Myler is absolutely key to our attack though, partly because our halfbacks aren't the best but in the core skills of fullbacks he's lacking a few. Maybe Hooley can develop into a real alternative.

It has the feeling of a bit of complacency having got into the squad after last season and what seemed like a good off season in terms of training.

I hope this 'passive' defence isn't an ongoing part of the plan as it just doesn't work against powerful packs if they have strike in the backs. That was about as big a pack as we could pick, they ought to be able to hold their ground as a unit. I think the wings/centres were the wrong way round (Roberts and Olpherts have been playing there and Fusitu'a/Handley will never be centres no matter if they played there as kids) and Smith should have started ahead of Tetevano, who has done zero to be in the 17. Also, no disrespect to him, but given our signings Donaldson shouldn't be in our starting squad.

I expect a few changes next week, especially in attitude, but we don't have a lot of options in the backs. Forwards we have McDonnell, Walters and Ruan. McDonnell and Ruan might be raw but they both bring aggression, which for some reason too many of our forwards lack, except when Tetevano goes for a cheap shot.

Not much to say about that we were dominated from minute one - theres 26 rounds to go though hopefully we don’t play that bad again Myler certainly can’t

We go again as they say

I think the Olpherts deal was all ready done before hardhaker negotiations had even started.

Hardaker is a car crash just waiting to happen, you're well rid of him
I thought Cameron Smith had a decent game even though he spent most of it wrapped around a wire player.
Dunno what the stats are but he seemed to make a few yards with the carries he had....from a standing start...with wire closing in from a yard and with FA to foil or pass to.
Nah, I give him motm just for looking like he might be in a game.

Well I didn’t fancy us at all tonight as I said a week ago but I didn’t expect us to get hammered. It seems the pre season worries were correct. Very poor that and almost a carbon copy of starts in recent seasons. Our squad players in the back line look way off. Hardaker made a huge difference to that back line last year, we’ve definitely gone backwards there.

Glad I missed that one by the sounds of what`s been said.
I feared the worse when I saw the team selection with Handley and Fusitua at centre and Tetavno LF with Donaldson on the bench.
Smith had to start at LF with Walters in for Donno.
Other than that Myler, Sezer and Austin have enough experience to at least keep us in the game.
Chelsea Wire have spent plenty of money to put that team together and absolutely must finish top 2 to justify the spending.
Once we get our injured players back will be the time to judge how good we are.
But once again our squad looks thin with players for the future and not enough quality.
Sounds like Leeds United!

Had to laugh when someone said Nene McDonald is still to come , my Nan can tackle better than him .

Think we miss Bentley a lot, he puts 50+ tackles on in a lot of games hopefully he’ll be back soon

He is a Saints fan mate and an idiot.

Wire have spent no more than most of the other teams unless you are suggesting they are breaching the salary cap.

Seems clear Smith wasn't happy in the post match. He said a few contradictory things, saying losing yards in defence wasn't as big a deal as defending big players but admitted later that we need to fix up the yardage. I just don't think being passive in defence is a good idea as a game plan. Might work against some teams but we'll get mullered by Sts if we play the same.

Wow. I knew we stood little chance of winning tonight, but that was just depressing.

I know it is game one of the campaign, but I can't see a single positive from tonight's game and I'm already fearing for the season. It's probably the weakest Leeds squad I've ever seen and they look unprepared and uninspired as well.

Smith was clearly dismayed in the press conference after the game, and he knows that he can't hide behind the excuse of having players out. He needs a completely different attitude from his players next Friday.

I think everyone expected a loss tonight, players included, but it ended up looking like a Wire training session. Embarrassing.

Tetevano robbing a living.

Smith needs to stop mollycoddling Tetevano. Great at training is utterly pointless - he's a Kiwi international marquee player. Play up or be dropped.

It feels like the whole club got a bit smug preseason to me, treating pre-season games as a big mess about rather than focusing on hitting the ground running.

The main thing is the defensive intensity. I really hope that this passive defence stuff gets knocked on the head. We worked around it last year, but its simply not a viable strategy against a team with a big pack and strikepower. It'll work against smaller teams who don't make as much yardage, or against teams with big forwards and nothing else, but if a team has both its a recipe for big losses IMO.

They wouldn`t be the first.
They`ve been buying top players for years and still haven`t won a GF.
Like I said anything out of the top 2 and it should be classed as a failure.
Back on Leeds and Hardaker.
My understanding from one of Zaks mates was that he would have stayed had we offered him 2 years but we only offered him 1 initially.
Leigh came knocking and offered him far more than us and understandably he took it.
Our best player by plenty last year.

Mate from what I`ve seen of Hooley and for that matter Macdonald they ain`t going to help our defence much.

No idea although from the little I've seen Hooley looks weak on the line. MacDonald probably cruised in most games last year as Leigh won at a canter. We can only hope...

smith has a reputation for 'thinking outside the box'.
Well playing four wingers across the backline, and the best two out of position, was shambolic.
the signings have been strange, and most of us questioned signing Robert's and oliphants whilst ditching hardaker.
as for wire and the salary cap perhaps if some of their yorkshire based ex players didn't come into work telling everyone about their extra payments and bmws arriving at their houses unannounced maybe there wouldn't be these rumours, which have been around for years.
not that it's done them much good....

That was a tough watch wasn't it. However poor we were I think Warrington have to take a lot of credit. The speed and intensity they came out of the blocks with they didn't give us a chance to play and by the time we adapted the game was gone. A couple of bits of bad luck thrown in for good measure. The two teams looked absolutely miles apart in terms of sharpness though didn't they? Our preseason schedule certainly doesn't seem to have delivered us in prime condition for round 1. We never seem to start strong through do we and I trust Smith to get us in shape but we don't help ourselves turning up so far off. Myler had a stinker didn't he. Just a really bad day at the office for him. I was really disappointed in Sezer though - didn't seem to want to get involved and left Austin trying to overcompensate and he suffered a bit as a result. Thought Cam went well when he came on as did Sangare. Our preseason approach made it pretty much impossible to get a true gauge on where we are. I guess now we know. Plenty for them to do this week.

Like instead of physical training, he had the players in at 5am and made to work on a presentation at 8pm for the whole of the team?

If that's true then WTF.

We were poor last night. Myler the stand out one. But its game #1. Let's take a deep breathe.

Awful performance and hugely disappointing. There's a long way to go this year and I expect us to improve on that. I also expect a typical Powell season for Wire with some lovely rugby being played but fall short again. But that's for them to worry about.

Thought Lisone looked good in his last stint amd Sangare added some bite with his runs. Holroyd struggled with the physicality but given his lack of playing over the last 12 months, it's understandable. I really struggle to see what Tetevano brings to the team. Doesn't make big metres and doesn't dominate in defence. I'd have Smith starting all day long. We seemed to have more going on in attack when he was getting his hands on the ball.

Wire had the game won before half time, and thankfully there aren't many teams with packs like that.

On to next week. But not really time to start panicking or thinking this game is a prelude to the season. Surely as Leeds fans we know its not how you start

Me too, it was done months before it was announced and as a result there was very little money left for Zak. When I say we chose Olpherts over Hardaker, I mean we chose to spend the money on him first.

I would start O'Connor and Smith next week. Use Leeming off the bench and bring in Walters for Tetevano.
I appreciate that it's the 1st game and we know better than most how things can change over the course of the season , but that was a terrible start. A real lack of intensity and effort on occasions last night.
Sangare looked a handful and should help Oledzki get us on the front foot when he returns. The starting props were 2nd best last night, but given that neither played much at that level last season, it may take time.
The halfbacks may have been behind a beaten pack and received little good ball, but they were poor, especially Sezer.
Olpherts carried the ball well and took his chance with an excellent finish. If we get everyone fit I can see him keeping his place in the side, although that would mean either him or Handley moving to the right wing.

I do have to question anyone who saw the squad Leeds put out and thought this would be anything other than a comfortable Warrington win.

Sangare did come on with some bite which we were lacking so that was positive.