Something about the sight of John Kear and Chris Chester on the balcony, Kear getting more TV shots than Chester, makes me uneasy. I was worried before the season that a dog can't have 2 masters and I am beginning, watching this game so far, if I might be right

Kear coming back is proving into a disaster. Team selection tonight is shocking.

I'm sure cc and jk have forgotten more than I'll know about the game but I'd have thought it obvious to need 4 forwards on the bench

No matter what you think Kear won't be picking that team. This is down to Chester. Captain Kirmo started off with the penalties and the others followed. Time for Kirmo to stand down.

Red herring!

That's not the problem with this team!

You never learn do you - really sad.

Agree Vasty, it's never over until the fat lady sings

There is no evidence that there is a problem there.
Why try and create an issue.

He wants it to be, he just can't wait to moan because that's all he's got - since when in the SL era was a 12 point lead a winning margin! Though to be fair this bloke thinks it's all over if we fall behind to a one pointer.

TBH I'm delighted with how we are playing. If you can win when you're not playing especially well then that sure as hell bodes well for when we get our purple patch and we will.

Exactly right Vasty.

I know we haven't but we could easily be another 4 points better off with a bit more game management.

The gift that keeps on giving.

That's what I mean, once that happens we will take off imho. I think in Finn, Grix Miller and Williams we perhaps have to many leaders/playmakers and perhaps the hierarchy needs sorting and that will happen I'm sure.

Well maybe I was a bit premature with my panic there, I was just sounding out a misgiving I had when I saw Kear was coming our way. It felt like it might me a vote of half confidence in Chester, which I didn't like cos I thought he did a sound job for us last season and wrongly got some stick as we unfolded at the end. Having spoken to one or 2 in the game, Kear doesn't strike me as being willing to be no2 but I could be wrong. Anyway a win's a win I guess but we are definitely a work in progress. I just hope this partnership CAN sort it

Of course there is the potential for an issue there, you'd have to be totally naive not to see that. However I don't think there is any evidence that there is an issue.

We are playing OK and with a reasonable intensity level, we are just executing the game poorly. Although that second forty for me was our most complete half this season.

Just asking a question. I think that's fair enough. I'm delighted they can play great Rugby. I'm not delighted they can't play 80 mins without a meltdown somewhere. I am probably off the mark with the 2 masters but it certainly did cross my mind at the season's start. I was happy enough with Chester. You have to admit, Leeds was terrible and for 40 mins it looked like a repeat performance

Personally think the first half at Saints shades it but second half today definitely second.

Yes it was. Taking a positive, the ability to go from appalling to good with a team talk and the right interchanges is an encouraging sign

The team selection was typical Kear and shows the benefit of his experience. Leigh are a big side. He started with Hadley on at 9, certainly more beef than Wood or Finn would have been, to soak up the early heavy work. When the forwards have done their job and soaked up the pressure and taken some of the energy from the Leigh side, you bring on Miller and have all your fast men on the park, and probably the quickest half-back the most fresh.

And it worked.

The usual moaners at back of east stand will have gone home unhappy with a victory.
Have listened to them for 40 plus years spouting forth doom and gloom.
Really do not know why some attend,

I have to say that the way it played out, you are right, though I'm not sure how much soaking up we did. It was more like passive Rugby and rolling over from 20-40 mins. And whilst I don't want to be churlish when we have won, "The team selection was typical Kear" kind of voices the slight disquiet I have about this arrangement. But if it works well so what? If Kear and Chester are happy, the team is happy, then my speculation is unfounded and we are all happy

Agree, also 2nd half was a classical Kear-style performance - drag a team into an arm wrestle, and be better at the basics. Great tactic which came up with the goods tonight.

1st half will be a concern, still waiting for a complete performance but at least we know the lads can grind out results.

Thought Hirst looked a handful and Fifita had arguably best game in a Wakey shirt - great offload for the opener as well.

FIFITA was awesome for the whole time he was on, both halves. He really has upped his game. He looks much fitter and is taking risks in the right parts of the field. He was a real handful for them and was one of the reasons we won. We certainly have some match winners, which is good news. I agree, Hirst also looked the part too. Makes you wonder why he wasn't in SL before

The only reason I said that was because a few years ago, when JK was last here, I was friendly with Mrs Kear and was invited to be her guest at a couple of games. When GB or England were playing the Aussies and there was a lot of selection talk, I asked Mrs Kear who John would play in the halves.

I expected a "John says he would play Joe Bloggs" and that would be it (can't remember who was under discussion at the time). The text I got back was not only his full team selection but also when and how the subs would be used. His selection was all about playing a forward in the halves for the first twenty, "to take the sting out of the game", and then rotating the subs so that a half-back came on and took over.

The selection tonight reminded me of that.

Chris Chester brings the creativity and the desire for open rugby. JK brings the experience and structure. On the whole, it's working.

We need to sort our goal line defence out though, think we've defended about 2 sets all season that have started in our own 20. We've done well to get back into the game but not gonna be enough when we meet Cas and Wigan