Having been to the Grand final for the last 4 years, it's probably the most competitive final I've seen in the respect that it wasn't over until the last 5 mins. The main difference between the 2 sides was that Leeds played more error free Rugby. No-one really stood out with maybe the exception of Sinfield and maybe Myler for Us. They had the territorial advantage for the most and in showed in the score line.

I learnt a few thing from last nights game though

1. Defensively on the Right we look very suspect. I'm quite happy with the Riley, Atkins, Waterhouse trio on the left.

2. We need to be more intense when chasing kicks. Every High Sinfield kick Leeds had pressure on the ball whereas we never pressured and they were able to catch comfortably.

3. We are a work in progress and we should be proud of 3CC's a leaders shield and a Grand Final in 4 years.

4. I still can't hep but feel the need for the addition of a couple of class players to turn us into a dominant force. yesterday lee briers wasn't at the races....and it showed in our team performance. We can't rely on 1 man

5. Lets go back to a primrose and blue home kit for next year.

I have to agree with many of your comments. Didn't understand the persistent high ball with no pressure on the receiver.

At 20-18 everything was to play for. Leeds got the try and we didn't - That's rugby league

if we had then maybe we would have been saying what a great team we were. We got there and made a game of it and are now a competitive force. Let's keep improving

Lets be honest it was there for the taking yesterday and we didn't produce. These things happen......lets just keep taking the club in the right direction.

I think we need another centre and someone with some pace to scare teams

Key points was the 'knock-on' from Waterhouse in the 68th minute (it wasn't) as it looked like we were going to score with a repeat set. Leeds went up the field and then scored. Marginal stuff.

Not too much wrong. Will we be as good next year though? Doubt it as we weren't as good this year as we were last year even if we didn't won any trophies apart from the LLS.

...oh and also learnt that my lucky socks don't work.

Grand finals are won and lost on marginal stuff. When you get to the business end of the game (last 15 mins) and the scores are level/less than 6 points every tiny little thing makes the difference. A kick not quite being good enough meaning you don't attain as good field position, winning the collision and getting a quick play the ball scattering the oppositions defence. A pass slightly behind the player meaning he get's pushed back. All those little things.

A penalty or a knock on can lose you the game in a split second.

Fuck all as never be World Champions.

Ha, ha. Little people living in previous centuries.

1989 was long time ago pal let go... you beat a bunch of jet lagged Aussies...



I learnt not to use the trains.
Don't go in Sam Platts if we're playing Leeds...

Should've built on that Atkins try in the second half.

Another one bites the dust.

If i went fishing i be hooking all the time with you lot.It only a game and does not matter how long ago it was as people talk about 1966 winners England.



Well you still not have a star on your jersey.

I think using Harrison as starting prop may, with hindsight have been a tactical error on Smith's part. During the middle of the first half we were not "getting over the advantage line" with our sets like Leeds were and we struggled to get out of our own half. Chris Hill was doing the lions share driving forward. Moz then came on for Grix and I think Harrison reverted to loose forward, but maybe a stronger prop... like Carvell would've been a better answer. Anyone else agree?

imo, there was too much "driving" and not enough expansive game, which we've played for a few years now.
Leeds beat us at our own game
The times we played expansively, we worried them. As soon as we stopped, and reverted back to "one out rugby", Leeds went back on the ascendancy.

Think all Wire fans should be proud of their team IMO most consistant team over the year. Won Challenge cup and if not resting players throughout the season and blowing the London game before wembley would have easily finish top as well. You learnt from last year that finishing top of the league does not win the all important grand final. As a club you have now reached the final and experience the different occasion than Challenge cup final. Maybe next year, this years experience will put you in a strong position to go one further. I wish you luck for 2013 as you have a fantastic club with great fans and a coach and a team that are dignified in defeat unlike one of your neighboors. Maybe next year it will be Warringtons year as you can learn from this years experience.

No club can buy with all the money in the world what leeds have, the team spirit and will to win is incredible when it matters. I even think baring injuries to Burgess, Peacock, and Maguire at the end of the 2010 season they might have beaten Wigan in the eliminator at Headingley and gone on to beat Saints in the final. I cant imagine anyone could beat there record in the current era and to think they are not even spending the full salary cap.

Good luck Wire and from a Rhino I hope to meet again next year in 2 of our 3 big events

The team that makes the fewest errors usually wins.

Also after the saints game I was concerned the way opponents were squeezing in at the corner. From my comfy seat in the stands it looks easy to put someone in touch if they are running down the touchline.

All in all, not a bad season and I can think of about a dozen clubs that would willingly swap their season form ours. The financial reward for our cup runs will put us in a great position for next season.

Prior to the C Cup semi final and final Smith rested his thirty somethings and lost the league games concerned. The following week they returned for the semi and the final, were superb and Wire deservedly won the C Cup.
In the final eliminator Smith had to play all his thirty somethings at St Helens to get the win which took them to the Grand Final. Then the following week in the GF he had to play them all again. They couldn't do it the second week in succession whereas Leeds did.
When Leeds raised the intensity in the last fifteen minutes in an effort to win the game Wire couldn't go with them.
An excellent last try which was gained in a set following a Wire handling error.
On those things Grand Finals are won and lost.

I take it you missed Chris Riley's effort on Ben Jones Bishop that cost us a try ? I'm a fan of Chris Riley but even he would admit that it was an embarrassing attempt at a tackle.

Come on Yed, this idiot isn't taking the hint.

I Agree I couldn't believe it at the game, and I couldnt believe it watching the replay it just didn't make sense it was woeful from us. Dropped balls can be explained away and are to be expected in a tight game with two very good defenses. I thought that the kicks were actually quite good but absolutely no pressure whatsoever.........that will trouble me for a while, I hope it troubles the players a bit more.

I'm surprised that Wire didn't kick more towards Jones-Bishop. He fumbled one leading to the Myler try but can't really remember anything else aimed at him and in last years GF he had a 'mare dealing with kicks. Hardaker and Hall looked extremely comfortable dealing with the high balls.

I don't think there is anything really we need to change as a result of yesterday.

What we learned from yesterday is we are a good enough side to be double winners. The game could have gone either way. In the end we lost because we made a couple of handling errors at times when we were on top and could have scored another try or two.

After we won the Challenge Cup there were lots of threads on the Leeds forum talking about lessons to be learned, their squad was ageing, too many players living off past reputations etc (pretty much like was said after we beat them in 2010).

We will still be there next year fighting for the title, lets hope that Old Father Time can stay off this group of players for one last crack at the top. In years to come we will remember this period with guys like Briers, Morley, Hodgson, Monaghan and Carvell as being probably the greatest time of our lives watching Wire and when we go back to being crap and having proper stuff to moan about we will be the old timers on this forum reminiscing about these glory days when teams feared and respected us, when we had the best coach in the league and played some of the best rugby ever seen in Warrington.

Against teams like Leeds we need to cut down on the flamboyant stuff & play basic rugby league to grind down the opponent. Boring I know but effective.

to be honest with you, when we got to the half way line with about 15 minutes to go, i was calling for 'warrington' style rugby, i thought that was the only thing that was going to win us the game at that point.

Only problem was, forwards were out on their feet, harrison should've been off the field before briers popped that ball up to him. mind as we now know, woody was done, and morley didn't re-appear at theback end of the game.

One thing that seemed apparent pretty much throughout the whole game was the difference in line speed.

In attack....Leeds really ran onto the ball, making good yards... Time after time we just seemed to be passing the ball along a flat static line, getting stuck and not making much ground. This happened for large portions of the game.

In defence... leeds pushed up quickly and got on top of us.... We on the other hand were not our usual selves... there was an awful lot of defending in a stationary line, waiting for the Leeds runner to come to us before making the tackle.... leeds were getting the roll on when they had the ball and seemed to make some very easy cheap yards... This can make a massive difference in a game. This was one of the main reasons we spent the game nowhere near the Leeds line.

And what was that constant infective use of the high ball about? There seemed little point in using that kick when there was absolutely no pressure on the kick receiver. Strange that we didn't change tactics a bit.

All in all the best team won... no arguments at all from me.

what about the empty wing with about 4 mins to go because they were still arguing with Bailey for trying to take mylers head off. chance begging?