Poor first half, fairly average second half - about standard for a Leeds performance against one of the "lesser teams" this year

For his first try Gibson got the ball down with several Leeds players around him, he must be good icon_smile.gif

JJB's pass to Sinfield was so bad he scored a try from it icon_razz.gif

Once again the Leeds singing section disgraced the club, club officials here is a clue, they stand at the back and in the middle home and away!

I agree with you. I think we were lucky that Salfords best two players were missing, and inparticular Holdsworth. This is what this Leeds team have become, struggling to beat an under strength Salford side. A 25 minute spell in the second half does not hide that. The defence has not shown any improment all season, and quite frankly is an embarrassment at times. We are still doing that stupid awful hospital pass in middle of the field from Sinny.

Amazing Kirke was the only player to stand out in that poor first half. In the second period I only really saw JJB, Webb, Buderus and Sinfield really stepping up the gears.

How is this any different to last year?

It's groundhog year both in terms of the Leeds performances at this stage and the idiot fans over reaction to them. They've learned nothing.

Why is it idiotic to want your team to play as well as they can in every game?
A win is worth 2 points no matter whom you beat.
Or is this just another example of you making provocative statements simply to gain a reaction?

Rational people just know it's never going to happen and accept it. Irrational people go on about it every year and are then proved wrong at the end of the year. If they trot the same lines out every year they'll eventually get it right and then they can say "told you so". Thing is though, they'll still have been wrong to write the team off at that point in the season.

At least we have now guaranteed a play-off place now

It isn't. In my opion we won some games we maybe should have lost last year: Hull kr away, wakey away, wire at home, cas away, hudds at home. this season we didn't have that bit of luck or craft or the bounce of a ball. We were poor last season and poor this. We haven't been as good as last season but not a million miles away. Our main strength is we know how to win big games.

My musings:

Salford lost the game in the first half. So much time on our try line with only a 6 point half time lead was where they slipt up. Thought Matty Smith pulled the strings but they couldn't create enough. Relied 2 muchon the reverse pass against the ruck. Not a bad tactic as Leeds haven't been strong here this year. They should have moved the ball around more. So much time on our try line and they looked alot more tired than us. Leeds just sat on their try line and soaked up drive after drive. Salford mentally tired.

In the first half Leeds didn't look after the ball......again. But came out of the blocks quick and started a successful offload game. Nice to see Ali in the thick of it.

Once we were in front we looked comfortable and the chance of a Salford comeback was never on the cards.

Gibson shone outwide. Limited chances but the 2 he had he made the most of. His first score was a nice reminder of the hidden power he has. Hall and Smith should have stopped him.

Leeds MOM had to be JJB. Kicked on from last weeks improved performance with a cracker of a game. He needs to keep out wide. That is where he can do most damage. Strong running on the fringes and in the second half kept getting offload after offload out.

Webb was a welcome comeback. Solid at the back and made 1 on 1 tackles as the last line of defence, something that Smith hasn't been doing. Thought he looked a bit ginger in the first half. Didnt want to return the ball. Opted to pass to Hall/Donald. Got stronger as the game wore on.

Donald - took try well from a Delaney assist (wow!!)

buy was at fault for Broughton's score. Webb clearly called it and Donald got on the way. Farce!

Smith - ok.

Delaney - powerful running. Apart from the Donald pass didn't look like putting him away. On 2 occasions in the first half, he didnt even scan to weigh up options just ran straight. Should have been more composed with his double movement. Was clearly tackled. Quick PTB and somethign would have been on.

Hall - strong. Took scores well. So he can score without Senior, who'd have think it???



Sinfield and McGuire - patchy. When our tales were up they took hold of the game. Sinfield's pass selection and his speed of pass was questionable at times.

Kylie - best prop. Thunderous drives. Moved us forward.

Buderus - poor first half. Improved second.

Bailey - does what he does. Solid as a rock in defence. Marshalled the middle of the defensive line with confidence. Was a nice constant to have with the number of handling errors floating about.

Clarkson - very impressed the more I see him. Works hard and has lovely feet and determination. Who mentioned signings with quality kids like this kncoking about???

Ablett - meh.

Kirke - took try well. Went off injured with an arm/shoulder injury.

Ali - the second half was made for him.

McShane - Nice cameo. Tried to fish out a couple of penalties. Poor handling error, but the only cross on a limited appearance.

Burgess - hmmmm. 2 silly penalties for sloppy high tackles and an awful knock on. Those who declare him concrete boots will feel their argument has been cemented!!! BOOM BOOM!!! On a positive side he improved in the second half with some better drives and bigger hits. Came out also for at least 2 'big hits' and missed them both and left a huge gap in defence. I don't know why he continues to do this, his success rate at doing this probably at about 20%. Needs to sharpen up if he wants to retain his place.

Overall it was a game to take the 2 points and run home with. If Salford had have converted first half pressure into points it could have been a different game. With big games just round the corner it could be a vital 2 points that leads us into the top 4 and aids our quest for 4 in a row!

Friday at Headingley will be a belter.

Reds on top in first half,Leeds on top 2nd half - another embarrassing performance from Mr Bentham

- that's about the whole story

Correct. No different at all so what Gotcha says we have become is complete codswallop.

Out of passing interest, what did they do wrong?

On the game itself, I thought first half was extremely poor, and the second half we most certainly stepped it up a few gears. Ali with his trademark plays seemed to change the game imo.

Just a typical performance that we have come to expect this year against one of the 'lower teams with the good and not so good mixed in.

And very interesting they were to. I hope people will take the time to flick back a page and read them.

Such offerings are regrettably few and far between these days around these parts.

Our aim is to peak for the important games which makes trying to win the less important ones while holding a lot back a fine balancing act. Some we'll win and some we'll lose which is what's been happening this season. To some extent this is fine, providing we perform when it matters most. So far, we have. Sooner or later, we won't.

Is this approach fair on the fans? It's up to you whether you go or not.

How is it proved wrong at the end of the year?

Surely it can only be proved wrong If Leeds win and the poster said they wouldn't win anything. Of course neither been done yet.

I am complaining about the performances each week, rather than what happens at the end of the season. Part time supporters like you who are only rolling on the badwagon for the big games, fair enough it would not bother them. But for people who pay out money each week, it does.

Cheers.

I have to disagree with you. I'm a season ticket holder and go to virtually all away games and am willing to put up with poorer performances earlier on in the season if it means we can challenge for honours consistently later in the season. After all in years to come what will you remember, a poor performance in June against Crusaders or a Challenge Cup Final in August / Grand Final in October?

It isn't. It's idiotic to call this team embarrassing because they didn't put 60 unanswered points past Salford. It's idiotic to write of this team on the basis of the 1st half and ignore the 2nd half. It's idiot to learn nothing from the past three seasons.

And that's your choice and opinion, your perfectly entitled to it. My choice is that I would rather watch a team giving value for money and win nothing. But like you said, you go to virtually all the games, the other poster moaning does not.

I think there is a difference though to poor early season performances, and what we have this year. If we were to take all the League games added together, I would guess we have not produced more than 100 minutes of quality rugby throughout all of them. We are now at the back end of the season, and still the defence looks as poor as it has throughout the whole of the year.

One of my most enjoyable games this year was the first 40 minutes away at Wigan, where despite an extremly under strength side out there we played good rugby and more than matched Wigan in that first half. That sort of effort and quality has been rare from the Senior players at the club this year.

Just gone through the whole 6 pages of the thread, and not found one single poster who as said we were an embarrassment for not scoring 60 unanswered points, nor a poster who has written off the team this year.

So do you want to clarify and quote the posts that you are referring to above? or have you just done a big dummy spit?

And I can attest that, as usual, he is very accurate in everything he has written.

I'm in your camp. I spent many, many years being entertained by some great players at Leeds who won fook all. I like winning. This squad has a winning mentality about it. I'll take that.

My god! Is it terminal?

TBF he has a point. They are a vile lot. 1 guy was wearing a gray hooded top with a green t-shirt... I mean come on. How can he be a Rhinos fan if he wasnt wearing a shirt. I reckon he was just there to cause trouble.