Are you being serious?

Think I watched a different game to a few people last night. I thought it was a really good game, I though for the large part we played pretty well, made some silly mistakes and gave away some silly penalties but we didn’t do too bad. I thought Sinfield was really good, lots of short little inside balls which made good metres, bar one kick which was an attempt at a low percentage play, he had an absolutely outstanding kicking game, Hall, Watkins, Moon did what was expected, didn’t stand out but weren’t poor, JJB was as dynamic as he always is and gave away a couple of stupid penalties as he always does. Delany played well but looked like he was in pieces.

No problem whatsoever with Hardakers first error, went for the big play, very nearly made it, I would have liked to hear Ganson’s explanation for that one, I would have seen it as grounded, tackle complete, knock-on by Hardaker and Laffranchi, a flop by laffranchi, all before I could see it as a try, but It’s not important in the scheme of things, and I would rather a young potential superstar like Hardaker continued to try the spectacular than for him to play it safe every time. We have won 6 championships in 9 years by never being afraid of trying something, lets continue that. The second error deserves a clip round the ear though. He bottled out of the challenge and let himself and his team-mates down.

Thought the refereeing left a little to be desired though, not putting any blame on him, or saying his decisions had a great effect on the game but I thought the ruck was a complete lottery with decisions seemingly made at random, and twice when saints were under pressure he stopped play and pretty much allowed the defence to rest, including one bizarre situation where leeds were 5th and last on the saints 10 with a quick PTB and he stops it for a good three or four minutes to allow Howarth to receive treatment and rejoin the defensive line. I think that needs to be looked at, otherwise id simply tell every tackler to lay down at the PTB when the opposition are near the line and wait for the delay and the defense to re-set. He also seemed to let a long time pass between a scrum being formed and it being put in without stopping the clock, including having a chat with the players a couple of times. As I say, not really a comment on the game or either teams performance but just some observations on the ref.

You put 11 players instead of 13

I'd rather have my word skills compared to your drumming skills

The speed of ball across the line is pretty poor, starting with the distribution from Dummy Half. Burrow's first thought, in general, appears to be to catch defence napping and so a good pass is often an after thought. This is then putting pressure on the first receiver and the problems increase as the ball changes hands down the line. With the outside backs we now have it is almost criminal how under used they were as we got beyond 20 minutes.
As for JJB flying out of the line, he has done this regularly for a few years, sometimes he shuts a play down, but it increasingly seems to lead to problems.

We seemed to lose our way last night and no amount of effort could refocus us. Perhaps working a back to basics message into the team for a few weeks might refocus the players. Get a hooker in position and lay the platform. I remember thinking how much time we had spent in the Saints 20 and didn't seem to have much of an idea how to break them down, resorting to scoots from dummy half or rushed miracle balls, instead of crisp moves like the one for Watkins try.

Agree to this completely every other team has a proper hooker we need one too be it hood mcshane or clarke from cars would be good

Sorry I meant Castleford Damn predictive text

...and if you work hard you can even reach a level that allows you to count further than 11.

We have two hookers. We just dont utilise them.

TBH I mentioned last night that as soon as St's stopped the mistakes that we would be in a game. They were not spectacular, but they were effective in what they did.

There is no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater, we dont become a bad team overnight, although we do look a little jaded in a few areas but nowt so serious that wholesale lynching of squad members is required.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

12

Clearly you & the rest of the specials also can't see the difference between a mistake and an inability.



Satire. Nice one.

Yep think we must have been watching a different game last night.
I think the only thing I agree with in your comments is that Watkins did what was expected apart from keeping his foot off the whitewash.
Maybe I will give you the comment about Moon as well at a push.

Thaler wasn't great first half. It felt like it was pen, pen, pen and it completely affected the flow of the first half. Along with our errors it seemed to be really stop/start.

Btw, it was a head injury so I think the ref is duty bound to stop the game? It was clear from the replay that Moore fell right on his swede so there was no play acting. Danny McGuire on the other hand...

Slightly worrying to see your still obsessed with me though

Yes we can, you have an inability to hold a regular beat and your mother made a mistake.

BOOM.

Do you want some Savlon for that burn?

Last night was disappointing, especially given the good start with us leading 16-0, but its not the end of the world. I think if we fix up a couple of issues we'll be fine.

As noted by others, we've developed a tendency in the last few games of forwards jumping out of the line in defence. I noticed it in 2 or 3 of Huddersfields tries and at least 2 or 3 of Saints tries. We seem to be getting drawn in to the ball carrier more than we were early in the season and that's opening up gaps.
Fix that up alone and I reckon we beat both Huddersfield and Saints.

In attack, we aren't getting the ball wide very well and I agree that the problem probably lies at hooker. Burrow's first instinct is to run, not pass. Which is why, in my opinion, it worked so well bring him off the bench or sharing the hooking role with a proper hooker.
I also think we're very poor at running lines for the halves at the moment.

On the plus side we seemed to still be able to make plenty of ground without Peacock, I thought Vickery did pretty well and Sinfields long kicking game was superb.

This a key point in regards to our attack in the final 20m. Not enough is happening off the ball, it seems whoever has the ball the other 12 just stand watching at times.

We line up very flat in attack and we just don't create enough, if any, confusion or doubt in the minds of the defenders.

....and defended like a good hooker, with superlative distribution in attack like a good hooker......whoops!



It [uWAS[/u a good hooker's try....was it his [ifirst[/i ever?

Compare that to Lunt's abilities near the line, or indeed a young(ish) Leeds player scoring tries like that this season wearing the no.9 shirt (in very very limited appearances on the field of play) ...

...his first this year. His worst season (in terms of scoring tries) since becoming a first team regular.

Bailey has a higher score count this year - now that's saying something.

*you're

as in 'you're welcome'

you knuckledragging prick.



No thanks. Bit hard to burn someone when you have to point out the burn yourself.

But then you're probably used to doing most things on your own, aren't you pal?

Someone is getting banned again me thinks






(And you're still obsessed

)

Yeah, like reading and writing, unlike yourself, right "pal"?

I'm not advocating the baby and bathwater doing one, but I do feel we need to settle back into simple structures with key positions filled by players who understand that position. Burrow has shown great moments at hooker, but generally they have been when he jumps out of dummy half. McShane has been good from what I've seen this year and would like to see him in the hooking role from the start of games. I believe this would get the team rolling forward better and I would hope give better ball to the backs.

Only if we exclude the Challenge Cup from player's records. I'm not even close to crossing that Rubicon just yet.



Is that an educated guess ....... well you're clearly an educated chap if it is. 2003 though, that was tight, only two Burrow tries in the opening thirteen Leeds games.



It sure is but with reference above it's not quite right unless you add SL Regular Rounds only in there somewhere.

I'd have thought loose forwards have often scored more tries than hookers.

You're just teasing me now, but you have a point in that Bailey is as much a loose forward as Burrow is a hooker.

You've just earned yourself 48 hours on the naughty step.