The non use of subs is a strange one, and what you say above is the only way I have been able to rationalize it these last few years.

An incredible achievement. About a year ago I watched McGuire limp off away at London, he had gone the whole season without a try and looked shot. To produce the end of season he has is the mark of a great competitor as well as great talent. That pick up for the try was pure class.
After cas away and even wakey away in august I would have not believed this end. McD's ability to mange a season's end is exceptional.
Tough conditions but cas dropped too much ball and the hardaker factor must have taken a toll.
Leeds forwards stood up again. They should all take a bow. Briiscoe and stevie ward magic night for them.
I can't speyk.

I think it's worth noting that he rarely if ever employs the same subs strategy in play off games. I would go as far as saying the McDermott more than any other coach uses weekly league games as preparation for more important games to come, with the two points being sometimes less important than the lessons learned. Yes, in this structure wins are important to secure a good league position and make the top 4, but ask Cas fans tonight how much the 8 points they took off us in the league matter right now? McDermott is a master of getting his team ready for when it matters the most. In the cup semi they were caught out by a Hull team playing close to their best, and the players and coach were devastated. Tonight they made sure they didn't make the same mistakes twice. McDermott's methods may not be universally popular, but 4 Grand Final wins against 4 different teams says it all.

+1

Mags now takes his place as my all time favourite Leeds player. I'll have to change my user name (sorry Dave Heron). Maybe "Danny McGuire's Knees" - DMK sounds good to me

McGuire has to go down as the greatest player in GF history. Tonight's showing and 2015's 2 try MOM performance, clinching try in 2004 and 2 tries in 2008. Scored a try in our losing effort in 2005 and put in the kick for Smith's winner in 2009.

Taken from the VT....

Outstanding defensive performance and I actually think we deserved a complete shut out.

One of McGuires best games in a Leeds shirt and it is somewhat fitting that Sinny Mags and Rob all now have two MotM awards in GFs.

I think Cas actually played prety well in the first half but they seemed to think they could blow us out the water and when they didnt they seemed to get frustrated and eventually crumbled in the second half.

Wish Burrow had been given more minutes, but given the nature of the game I can understand not bringing him on earlier.

FWIW I think Cas will win it next year especially if they keep Hardaker.

hardaker will be banned mate.



Congratulations on the victory tonight. Champion side are leeds. I went to Manchester Uni between 2007-11 and went to enough grand finals to know what leeds can do when it matters, and tonight was right up there. To see us decline a shot at goal after 3 minutes left me gobsmacked. Again, doesn't change the outcome but experience and game management in the big games is massive.

Cracking post - well done lad!

Refusing the 2 in the big game seems a hallmark of Powell coached teams. Very naive,

Think you're right there they turned down 6 straight forward points from pens. 6-7 could have gone on to be a very difficult game.

Hats off to BMcD once again, letting Cas trounce us all year was a master strike of forward planning...

I feel sorry for the doom mongers who can't or won't contribute to our success/ celebration because of embarrassment for the utter cack they've spouted this year. As Sir Kev eloquently put....this ones for you!

Different level again last night adding Gale & Roberts to his collection of HB's who he has dealt a GF masterclass to.

Great win. Wished I'd been there but Marge took me to matiritus. Thanks to radio Leeds and a you tuber for saving the day. Mot

Congrats, I have a grudging respect for Leeds and that performance when it mattered certainly deserved respect.

In fairness to doom mongers some of the things BMD has said in interviews the last few days show him agreeing with many of their "negative" performance assessments of Leeds this year. For example "so far away from the Grand Final we were on the moon".
It would be interesting to hear an honest summing up of the last two seasons from him - something as a leader he can't do publicly and I wouldn't expect him to.

Just to add a little balance, it's very hard to remain a credible poster when you have been crying about the squad being "finished" for the last 10 years, and supply a constant supply of rumours about how f*******d the club is. Equally the same applies to the t*rd polishers, who try to justify terrible on field form and average recruiting (hookers are real and we needed one last year - one poster needs to shut the f*** up baiting everyone after his attempt to convince us all last season that the position simply didn't exist).

The win yesterday doesn't justify every opinion of some and disqualify all the opinions of others. It's just a great result for all Leeds fans.

I've seen comments on Twitter that it was the worst GF in 20 years, and a guy on the bus home who watched it in the pub said the same. I put that down to our defence. This team knows you don't need to win the game by half time. Cas got no time on the ball and we scrambled as well as you'll see. Gale couldn't have been fully fit and we have him no time. On the back of that we broke their resolve and scored some nice tries.

Much like when we beat them at Wembley, our tactics were spot on. Don't get an extra trophy for winning pretty or winning a classic.Credit where it's due, we'll done Brian McDermott.

I do expect Cas to be stronger next year on the back of defeat.

Finally, it's been an honour to watch this team and their character. We've been spoilt over the last 14 years and last night felt like the end of an era

fail again.

See you sometime next year Billy, look forward to your new username

I ate humble pie for breakfast. Tasted great!

Well done to the whole team. Outstanding stuff.

The moment I started to be really confident was in the last minute of the first half. The ball went out for a Leeds scrum. The Leeds players rushed to form it to stop the clock. They wanted that last set of six. They didn't look to rest on their existing lead. In that set, Danny Mags kicked the first of his dg's. At the half tine hooter, the players did something I've loved since it began in Tony Smith's era. They gathered together and, as a team, jogged past the walking Cas team.

There was a scrum several minutes earlier when we kicked into touch down there end and I noticed some of the Cas forwards really struggling to make it back to form the scrum. Was then I thought we might have them here, they looked tired and we haven't even reached HT.

Maybe some (not all) of the cocky classy cas fans will now understand the true power of the dark side of the force. Winning poxy league games against your rivals doesn't mean it'll be a cakewalk when the title is on the line.

Where was luke gales 'post try cat walk strut'? There's been a real air of cocky confident swagger about them all season.

For 66-10 you get sod all.

For 24-6 we get a super league title.

This

When Cas had a try disallowed in the first half by the VR, Gale (preparing for a conversion) just threw a towel down and diva spin in a real hissy fit that Wilkin would've been proud of on GF night.

As for Cas' winning run against us, to twist a Meatloaf song

"Now don't be saddddd, because 8 out of 9 ain't bad!"

Very special performance by a group of players led by a man who has the most strong minded determination I’ve ever seen.

Well done Brian and the boys.