My big thing with the young lads is that they look like natural players Lumb Mcormack, Smith and Littlewood all looked like natural players.

Frawley for all his detractors looked like exactly what we need.

Agree on Jack as well, improving all the time but defensively not quite there yet. Probably would benefit from a loan.

Thought going Jack Smith actually turned the game - he has pace too he did very well against Walmsley tracking back.

At least we won this year! It will take a bit of time with integrating new faces. For me I want to see signs of a clear coaching structure and a way of playing coming through in pre-season. No more gimmicks just well organised Rugby and if we make a few mistakes on the way that's fine as that's what pre-season is for building confidence relationships and patterns of play.

As usual, no interest in the Boxing Day game, but I did watch the post match presser and I'm pleased to see Smith praising the way the preseason games have flowed/been refereed. After his rightful complaints last year I'm hoping for less wrestle and messing about at the PTB this season, a nice last hurrah before the tackle height change kills off the game.

Jack Had a decent game .He's a good prospect has some size and pace.

Think Ackers gives us a couple of things we've been lacking. Sinfield beginning to look assured, he's made a ton of progress in a short time. Cam Smith looked far better trying to do less with the ball and more in the way of spotting weaknesses to run at. Bit of fizz throughout when shifting the ball second half.

Take liberties and a decent championship side will do what lots of sides did to us last year.

Mix of good and bad really, much as you'd expect pre season..

More impressed with the youngsters yesterday. Like the look of Nicholson-Watton and the McCormack's look natural rugby players.

McDonnell was strong again. Very concerning with Gannon.

Who came on at full back for Miller?

Miller looked unfit and a little slow yesterday which was a little concerning. Hopefully, that is sorted before the season begins.

I don’t think Miller is as quick as some think - he’s steppy and quick off the mark but I’m not sure he has outright pace.

I did really like him Webb-ing up into the line though; once he gets acclimatised he’ll do well for us in attack.

I actually think Momirovski could be the under-the-radar signing this season, he is oretty quick and played first grade NRL most of career.

I really do like the McCormack brothers - Fergus looks like our next 6. Jack Smith has a little Joel Moon about him, rangy centre and he’s still behind Max Simpson.

Think we’ll go okay this year; need some luck with injuries. Can see Hudson breaking into the team on the bench.

Miller doesn't have French/Field type length of the pitch type pace. That was evident from the games I've watched in the NRL. What he does have is explosive speed of the mark and the ability to maintain it when changing direction. He'll do fine when he settles into the system. The challenge for Smith is to create that system. So much pressure on Smith at the start of the season. If I were him I'd be canning the "play what you see" stuff when it comes to short kick offs and dropouts. Whether it works or not, it makes us look mentally soft. Best saved for real moments of desperation.

Agreed AC, the stuff in the first half yesterday echoed last season and preseason in particular, it just demonstrates a desire to cut corners. The game will in the main always be based on earning the right to play yet this sloppy attitude the thinking that can be reinvented has always coincided with our worst RS performances.

I want to see the short kickoffs disposed of as even if it comes off 50% of the time and for all the practice you get at them in game without pressure you chuck away the opportunity to practice the things that will actually matter come the start of the season.


The experiment needs to end otherwise his tenure will.

Miller may not be the fastest sprinter in the league but he looked remarkably slower than in the footage I've seen of him.

Miller will be fine personally i saw enough to show he has some skills that we've been lacking.

It was his first run out in how many months?

He looked to be trying too hard in the first half to impress.

I'll wait until 6 games into the season to look st how the new guys are doing.
Will take time to get match fit and with a pretty much new spine it's going to need time to gel.

RS has to cut out the nonsense though, it's not worked right all last season and it won't.

Miller won’t get faster with match practice - it’s as Clueso said he has acceleration but not outright top speed I think. He does have skill but my main interest is in his D.

Can’t wait to see a full first team play together.

Only one game so can’t read too much into anything.
Alfie Edgell came on for Miller. Miller showed some real skill but overplayed and of more concern did not
Look in very good condition to me. Gannon going off with a head knock was the other downer.
On the plus side I thought Frawley did well and I like the
Look of Littlewood and Fergus McCormack reminded me very much in how he carries
Himself of a top player from yesteryear. I won’t name him. Be interesting to see how Jack Smith develops. As others have said hopefully we finally stop these slow starts where we look slack.

Ha. Reminded me of one too, although not a Leeds player. Used to play for the Pies.

Snap , don’t want to type his name as he still makes me feel sick.

I'm surprised McGillvary has joined Wakey to be honest. Always rated him. I can see Wakey come straight back up I think.

I also would not sign Kershaw. In addition to Olpherts with 1 year left we have Roberts, Simpson, lumb, jack smith and we could play Martin at centre and stick momo on wing if needed.

Plus ned Mc.

Kershaw is not good enough and we have plenty coming through the pipe. Rohan needs to stop wasting cap on selling platers.

It’s a big “if”, but if Hudson can come through as a reserve prop and be effective for us there, we aren’t in too bad shape as a squad.

We have changed almost half of the first grade team in one off-season, we’re going to have to see how they perform and which gaps remain. We need to provide pathways for talented younger players especially in the outside backs.

Really interested to see who steps up in 2024 and who we end up letting go.

Would love to see us win one of the youth titles this year. Would give some credence to the theory that we are back in serious business as a youth production line. Just hope the new rules don't ruin the competition at that level.

All in all, not bad.

Tired of the shortcut methods that failed us last year already.
Yes it’s preseason, yes we need some practice yadda yadda but as others have said you have to earn the right to play, yet we went for some ridiculous options instead of doing the basics well. If we can’t or won’t focus on the basics and instead plow forward stubbornly with this corner cutting then we’ll be back in the mire again next year.

Can’t see why some people were expecting Frawley to suddenly be prime Lockyer / Thurston etc when he’s been brought in to be the controlling half. Some of the dummy spitting was hilariously ott. “Get him on a plane back to Aus & take Rohan with him!” Was a highlight.

The kids looked brilliant, well drilled, confident and I’m looking forward to seeing them integrated into the team in the correct manner. A definite highlight.

Still loads to come back in and I’m sure we’ll be all the more better with a serious preseason. Please no more gimmicks, put them to bed, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

that's my worry.
not sure a leopard can change its spots though.
time will tell

I do think some are over egging the things like short kick offs - that was quickly dropped last year in the season proper and wasn’t our main issues at all, dumb rugby was a greater issue, I think this new squad has a greater rugby IQ than last years.

Frawley was given way too much unfair stick when he signed, he’ll be a far better player for us than the one he’s replacing.

It's not the kick offs in themselves but the mentality it creates that leads to the dumb rugby, how much of last preseason was pssed away on short cutting gimmicks at the cost of working on the fundamentals which was then detrimental to performances in the season.

Why completely change the normal ebb and flow of a typical game to practice something you're then going to do away with (aside from when you're already 40 points down). No, if that continues it's speaks more to where the team will be lacking mentally when it matters.