I think a lot of the Senior players need to take a long hard look at themselves if they can't get it right how do you expect the lesser experienced ones to step up.

Ref him.
I have nothing against raising money for charity,but there are numerous other ways of raising money, sponsored walks etc.
I just thought we lacked dignity, perhaps thats why we played poorly.

I just cannot see any connection with having dyed hair and playing poor

I thought Smith was out of his depth tonight at times he look as if he was walking the kick return back but tonight wasn't his fault.

Collectively we were poor and the absence of McGuire and Webb hit us a lot harder than expected.

Also McShane didn't do his career development any favours.

I think when the player you'd put money on the most to take a high ball got outjumped in the first 5 minutes, it didn't bode well for the rest of the match.

I think smith is a poor shadow of his former self.

When would a player ever get 'better' into his mid 30s, Leeds will have plenty
of options at prop in the coming years and I don't think it's a bad decision at all, certainly given everything he has given to the club and his determined
nature.

Hardacre has been playing full time 12 months and at centre for 5 minutes.

Every team has areas to improve, the damning tone of some posts after a defeat is so predictable though.

I don't need to get my head out of the sand, I call the game as I see it and my backside doesn't get twitchy, I also enjoy seeing Leeds perform well/win
but it really doesnt upset me if they don't, it's sport.

Smith and McShane were abysmal

we really missed Burrow at 9 and with hindsight perhaps we should have started Ward at scrum half.

Poor performance, that highlights some of the weaknesses we have in the team / squad, but no one died.

I agree with Sal that Smith looks done at this level, and frankly has since the return from RU, so it's not a snap judgement. McShane still has the weaknesses in his defensive technique evident for the whole period he has been in the first team. Our pack was totally dominated tonight and looked passive which is a poor attribute to have in the forwards. Without Webb and McGuire we were always likely to struggle if the forwards didn't get over the top of the Saints pack, which makes it even more mystifying why they gave up so easily. Also as well as occasionally giving Hall the ball, Hardaker needs to develop some other tricks other than the step off his left foot, or he will become very easy to read, elusive runner that he is.

We have a number of good players to come back into the team, so we don't need to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but it's fair to say the coaching team will have to earn their corn in the next week as Hudds will be up for it on Friday.

I call it how I see it - Smith is finished at this level and giving Peacock 2 years is a mistake and McShane is no Buderus. Saints were good tonight we were poor it happens - as to the rest we must agree to disagree and only time tell.

Are you and Eddie and Stevo in disguise? Don't tell me, it was unprofessional as well as lacking dignity was it?
What was the reason for us playing poorly v Wigan?
The club/players have done sponsored walks, runs etc in the past. IIRC some even did a sponsored canoeing. I would say they raised as much money as they did because of the novelty value of dyeing their hair red.
Honestly, like Sal Paradise says, it's just entertainment, nothing more. I'm happy when we win, I'm a bit down when we lose. Anything much more than that is granting a form of entertainment an importance it doesn't deserve.
In fact, the most important part of that game tonight was the dyed red hair of the Leeds players. The rest of it was just a game.

Am surprised there has been no mention yet of how low the sun was in the first half . It looked like we were suffering it's effects in the first twenty . After that things seemed more even , but the result was only going one way after going 24-0 down .

ThePrinter- you talk a lot of sense.

I'm surprised a lot of rhinos fans are disappointed with tonight's result and performance. If last season taught us anything, it taught us that results and performances like these do not matter a jot. Leeds were garbage throughout last season apart from the last 2 games. The regular rounds mean nothing. Leeds will qualify for the playoff's and so will Saints. This is what our sport has been reduced to and this is the reality of the Super League product now being sold to us - a meaningless regular round competition of no discernible importance along with a playoff system which is hell bent on rewarding mediocrity. The season doesn't kick off until late September. Some might even argue it doesn't kick off until as late as October.

Who cares? Not me.

To be fair Jeff the NRL is no different - which explains why so many different teams have won it - end of season lottery.

Because some people care about every game that's why many are disappointed. People who only care about the playoff games, congratulations, you are glory supporters.

hear, hear!

I know you're trolling but I must admit, with the premiership title race reaching a creshendo, I miss the week in week out intensity and importance of [ievery game[/i! Suddenly a routine game away at salford or widnes becomes a huge important pressure game as there is a need to pick up maximum points.

The vast majority on this forum do not care about the game of rugby league. They only care about the rhinos and they'll take a season full of lousy performances and results from their team any day of the week provided their club turns up for 2 games at the end of the season and are crowned champions. Last season proved that beyond any shadow of a doubt, whether you like it or not.

This was simply one of those games were the home side was 'on fire' and no matter who they were playing would end up looking like also rans. As a Saints fan it is the shining light at the end of a very dark tunnel ,I only hope we can re-produce the same form from now on .


Regards,

Jock.

PS, I spoke to a couple outside KFC before the game, they appeared to be more worried about us than I was of them turning us over.

The NRL is very different because if you're below your best during the regular rounds, you're in big danger of missing the semi-finals.

Canterbury played the Roosters in the 2004 GF, yet it was a few years before either made the top eight again. That would never happen here.

Leeds and Saints are guaranteed to make the eight, or even the top five, every year, unless something big changes.

Thoughts? Yet again I cant remember it, even if it is a few hours ago.

The truth is they won't take a season full of lousy performances and results. Did we celebrate the Grand Final win even though we came 5th? Of course, just like any set of fans from any team would do. But don't let your Leeds hatred realise that. If the vast majority don't care about performance and results in the regular season then why (as many like yourself like to keep reminding us) did so many want Brian McD out and sweeping changes to the team made based on the showings we were putting up for the first 2 thirds of last year? Any Leeds fan would prefer to finish 1st AND win the Grand Final, we didn't we finished 5th and because some fans like to use the line 'we can finish 5th and still beat you' to annoy opposition fans, some people like to believe this indicates we will be happy with finishing that low again. What last season really proved is just how unintelligent some people are about Rugby League that one playoff campaign can lead them to believing that a team from 5th - 8th is going to stroll up at the end of the most seasons now and 'nick it'. These are usually people like yourself who like to protray themselves as extremely knowledgable rugby followers.
And if anybody doesn't care about rugby league on this forum its you, who likes to bash everything about it and should really leave you with very little room to criticise others who do care.

I used to get upset about defeats like this. Then we won SL from nowhere.

Felt nothing about the Wigan game and nothing about tonight other than I can see This being Lee Smiths last season in the first team at Leeds. He's gone backwards.

Having said that though maybe not the best game to judge him in. Thought Moore did ok.

I'm a Leeds fan who also like Saints, so i have no axe to grind.
Saints were great and Leeds got overrun.
fair play to saints.
BUT .. I am a believer in the psychology of winning and Leeds, bless them for their charitable intentions, did themselves no favours with the red hair.
Look like clowns, get treated like clowns.
PS Smith was god-awful. He used to be something special.