GAME ON : Castleford Tigers v Leeds Rhinos - 18:00:00

GENERAL CHAT ABOUT THE GAME, BUILD UP, THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENS AND AFTERMATH BELOW.

Hope we win, it would be great to have a different winner and would enjoy more additions to the "McDermott must go" thread after the loss

I will be hoping for a Cas win and I hope their philosophy and style of Football really does become the blueprint for the British game.

The distraction of Hardaker and the weather make me lean towards Leeds if I was making an objective call.

I'm looking forward to the game, hopefully it will go down to the wire.

As to who I'd like to win, it's a bit like my wife asking me if I'd like French or English mustard on a beef sandwich.

I should look at it rationally really & say Cas, but as "Moz" said

=#0000BF"We hate it when our friends become successful
And if they're Northern, that makes it even worse"

As to Leeds, it reminds me of an old Rocky movie with Cas putting them on the canvas time & time again, but have they got it in them to get back up this time?

Decisions, decisions, one set of fans seeking the ultimate high, the other chasing the original high, a bit like a smack-head. Either way, one lot will be insufferable if they win, whereas the other lot will be as insufferable as ever if they do.

That is possibly the best post on RL fans this year, love it

Perhaps you should spend the day in bed.

Coming from the West side of the Pennines in Manchester I have no allegiance or hate for either side tonight really. I just want to see a game that promotes the sport really well.

There are good backstories to the game.

Cas never having been champions before, taking the league by storm this year, with a MOS coming back from an operation last month, almost blowing the semi which they eventually won in hugely dramatic fashion but then lose their star player in amazingly stupid news; against a team who’ve won more trophies in the last dozen years than anyone, who’ve got two club legends leaving, who’ve just plodded along all season quietly but still finished second and were absolutely brilliant in the semi final last week, it’s October, it’s raining, it’s Old Trafford...

And it’s a derby!

Let’s hope it lives up to the drama of the backstory... come on RUGBY LEAGUE!

Is Gale playing?

Cas dont look the same. Well done Zak

Leeds in full control so far, shwowing their champion pedigree. Cas could do with a try before HT.

Walker at full back has been excellent.

Looks like the winner will be whoever holds the ball best!

Outstanding. Glad he signed a long term deal at Leeds, the NRL will no doubt come sniffing.

Soft no try that. Briscoe should be allowed every right to fight for that ball, in my opinion.

Good effort Briscoe

Far too many unforced errors in this game.

Agree, unless it’s an obvious big push then just play on.

When did Cas last have a scoreless half?

And how good is Ablett at reefing the ball out and getting away with it? He’s been doing it his whole career.

Only one player getting the Harry Sunderland so far and that's McGuire. Dictating this game.

Edit: But I do agree Walker has been good also. Safe as houses and poking through the line regularly.

May only be 7 points but it'll need a massive turn around for Cas to win this. Leeds totally schooling them.

Should have looked at the grounding for that try. He barely touched McShane!

Iirc something similar happened with Tomkins earlier in the season when trying to defend a kick and he ended up getting sin binned for touching the playing trying to score.

Agree, he hardly layed a finger on him, just slight contact. This is RL and you should be able to contest the ball, as long as you don't push . It was a try for me.

Both teams are making too many mistakes but Cas are makimg more in the wrong areas of the field and just can't seem to get into any rhythm at all.

I think it was a shocking decision by Cas not to go for the 2 points about 3 minutes into the game.
It's a grand final. In crap conditions. Be the first to get points and the board!!
I'd wager my house that Leeds would have gone for 2.

They went scoreless against us in the first half during the super 8s when we won away

Cas second best in the first 40.
Excellent defence from Leeds and they may have too much know how to allow Cas back in.
Cas need to batter Leeds down the middle and hope that they start to miss Cuthbertson.