At least 3 players played out of their positions. What is most annoying is that we have a very good starting 13!!! Just pick the lads where they play, where they have built up their experience and knowledge of the game from the age of about 12. Ferguson wouldn't put rooney in goal, and although our selections aren't as stupid as that, they aren't far off. pick genuine halfbacks at 6 and 7. I refuse to hear another bad word said about riddy, he had a hand in most of our tries. i love seeing duffy at acting half, he controls the game speed superbly. Hopkins makes fantastic meters running off the ruck, yet he's out the way more often than not at 13. Nicholson looked good when he came on, but came on at a time when the game was done with. Why do we play beswick at 9? he can do a job there admittedly, but he is such a good ball handling forward, a rare commodity in world rugby league, let alone at championship level. Worrincy looked slightly improved in defence, but would defo sacrifice him for briscoe, who doesnt miss, and gets through a ton of work. I'm not overly worried just yet, the players will either have to get used to playing where they're put, or rowley and the staff will realise that we just aren't clicking as we are. Mcnally is a must in this side, and if he isn't carrying an injury, leaving him out is criminal. All in all, just really frustrated after tonight. this is a top three squad in my opinion, befor tonight i saw us challenging for a top two berth. There is enough talent in this side to achieve silverware this year, but selection needs to be refined for us to become as cohesive as the other better sides.

there was a point tonight i think we had 4 props on,hopkins,parker,bibey and spencer.riddy looked a little better when he came on,as for the rest only stuart littler seemed to want to know.
dont think "bob" will come if they play up the middle predictable rugby all game.

Good post RTB. You've hit the nail on the head imo. It would not be so frustrating if we did not have such a lot of talented players. I am afraid I could see what was coming and lost a lot of faith when the rumours started about McNally not playing. It is not that one man makes a massive difference, but it was a very ominous signal coming out of the club. I have not seen Leigh lack desire like that for quite a few seasons now. The heavy penalty count for us in the second half stopped this being a total joke. Even a side such as Wigan, proved you cannot make massive changes to your side and be effective. The amount of team changes in recent weeks have not helped us one bit.

Agreed. Apart from the bit about worrinceys defence. Shaw needs sending back too.

I'll be very disappointed if Shaw and Russell have played above McNally and Clay if the latter two were fit.

Spencer is a different matter, we're short up front and he adds something to the side. MOTM tonight along with Hoppy who's never a loose!

RTB is right in that we do potentially have a very good starting line up. However the amount of chopping and changing in recent weeks has led to the situation we have got tonight. Fev still look good, but if they had played like they did last Easter or in the way they did against us at the back end of last season, I dread to think what the result would have been. We showed a distinct lack of interest and idea. Not kicking on the last tackle on something like four occasions, said it all and the defence or lack of it, said a lot more than just we lack technique or organisation IMO.
The lack of energy,desire and intensity was the most alarming aspect. Did Leigh give their all tonight and if not, what is upsetting the players? We need to sort out the spirit and selections quickly. As we have said after each defeat, if we learn from our mistakes it might not be a bad thing and of course that still applies to some degree tonight, but I think that we can all see that tonight was different to the other defeats. There was an alarming lack of effort and a glut of soft tries from the opposition. We are deteriorating rapidly performance wise week in week out and we need to arrest the slide quickly before it gets out of hand.

Poor team selection.
Lack of effort.
Not motivated.
No desire.
Letting in soft tries.


............ Bad coaching.................

Totally agree Jonny his attempts to tackle are pathetic an under 7 could tackle better than him. He doesn't deserve to wear our shirt McGilvray, Clay & Pownall are a million times the player Shaw is. It really enfuriates me watching him on the pitch representing us which is a first for me in a long time

Thats the dual system for you, last year the duals were good additions, this year is a different story, as one in paricular hasn't even grasped the basics yet!!

McNally wasn't selected according to his twitter last night. Yes ridiculous - to play dual regs who can be called back on a whim before our own players if they are fit. Need a settled team, playing in their proper positions.

First 10 minutes last night we were impressive then once Fev clocked on it was downhill all the way. Ronnie Laughton couldn't have helped us more than he did - our 18th man.

I saw what he wrote, not selected , dual reg playing, but also been told his Gf was ready to have their baby!

Can someone find the real reason out please? before I can add my opinion to this topic.Thank you.

Bibey one off the worst props ever, cant defend and cant even break wind never mind a defensive line.

And he's still got this obsession that he's a stand off trapped in a prop's body (though haven't we all

). It's no wonder we got dominated down the middle last night when we have a front row forward who seems almost incapable of running at the line.

Can't understand for a minute why Rowley is persisting with Duffs as an 80 minute half back when he's one of the most effective rotating hookers in the league and all this chopping and changing elsewhere is helping nobody. Just get back to basics, put players in their correct positions and build from there.

Bibey couldn't take candy from a baby.

If (and its a big IF) our club are selecting other clubs players over our own then long term we will have problems.
I'm not sure what the ruling is about duals but would be surprised if it says you must play them as its hinders team selection if the duals don't fit into the overall team plan.
If it is the case they must be selected then we should scrap using it as with a small squad it has potential to be a huge hinderance if players get called back or are not up to the gameplan / standard.

I agree with you,but if Rowley is using the DCs in an attempt to keep our own players fresh for as long as possible (because we have such a small squad) then its important that our own players buy into it

Was talking on the phone to a mate this morning who watched the game on TV.

He said Paul did not enough beef on the bench and consequently Bibey and Parker had too much to do. He also said it is forwards we need on DC not backs because we have Clay McGilverry and Pownall.

Well I tend to agree and if fit we have got to play our biggest and best forwards.

Ok I think Paul selected badly and several have made the point about moving Duffs back to 9.

This acting half back play were Duffs receives the ball then turns and does an inside ball to a forward is getting very predictable.

Overall last night our defence was shocking and we need to address the tackling issue quickly.

PR needs to address Shaw quickly & get shut of him

yes i agree his team selection is baffling, duffy, i love the guy but he aint a 7 and should be mixed and matched with nico, with beswick playing 13. there frowards dominated which allowed their halfs to dominate, helped by our inability to tackle on pour line, do not slag shaw off to much, there were others who did not tackle last night, shame about gallagher being ill,would have him in my team before worincy, and for god sake why no mcnally? must do better.

Russell
Maden
Littler
Gardner
Shaw
Ridyard
McNally
Parker
Nicholson
Bibey or Hopkins
Goulden
Taylor
Beswick

Subs
Duffy
Brierley
Spenser
Gallagher

IMO this should be our team if we got everyone available........give Shaw a break as IMHO he will come good for us and last night the lads didn't help him defensively, No sliding defence so he was left too often with 2/3 players to defend against - not all his fault.

I agree with the last post.

Maybe though Riddy to scrum half and Russell stand off ? And McNally to be fullback as he reads the oppositions kicks really well imo.

We would then have the option of moving Russell to the wing and bringing Brierley on as replacement.

That pack would also improve our defence.

@GreggMcNally: Good luck to the boys tonight, gutted I'm not out there!

@cruleyther: @GreggMcNally why you not playing? still injured?

@GreggMcNally: @cruleyther no not injured pal not selected

Taken from twitter last night, I think that says it all been one of our better players this season and being snubbed last night won't do his or the teams confidence any good IMO

have you got some personal agenda against Shaw? Every thread I have looked at you've been slating him; dismissing him and writing him off after what 3 games? Get a grip man!

A simple question can he tackle?