on our day and the bottom line is, as long as we're top eight or better at the end of the league season, then that will be fine.

I suspect the one thing the team wants this year is not a Grand Final, but actually a pop at the Challenge Cup. Tonight's game might have done us some favours with regards to beating Saints in a game that matters, namely at Headingley in 2 weeks.

Apart from Rob Burrow's knock, we seem to have come through the game with few injuries. On the other hand Saints lost Long with a knee problem and that might take a couple of weeks to clear up. He's also their goal kicker. Fatsavalu met Ryan Bailey's fair challenge and came off second best ... It is a broken nose, then again, he's got to be in doubt and finally at the end Gilmore limped off with a hamstring strain. Another injury that is not always straightforward to get right.

Could it be that Saints could be short of regulars at Headingley in a couple of weeks ?

To be fair, I think what you have said could well be true.

Tonight was only 2 points and we had to lose eventually. The best thing out of tonight IMHO was Bailey again getting truely stuck in and the fact that they might be thinking of the "hard man" game in 2 weeks time.

Think about what happened the last time we played them after a hard match!

No worries for the real match in the challenge cup!

I think it showed how equally matched the sides are. Saints are probably the better side technically, with Leeds having the advantage of pace and individual threat. I would give the edge to Leeds in the Cup game, simply because you are at home but it's pretty obvious already that the game is the Cup Final, I can't see the victor of that game being troubled.

Saddened! I agree, It's a damn shame that this will prob make out the final winner

I'm off to the final already and hope it's not another foregone conclusion, like in the last few years

Yes, I'm already pencilled in for the final too ....

A couple of things I noticed as the game went by last night.

Saints, with a new coach, still play a very structured attack, with lots of dummy runners and depth to their attack. Leeds play a very flat attack and still rely on quick ptb and getting over the advantage line with a drive before opening out the play.

The other thing I noticed was we can play much better than that, but I'm not sure they can. Two points dropped, but I don't think there is much to worry about.

If Lauitiiti, Kirke and Buderus are available for the cup game, I expect an entirely different result.

There is no point getting too excited about March results - we all know October games are what it is all about.

For us Saints fans, it was pleasing as Potter found a way of hitting a level tht can beat you guys, the current "team to beat". This was unknown prior to last night.

As alluded to, we did pick up some knocks and our threadbare squad means that the win may come at a price. I think we can give you a run with a full team but if we have 2-3 players absent then your sqaud depth should always see you home. For us to win the Cup this year would be good and is a more realistic ambition perhpas than the GF?

Puletua back for us will be huge, he's been immense tis year.

Still fancy Leeds though.

The quality of the two teams means its genrally too hard to call. Home advantage genrally means little either.

saints have a great record in the challenge cup, which means nothing, but they'll want to keep on to it. Would love Leeds to win though

Quality game from two quality sides. Saints coming out top in this one.

We're probably going to face each other 4/5 times this season and in reality one team is not going to win 4 of 4 or 5 of 5, so in the grand scheme I'm not too worried.

I don't doubt it, Puletua for Saints is as important at Lauitiiti for Leeds. Both very entertaining players to watch and can create out of nothing.

Let's hope the Cup game is as good as Friday's.

even thats not certain

The outcome of Friday nights game has told me 2 things.
1. Most Leeds fans don't really care that Leeds lost. It happens, and nothing more than 2 points was a stake. We have a pretty decent recent history against the Scousers when trophies are to be won. It'll happen again in October.
2. The Scousers are the most insecure of all SL fans. Some Scouse muppet has started a thread over on their forum stating that Leeds Rhinos can win as many trophies as we can but we'll never have the class and skill that St Helens RLFC have!!!

Laugh? I nearly choked on my cornflakes pi5sing myself

icon_smile.gificon_smile.gif

Scousers know as much about 'class' as I know about hot wiring a car

A worthless competition according to a lot of Leeds fans on here.

Probably written by masses that weren't there last time ....

Not really.

No one is normally interested until it gets to the semi finals

Even then it's just to check when and where the final takes place. Is it still Cardiff in August?

Name them..????

i went to every final for 15 years. recently a lot of the lads i went with have stopped going and also i don't really enjoy the new wembley. i didn't go last season and don't think i will go this unless leeds get there

I'd quite happily take going out of the cup if it meant winning SL this year, especially as we're going for 3 in a row. I'm not saying it's not important, the mere fact it's our only chance to get a national terrestrial audience is a big enough reason, but it's not the main prize.

Lucky teams can win cups, only good teams can win titles.

The Cup has value.

Its' value it nowhere near as important as being Champions.

That is all I can recall ever being said on here?

Would we like to win the cup? Yes.

We would like to be champions, yet again. Yes.

If we don't achieve the latter but do achieve the former will we be happy? Probably, but in no way will we attempt to make out that a cup win and league placing is as valued as being champions in order to justify insane and arrogant rantings about our team being the "best".

The best team is the one that is champions. Over the last 5 years Leeds have been champions more than any other SL team, therefore over the last 5 years we have been the best. QED.

Lets get some things straight.

Saints didnt win the SL regular rounds last season - Leeds Lost it!

Saints can only play in warm/dry conditions yet claim to be world class!

Saints can win as many of the regular round matches against Leeds as they want as long as Leeds win the one that counts which 2 out of the last 3 they have!

How many Saints players would you have in the Leeds team over currrent ones? Gidly and JG are the only ones that come to mind IMO.

Cough cough couldnt agree more cough cough

I was thinking about the relative merits of the various trophies on offer, and although I would like to win them all, and they all have a level of prestige/merit associated with them, I have used a points system.

Grand Final 5pts
Challenge Cup 3pts
WCC 2pts
League leaders 1pt


the gap between the GF and the CC is because I think that in terms of targets for the season, the GF is the pinacle, and even if we had won the WCC and the CC, I would still feel a little sad at not being the Champions.

I would love a challenge cup victory this year, but not at the expense of another SL title.