Well, what a game this promises to be!

Being the southern exile I am, there are few games that seem to stir interest down here, but a fair few people are saying how much they are looking forward to the game.

Hopefully Saints will have a couple of the injured players back (Amor in particular is huge for us) and a few of the out of form lads step up (Roby and Turner in particular have been very out of sorts). Bit worried we may have some underdone players.

How are Leeds shaping up? Any injuries?

I'm hoping we'll be something like:

Lomax
Makinson (picked up a knock in the Widnes game)
Percival (not played since the Salford game in Feb)
Turner
Swift (missed the last couple)
Hohaia
Walsh
Amor (not played since the Hudds cup game)
Roby
Walmsley
Soliola
Wilkin
LMS (sorely tempted to drop him as he's been terrible recently!)

Masoe
Savelio
Wellens
Greenwood/Richards/Flanagan (in that order)

how do you rate masoe? big lad but can't say i've been impressed as yet

Improving every game. Apparently had his best game yet against Widnes albeit I didn't see the match.

There is no question he is struggling for fitness, but he is getting noticeably fitter with each passing week, I think he'll be a real asset as the season rolls on.

I also think he will benefit from having Amor back in the pack as we have looked at our best with Amor/Walmsley starting matches and Masoe helps ensure we don't have a big drop off in impact when they are spelled.

I don't think we would have won the Cas game without Masoe.

If Saints defend like they did against Cas, Wigan and Widnes, we could win by 30+ points. If they defend like they did against us, they will win.

We really need to up out back up play and 2nd phase, last time we played we allowed saints to shepherd us up blind alleys and wasted lots of good possession and breaks.

Should be a cracker and could go either way.
Really hope you play Turner and leave Jones out


Think you have a cracker in Savelio but let`s hope he goes for LMS who could help our cause.
But for every LMS we have a Ryan Bailey who no doubt will get picked.
Aiton, JJB and Ward definitely out for us.
Enjoy listening to Jonathan Davies!!

Reckon our likely team will be:

Hardaker

Briscoe
Watkins
Moon
Hall

Sinfield
McGuire

Peacock
Burrow
Leuluai
Ablett
Delaney
Bailey

Sutcliffe
Achurch
Singleton
Kirke

Very unlucky for BJB but it's 6 into 5 in the backs and the only way he gets a bench spot is if we rejig the backs when he comes on with Hardaker to centre, Moon to stand-off, Sinfield spelling hooker and I doubt that'll happen.

Those backs are frightening - we'll certainly need to at least break even up front with a good kicking game from Walsh.

Leeds v Saints is one of the hardest games to predict in my opinion (unless it's a final, when the result is a little more obvious!)

I noticed the wink but unsure why?

Of the games I have seen of Saints this year, I must say Turner has been the guy who has really impressed me. Looks a really good player this year, and possibly test centre.




not saying I disagree with you on the summary, but if Leeds attack how we know they can, then Saints defend how they did against us previously, and it would still be 30+ points against them. Our attack was limp last time against them.

turner has been really poor in the wigan and cas games. if he is england class we must be worse than i thought

Not sure about Cas game, as not seen, but he was certainly one of the Saints better players against Wigan. A very clever running and ball handling centre.

Unfortunately I agree with that - your tactics in the last game were dreadful and I can't see BM making the same mistake again.

I think it will be a relatively high scoring game, with your better defence proving the difference in the end.

Turner was abysmal against Wigan IMO, his defence was shambolic.

Indeed! The guy he replaced now back at his home club must be at least one who is higher in the pecking order.

Well he certainly did a better job than Lomax, Makinson, Jones, and Dawson in the game. And the stats back that up.

Just shows that stats don't tell the whole story, Lomax was probably our best player.

Kirke was rested on Monday.

Beware Saints he's gunning for ya!

Your kidding? he is a great player, and having a great season, but he was absolutely shocking against Wigan.

I understand he had a better game against Widnes

Definitely our best player. Turner was awful defensively and nothing really came off in attack for him. Bateman murdered him.

Whether Kyle Amor plays on Saturday will be the biggest factor as to whether we can win or not. If he doesn't play, I don't see us having the firepower to down Leeds on their own midden. If he plays and in tandem with Walmesley gets us on the front foot early then we've got a chance.

I'm really starting to wonder whether you watched the Saints Wigan game!

Anyway, back on subject our centres will need to show huge improvement defensively if we are to contain Leeds. For some reason LEeds were reticent to shift the ball at Langree, I can't see them adopting the same approach at Headingley.

I must not have done, as I thought Lomax was really poor.

But then again, don't forget when I said Turner had a good game I was talking about attacking. When you pointed out defence I double checked to the stats, which as I said show he was the better of the Saints backs in this regards.

Personally, I think because of how good a player Lomax is, and home grown, Saints fans may well have a little of the rose tinted specs when it comes to his true performances. You are not alone, we have them here with Leeds players also.

In the Wigan game, lomax was outstanding in attack, but very poor in defence. He was incredibly laboured moving to cover at full back for at least 2 of the Wigan tries - he should of snuffed them out long before Wigan got any support to the ball carrier.

That said lomax has been generally one of our best players this year (so has jones, but for some inexplicable reason is always over looked by the saints fans)

Welcome to Southstander, we all have similar issues with gotcha, bless his cotton socks.

Really looking forward to this game.

Just out of interest, where do you get match stats from?

Looking forward to this and with 2 games against the Pies plus an away trip to Cas Vegas in there aswell this will imo be the toughest period of our season outside the play offs.
Its the CC Leeds v ST's & imo form goes out of the window I just hope we play better than we did at LP with the ball especially.
I'm going for us by between 4/7 points.

Squabbling between the collection of class in our three quarters....

Classic Southstander