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.

Glad I’m not around to see that one.

On the passive defence, for my money Smith brought it in to
A) cut down on giving away 6 agains and penalties for high shots and offside
B) stop line breaks so you keep them in front of you.

He has had a pre-season to change it and hasn’t so reckon it must be the plan for 2023.
It works if the other team is not very good, makes errors, gives away 6 agains etc. if the other team plays really well I think you have big issues.

As someone else said Bentley is a huge miss in that side for all the graft. He was top draw at end of 2022. Add Mik as well.

There is along way to go but the club needs to be working on a quality pack leader to replace Tetevano next year and plan what to do at 1, 6 and 7. 6 and 7 are out of contract so need to up their game to get a gig at Leeds or anywhere else.

Well played Warrington, Powell is a good coach he has assembled a good powerful squad , should imagine if they keep injury free they should be in the hunt for some silverware this season. Funny old world ,just recalling last season the majority of Warrington fans wanted Powell out.
Credit to the club for resisting that clamour. As for us ,obviously we were blown away mentally and physically, didn’t expect us to win over at Warrington . But certainly never imagined that fiasco, letting hardaker go was a big mistake. Thought Smiths after match interview was extremely poor especially in view of the amount of fans who had traveled to Warrington. At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious ,failure to win next Friday will start alarm bells ringing. Or maybe they started ringing in the pre season games and smith choose to ignore them.

Remember you only need 5th place???

BTW, this is LeBron James the saints troll. He's no fan of Warrington and is a pain in the . Please ignore.

You guys were much better second half and the scores were level in that period. You had quite a few missing as far as I can see so I reckon you'll be fine.

Thanks mate. Good luck for rest of season

What concerns me the most about last night was we looked so undercooked and lacking in intensity. They are not good signs. Let’s hope it was just one of those nights.

There’s plenty of time left, as in, the whole season for both Warrington and Leeds to switch places from last night.

Losing to Hull next week won’t start alarm bells ringing but ill be disappointed if we play as bad as last night.

It won’t be the first or last time a team looks off the pace in round one, it really isn’t season defining.

We should know that more than most, it’s disappointing to see a lot of the twitter/facebook fans turning on Smith already.

It's so frustrating.

The writing was on the wall when Handley and Fusitua were named centres.

Handley is a legend in his own lunchtime, his positioning sense is zero. He always flies out of his line and cannot tackle. I think rather than trying to be a poster boy, he needs to knuckle down. His stupid one-handed carry that he knocked on just after we had scored which completely lost the momentum was standard Handley fare.

It's clear Fusitua is here for the payday.

Roberts may be a project, but right now he's Vickery/Botham-esque. Ditto Tindall.

Myler had a shocker.

We were monstered down the middle and granted we have a fair few out - it is baffling why Corey Hall and Levi Edwards were allowed to leave meaning we have no centre cover.

I would rather have Donaldson and O'Donnell (was he injured too) in the centres.

I didn't even realise Sezer was playing. The list goes on.

BUT, a bad day at the office and we need to keep faith. 

Wire played well, but their back 5 was also poor on paper.

You would like to think Tetevano, Fusitua, Austin and Sezer would be geeing them all up and putting in shifts given it's the last year of their contracts. 

That's a lot of money for Smith to play with in key positions for 2024. Here's hoping it is spent wisely

You too pal. It was good for RL to see Leeds back up there last season. You've got a top coach imo and you'll be sorted one way or another.

Wishing you all the best for this year.

Agree Chris. But i'd hope we'd not start so poorly this season and buck the recent trend.. i think that's whats most annoying about this. Lose to Hull next week and we'll more than likely be 0-3 as it is then Saints away.. we'll be behind the 8 ball already.

Not surprising we had such an abismal night considering we treat preseason like a joke and got rid of good players and replaced them with championship players (who may come good granted). I don't buy the not having enough for hardaker story. We had enough money to offer him 1 year and have players off contract at the end of this. He could've gone to fb next year and helped out in this.

No line speed or effort. Players going through motions. Kind of reminds me of under 10s. Especially not having a captain.

I can honestly say that i reckon Amy Hardcastle would be a better centre even in the men's game; over Handley or Fusitua.

Can we dual-reg her?

Hardaker wouldn't have made any difference to that game. He wouldn't start fullback if Myler plays there, so those mistakes would still have happened. The tries from near the line were mostly due to awful one on one technique and effort by other players, mainly forwards. Letting Wire get that close to the line set after set was due to to our passive defence not even slowing them down, let alone stopping them making big yards.

I do think the centre selection was wrong. Handley's played there before and just looks like a winger playing centre. Fusitu'a is a winger, and is the best we have at returning kicks so moving him there doesn't make much sense either. If he didn't trust Olpherts/Roberts e should have put Martin in one spot, as he may not be that quick but he's solid.

Its strange to have a got at our signings as below par. Lisone was very poor to start with, but he's an NRL player, not a Championship one and will hopefully come good. Olpherts was one of our best along with Sangare, and holding Roberts in any way responsible for that shower of a performance is nonsense. No, the players who let us down were in the main the same ones we had last year.

The whole display lacked intensity, as with the preseason. Pick that up, especially line speed in defence and working hard and we'll look a lot better.

I have to say, having watched that performance, I was expecting a much closer contest. I got the impression that you looked undercooked and possibly, there maybe some squad unrest? Most of the game, there was no real cohesion and, even with the players you are missing, that squad is better than the score line suggests. Maybe last season was a bit of a false dawn and Smith achieved a minor miracle , with the team winning so many to make the GF. You won't be in any relegation dogfight I am sure, but there needs to be a hell of a turnaround if you want to replicate last years heroics.

I don't think squad unrest is an issue, we were just undercooked and beaten by a much better side on the night - it happens, I think we can tend to overthink the reasons for a loss sometimes

It might actually be the reality check/kick up the backside we needed, Leeds rhinos have a history of starting slow, nothing is won in February. This is not me saying Im OK with the performance because it was dire but it is only round one.

Anyone know who the 18th man was?

Walters I think