AJ was on our right wing yesterday , I admit he dropped a couple of high balls , but he took his 3 tries well , and normally is a decent defender , maybe just a blip , we all have them .

There were two players who missed tackles on that wing and neither was AJ.

Frank , im not knocking AJ , I thought he has made a very good start to the season , is looking very sharp and will keep his place , no doubt , if he carries on this way .

I didn't mention right wing, I commented about the right flank which obviously means more than one player.

AJ should be in the team and could play centre too (but not at the same time as wing)

could this article explain some things? www.leighreporter.co.uk/sport/le ... -1-6518355

could this article explain some things? www.leighreporter.co.uk/sport/le ... -1-6518355

Quote ="Mediateam"could this article explain some things? www.leighreporter.co.uk/sport/le ... -1-6518355'" Right that is impressive then. To be able to deny the bonus point to a team as good as Crusaders were whilst having this flu that's going round. Hopefully everyone will be back fit for next week, over the 2 games (league and Challenge Cup) I want to see us put 100 points on Rochdale, get back to big wins ready for Halifax away.

Quote ="Mediateam"could this article explain some things? www.leighreporter.co.uk/sport/le ... -1-6518355'" Right that is impressive then. To be able to deny the bonus point to a team as good as Crusaders were whilst having this flu that's going round. Hopefully everyone will be back fit for next week, over the 2 games (league and Challenge Cup) I want to see us put 100 points on Rochdale, get back to big wins ready for Halifax away.

By knocking over a late drop goal to gain a 13 point victory, can it be assumed that the Leigh players see Crusaders as a threat in the league this season? Or would they attempt that against everyone? Bearing in mind that Crusaders are currently in the relegation zone, it looks like Swinton and Batley gained the most out of that.

Absolutely no idea. But if you have a goal of finishing 1st or 2nd at the end of the season, you deny anyone a point if you can at this stage of the season

I would hope and expect us to do that against any opposition. We don't want to give away points to anybody if we can possibly avoid it, especially at home. We need to make the LSV a fortress this season.

Somebody on the TotalRL forum described it as 'spiteful'. I would call it ruthless and that is a very good trait to have in a RL team IMO.

I agree we have to try and get as many points as we can and stop other team s getting points .

I thought we looked "off" Sunday but we still had the class to win against a good team that had players missing too.

To think the class of players we have sitting out as they haven't been selected too means that have anyone shows signs of loss of form there's players to slot in.........

This competition is going to be a great contest this year and the team that wins it will deserve it that there is no doubt. .........

The centres need refreshing, hopefully with players who can pass to their wingers, tackling ability wouldn't go amiss either.

Well if you drop Littler and Armstrong which I wouldn't incidentally who would you replace them with ?

Hankinson and Kaye perhaps ?

I remember hearing a interview from someone at the club (PR , I think) in which he said we'll be going for all 3 points but just as important is to ensure no clubs come away with a bonus point as the league could be tight this year.

Brown has earned his return to the team with Kaye as his centre, on the right Higson with Maden/Pownall. I would also remind the half backs and second row forwards about moving wide to assist in defence.

Half backs do stand 'wide' in defence, don't they? (e.g. Ryan on the 'wing') One thing for sure - it isn't Gardner's fault this season!

According to the Reporter we were a flu hit squad on Sunday, which may or may not explain the 'shambolic' defence. Still looking forward to watching my first game on LCTV on wednesday. Just need an hdmi cable and I'm sorted.

I agree totally with this. If I am a little critical (and I have no right to be as we sit pretty at the top) is that we have gone one or two forwards top heavy at the expense of a good centre. Gardner's injury did not help matters but saying that I never thought he was the answer to it anyway.

Also we are constantly and successfully targeted on our right side by opposition coach's ever since Wigan scored a quick fire 3 tries down it in just shy of 10 minutes back in January.

Wasn't the idea that a large squad would provide cover for eventualities like that, though?

Depends when they went down with the virus, I would imagine calling someone in at noon on a sunday would be difficult

I know that Alan, but Paul must have had his reasons for picking the team he did.

People need to forget the scores of the first three games and get back to reality. The other teams are doing there homework on us and it's only going to get harder. A win is a win it may not have been pretty but that's rugby.

Agreed.

The past two (close) games, the excuses have come out. The Keighley close-shave, was blamed on a touch judge disallowing a 'try' for a forward pass, (the same t-j who came on to get us the last minute penalty, from which we won the game) and now an epidemic, last weekend.

I'd be happier if the 'official' line was as you state it, above.

The 'official line' for Sunday was put out by Paul Rowley in The Reporter today wasn't it?

Hang on. It's a bit worrying that people don't see that there was very little creativity from the half backs on Sunday. They weren't at their best! Service out wide was poor. Higgy's tries were good, but generally, creativity wasn't great. Credit to the spoiling tactics and play of the Crusaders aswell. Their number 30 had an absolute laugh on our right hand side. He was very tall and tacklers just didn't wrap the ball up, so he could offload at will. Back up play to him was very good, so we got ripped over that side many times. In attack, we persisted in going to the same right side, over and over and over again. It paid off with some tries, but mixing it up would have brought many more points. The left hand side has pace to burn, yet we're only used a couple of times. Kay's combination try with Armstrong was fabulous, but it was far too little used. Defence on the left was also great. If we are going to go to some of the stronger teams away, this one dimensional play is going to have to be dropped. Unpredictability is the key, for which this team has tricks in abundance. Such an approach is what will trouble other teams....not what we saw on Sunday!