I agree. In fact, I thought we were dominant in the 1st half but errors and a few missed tackles kept it close. We dominated the ruck 1st half and put the Saints attackers on their backs.

However, in the 2nd half, after JJBs try Saints simply took it up a notch and we couldn't compete. They won every collision and pinned us on our line with a great kicking game. I've no idea why and see no need to over react, even though I was baffled by some of the coaches use of his squad.

I'd like some changes. Hardaker to wing or reserves and Ablett into centre. The lad shows no improvement whatsoever at this position and maybe some learning needs to be done in the reserves? Sinfield back to 13 with Burrow at 7, running the left and McGuire at 6 running the right. Or, to dig us out of the mire, maybe Burrow back to the bench but coming on at 7, not 9.

And I'd give Hauraki another go off the bench in place of Clarkson to try and give us an attacking spark from the bench. Might not work as Hauraki blows hot and cold but worth a try.

I think Leeds winning last years GF is dangerous for Leeds and everyother club. If clubs go in with the attitude that the season does not matter bar the playoffs, then how soon until fans follow suit. The league is the money spinner not the GF. Without the league Leeds lose income from fans not turning up.

Some Saints fans have this point of view too, that we can come good in the playoffs, well watch season tickets slump if that's the case as if the players ain't bothered about anything bar the playoffs the fans will catch on quick. Then watch the chairmen bleat and want a top 10 not a top 8 playoff.

You deserved you GF and the rules are the rules, but it's not going to help the game if players and coaches start to act that way.

Another quote from BM:

"It pains me to say it but I think St Helens wanted that game more than we did."

If that's not a direct indictment on the team then nothing is.

Reminded me a lot of the Warrington home game earlier in the year, except on this occasion the visitors managed to pull their fingers out in the second half. Once Saints hit their stride, Leeds simply had no response.

I said exactly the same last night, exept the Burrow bit. We need to win at the weekend, so I would go with changes but tightening things up in some areas, and give energy and enthuisiasm in another.

For me I would go Hardaker to right wing in place of Smith (for this game), Ablett to left centre, Ward to stand off, Sinfield to 13. Start with Lunt, and have Burrow on bench. Would drop Griffin also and have Moore in instead.

I think BM is in cruise mode too. We found the perfect formula for beating top 4 sides at the back end of last season. Why change it? Why play an 80 minute hooker (who has been exceptional for Leeds) from the bench? And then not even use him!? It's hard enough to beat Saints with 17 fit players, let alone 16. He can lay blame at the players feet if he wants, but he got the selection & strategy completely wrong last night. He now has some massive games coming up to put things right.

I think the players need to have a good hard look at themselves, and I think the coach does too.

Too many square pegs in round holes smacks of jobs for the boys attitude. Burrow is not the best 9 at the club, so he shouldn't be starting at 9, regardless of how long he's been with the club. The same goes for other players. If people are guarunteed a spot in the side regardless of form then its no wonder people rest on their laurels.

Thoughts during last nights game and several before...........why invest in a season ticket to watch a squad stroll through half of the games and end up placed between 3 and 7 in Super League when you can save the ££££ and just turn up for the playoffs and watch them try??

How many of the "loyal" supporters will continue to turn up to see a tactically inept side dial in a performance??

Again (and I say again because he did the self same thing at Wigan in round 2) coach McDermott only used 8 of his permitted 10 interchanges - the final change was Delaney on for Ablett in the 67th minute.

It might serve him well to recognise when people under-perform and the best place to start is by looking in the mirror, IMO.

I agree with G1 re Hardaker. Completely annonymous at Hull, completely anonymous again last night. And I'm sure he'll agree with me that his opposite centre put his winger away nicely with superb footwork and a quality sleight of hand pass. Excellent finish by Makinson as well.

The game for me turned on two incidents - a risky pass from Ablett spilled by Watkins and the Makinson try that followed. Leeds were never in the contest for me after that.

Have been saying this for quite some time.

When more supporters wake up to the fact that the regular rounds are unimportant and vote with their feet by staying at home rather than purchasing a regular round season ticket, that'll be the day when there's a rethink on the current relative unimportance of the regular rounds and the urgent need to address that problem.

I stopped buying a season ticket a few years ago....and now rely on freebies & discounts



Leeds Rhinos are the 'Apple' of Super League. They sure know how to market an inferior product!!

I stopped buying a season ticket over a decade ago when I realised over half of the regular rounds were meaningless games. The only thing that's changed since then is that all of the regular season games are now meaningless because of the cast-iron guarantee of a play-off place and the rewards available to those finishing as lowly as 5th or 6th.

Totally agree

I didn't renew as have moved to Glasgow but to be honest wouldn't have been in a rush to anyhow as felt as disinterested in some of the games as some of our players were during the regular rounds.

I felt the same last night. Had the opportunity to attend last night's game but didn't due to a lack of interest in a fixture that doesn't count for much... win or lose. I can't be sold a product that I know is meaningless and has little to no value or importance, whatever the result.

Keith, that is the same in any competition where the final winner is decided through a play off system. Look at the NRL one of the reasons they have so many different winners is exactly because of what you have described i.e. the team that is hot at the end of the season will win it not the best team over the season.

I was waiting for your usual [i"but what about the NRL"[/i interjection and you didn't let me down.

There's a huge difference between the two competitions.

One is genuinely competitive and the other one isn't.

Any team tossing it off and holding back during the regular rounds in the NRL will struggle to qualify for the play offs.

That is not the case in SL because over half the teams are utter rubbish and the top teams will always qualify no matter what.

I was waiting for the defence and I wasn't disappointed - The NRL is way more competitive than the SL but that doesn't determine the winner - the winner is the team that goes into the play offs in the best form not the best team over the season. Melbourne like Wigan were the best side in the NRL last year but when it came to the play offs like Wigan they could not carry the form to the end.

What relevance does your NRL V SL analogy have with regard to the issue of the SL regular season being a waste of time where results and performances aren't that important?

As per usual, you jump in with both feet with a totally inappropriate analogy.

Nobody is talking about who deserves to be champions in any given season apart from you.

Because whenever you have a play off system to determine the winner you will reduce the importance of the regular rounds - I would have thought that was pretty obvious even to you. SL is no different from the NRL in that respect. A similar percentage of games in the NRL have as little relevance in the big picture as you have in SL. Do you really think Melbourne are in little more than cruise control when they playing all but 3/4 sides? In the 10 games this year they have scored more than 30 in six games - this isn't just a SL problem.

I can't predict with any reliable certainty the vast majority of qualifiers for the Top 8 in any given NRL season and neither can you. Teams finishing near the top one year can be near the bottom a season later or vice versa.

I can however predict with absolute certainty at least half a dozen (if not more) of the qualifiers for the Top 8 in any given SL season. In fact, I predicted all 8 last season.

That's the difference (lack of competitiveness between clubs in SL) and that's why the regular rounds in SL lack importance and are an opportunity for a club like Leeds to amble through the regular season without much risk to their overall chances. And no, Melbourne do not cruise through most games... they have to play well to ensure any winning streak or else they'll come unstuck, just like any other NRL club.

Feel free to knock out another ridiculous NRL analogy demonstrating your ignorance any time you feel the need to do so.

Keith cares so little about the Rhinos that he doesn't buy a season ticket.

But he does find time during his holidays to post about them.

I'll agree unreservedly with that. In a game when Saints ran away at the end and we have two 34 year old front rowers given significant game time whilst two substitutions and one substitute are un-used then criticism of the players from the coach doesn't sit too well with me this morning.

I'll agree though the aforementioned opposite centre was aided by a poor decision by Hall to stop sliding out and come in. That said, Hall can't have much confidence in who is defending inside him as the identity of that player changes by the minute during the game due to our defensive "tactics".

I have always had a season ticket up till 2011 because I am now at present out of the country,But I bought my season ticket to see RL at Headingley every other week and went to quite a few away games too.