In fairness that second wolves try shouldn't have been awarded so that close finish should never have happened - first Atkins shoved Cuthbertson to the ground at the ptb and then another player (Parcell maybe) was shoved in the back off the ball chasing the kick. Had it gone upstairs it would have rightly been disallowed but it seems Bentham was more interested in an exciting finish than applying the laws.

Any centre in the NRL, and most in Super League, would have scored the try that Atkins bombed by not diving under the tacklers. His jump in the air was a crazy schoolboy standard error.

He does not deserve ever to be considered for an England jersey.

Luckily he never seems to be considered!

He’s a strange bloke Atkins. You could almost see his tongue sticking out celebration going through his head as he lept in the air.

It’s gone to number 1 on my list of favourite Atkins moments, above the Grand Final of 2016 when he gave his huge celebration even though he clearly knew he’d lost the ball and also a time against us when he pulled his huge celebration out after scoring a try even though Wire were about 20 points down.

Strange lad!

I actually saw more positives in the Wire performance than I did in the Leeds one. Their defence will improve and they look to have some quality strike players in attack so I expect them to get much better. Similarly to the GF, Leeds played the occasion/circumstance (1st competitive game for months) much better than Warrington did.

What's interesting is that not a lot gets said about the spoiling tactics employed by Leeds, lot's of cynical and purposeful penalties given away on their own line to stop the game dead last night. I'm not saying it's right or wrong but when a side in cherry and white do it or a team from the bottom end of the table employ those tactics, they are quickly judged as being negative.

The reason nobody's mentioning it is that it didn't happen. Leeds were not playing spoiling rugby at all last night. When they were on their line defending for their lives individual errors were made and penalties given away, but no more so than by Warrington (or at least it wouldn't have been had the ruck been evenly policed). People get critical of Wigan and others because their entire defence is based around the prolonged wrestle/third man in/slow peel etc. that is not what Leeds' defence is about.

As for the game itself, Leeds didn't just play the occasion better, they played better in both attack and defence.

A certain Leigh Chairman slated Hull KR on twitter last year after we beat them in the M8s because we gave away a few penalties on our own line at the end to ensure victory.

And??

Easy win for Cas tonight Lebron.

Seems to me as though your making things up in your head tbh.

"Easy" is one thing it wont be and Saints are favourites on the handicap.
Probably the hardest game of round 1 to predict (notwithstanding the fact that I went for Warrington last night

)

It was meant with a splash of irony (See his post i responded to).

Do fancy Cas for the win though.

I also have an acc on for wins for

Leeds
Hull
Cas
Wakefield

So you fellow West Yorkshire boys better not let me down

As long as its Cas that let you down I'll be happy


Both games should be excellent.

Cas and Saint's is too close to call but, I think that home advantage will just about see Saint's home.
As for KR, if they can ride on the back of the euphoria of being back in SL, they could beat Trinity, although I'm hoping that Wakefield have too much for them in the forwards and I, along with all Trinity fans and many neutrals am looking forward to young Johnstone setting SL alight, after a long injury absence.
He scored a hat trick in the pre season win and it would have been 5 had he not given his centre a couple (passing back inside when he could have scored himself).

Let's face it, you learnt a very hard lesson in 2016 that penalties are sometimes a good thing for the penalised side!

In an ideal world if a penalty benefits the opposition then that penalty should result in a sin binning, granted that in some situations even this would not take the benefit of giving a penalty away as the KR fan referenced to previously.

Not a word of the above is true. And '[iin fairness[/i' Ryan Atkins probably would have scored near the end with a conventional dive. Leeds did persistently hold down in the tackle whenever Wire were applying pressure. No more than most teams do, but they did it nonetheless. It seems Bentham was more interested in an exciting finish than applying the laws.

Oh definitely, like the old voluntary tackle rule. No one would've predicted that last 90 seconds though and if KR had held on that bit longer and got penalised for it, I doubt very much that there would've been the outcry of a missed chance to score by Salford.

Went for a draw earlier in the week but think likewise that Saints could edge it with home advantage. Whilst they did take a hammering in the cup by them, Saints faired a lot better vs Cas than most last year with a home win, a Super 8's win and really should've won the playoff semi if not for Percival's poor goalkicking.

It was happening, as I said, I'm not saying it's right or wrong but it was a tactic employed and in the end well executed.

Actually all of the above is true. Ryan Atkins played the ball, stood up and shoved Cuthbertson in the chest making him fall, then on the kick chase Goodwin ran in to the back of Myler and then shoved him to the ground. If you don't believe me watch a replay and believe your eyes.

Quote ="Big Jim Slade"Actually all of the above is true. Ryan Atkins played the ball, stood up and shoved Cuthbertson in the chest making him fall, then on the kick chase Goodwin ran in to the back of Myler and then shoved him to the ground. If you don't believe me watch a replay and believe your eyes.'" There you go https://www.therhinos.co.uk/video/warri ... ch-action/ it did happen. No try

Quote ="Big Jim Slade"Actually all of the above is true. Ryan Atkins played the ball, stood up and shoved Cuthbertson in the chest making him fall, then on the kick chase Goodwin ran in to the back of Myler and then shoved him to the ground. If you don't believe me watch a replay and believe your eyes.'" There you go https://www.therhinos.co.uk/video/warri ... ch-action/ it did happen. No try

The one on Mylar is so blatantly obvious as he sends him flying just 5m from where the ball drops I don't know how the ref of TJ don't spot that.

Blistering start by Saints.

Not to take anything away from saints, but cas seem a little soft so far.

Cracking effort by Walmsley not to give up on that ball. Great that he's committed to Saints and Super League.

Go on saints!