Obviously too early to make proper assessment, but looking at tonight's score Leigh may well take time to settle in SL.

Them ginner cas lot will take some beating this season. This season is probably their best chance for silverware.

Cas laid the platform early doors. Matched Leigh up front for first 20 mins, Leigh's exuberance then dropped off and Powell brought more big blokes on, then they moved the ball about.
Simple, basic but very effective.

Yes, I think they will. I have said that since they got promoted.

I also think with with Salford and Widnes injury problems, this could play into our hands if we can get some early momentum.

They've done what Salford did when Marwan first got involved: filled the pack with players that are too old.

You can have a couple of old horses in the pack to guide the young ones around, to lead, but they all looked old and past it, and Cas just ran them ragged once they'd blown themselves out after twenty minutes.

Cas looked decent tonight, I just don't think they're gonna make the jump with that depth of the squad.
Take Gale and Mcshane out for a few games and they're not gonna be the same team, if they can keep them on the pitch, things will look much more peachy, but are they gonna be there all season ??
Saying that though, Roberts looks like a useful signing, he caught my eye as a replacement for Gale if he gets injured, they'll have to play differently, its not a straight swap but he looks not without potential,
I was ed off at the time but Scot Moore was an upgrade of sorts from mcshane, so I don't have too many complaints about him going to Cas and doing there what he did at Wakey, and that is give em piles and piles of go forward, who would fill in for him ?
The squad looks strong across the board, but they need the direction, its not easy to fudge key pivotal positions these days if you want to keep it rolling all season.

Absolutely spot on Slugger. Credit to leigh though as they kept battling.
DP said earlier in the week that some of last years Cas players would be able to give Leigh some inside info.
He was correct and Rocky did a superb job in reading our usual preferred left side attack but we just switched to central or right wing attacks.
What baffles me is that the video's of Cas games are there for all other coaches to see but none seem confident enough to try and copy it.

You do realise that this is his 3rd season at Cas, he was injured for most of 2016.

What diet has Hock been on (must have been same as mine) he looked to have piled the pounds on and apart from him and Vae they looked a bit lightweight. As for Cas they played what was infront of them to a T but would be worried if Gale was out as it would alter their game plan though they overcame that a couple of times last season.

I though Cas played well though lucky with McShane early on.
Leigh were pretty soft in the pack and passing was painfully slow.
They have some skill but they won't get chance to use it that way.

Difficult to tell from that how either team will go this year. Leigh had decent spells of being competitive, if they can string more of that together in games against teams other than a fresh cas outfit away, they could do ok.

Cas played well but massively helped by all the penalties Leigh conceded early on, they were blowing for last 20 mins of 1st half which is when the damage was done.

Could be worse,you take the blowing part further than 20 minutes..

OHH...Step in TART..Non constructive post.I didn't see anybody blowing.Strong first 20 and strong last 20..

That's a severe case of Jinnerism there mate, under rule 2.4.1, that's bang out of order!icon_smile.gif

No comment from the minicule Vastman! His he awaiting his Sunday dinner?

It's the start of a long season and if I was in the Leigh camp I would be worried.the Cas camp on the other hand will be over the moon. Having seen the first 2 games on sky it's difficult to fully access the games.
Defences on top during the Leeds and Saints match or a case of nothing in attack by either teams. Brilliant play by Cas or allowed to play by Leigh.
The results seemed to have gone without any surprises so it's work in progress and on to round 2. With Leigh against Leeds we may get a clearer picture of the Leeds attack and Leigh will be he'll bent on putting on a much better defensive display.

What are you on about atomic?

Leigh will not be playing Cas every week. Cas are a top side , I think Eden is a better option at fullback for them that Hardacre whose passing when he joined the line was poor, Eden at fullback Hardacre on the wing.
Think Leigh were also on the end of some tough penalty decisions, obviously did not effect the result but made life even harder for them. They have enough good players to cope in SL.

Wondering that myself, weird.

I don't read to much into the first game of the season, of all fans we should know this better than most.

Despite Belly's grandstanding this doesn't make Cas a top side nor does it make Leigh the whipping boys.

To those attempting to use this first round as a guide - if we beat Hull does that mean we will finish top four and win the CCup...

...come on great predictors answers on a postcard please

Probably couldnt see them with your red n white specs on, but end of 1st half Leigh were tired and couldnt keep up with Cas who scored almost at will.

Think we'll learn more about Leigh when you play Leeds next weej. Cas away gonna be tough for any team.

All the game really tells us is that Cas will be very tough to beat (esp at home) and that Leigh will struggle in the early
part of the season but you would expect them to come good - and be hard to beat at home.

Although Leigh got blown away for the middle 40 minutes of the game, they will definitely improve.
Although it was only a friendly, Cas blew us away in the first half of the "warm up" game, with a weaker squad than they had on the park last night..
Leigh showed some spirit in the last 15 mins and the second half was pretty close on the scoreboard, albeit that Cas had won the game.
IF teams can keep battering Leigh, as Castleford did, then maybe, Leighs forwards will tire but, if they (Leigh) post some early points, they will win some games.
Far too early to write them off but, if they dont pick up some early points (and they have some tough opening fixtures) maybe, confidence will start to go ?

First 20 minutes I thought they were pretty equal with both sides showing plenty of energy but it looked like DP's gameplan was to weather the storm and then punish (which they did). When Grant Millington came on you could see the way they were playing had changed and then Cas started posting points.
Leigh will be bottom 4 this year but I think that they will stay up. Don't understand how people have been putting them in the eight especially after most super league teams have strengthened their roster.

lol.....erm nope, never heard of him, I just call it as I see it..




Just an observation on Leigh though, I think because of the competition they're used to, SL is really gonna hurt them this season if they don't cut out the crap.
They're just too cutesy with their short kickoffs, gamesmanship at the pob and low percentage trick plays.
What worked more often than not in the Champs, turns in to long odds chancy crap in SL.
I mean, its good to be innovative but you can't put a load of effort in to get on your opponents line and then kick the ball at the post not knowing wthell its gonna go, thats a poor percentage game of chance, equally, to kick the ball dead through poor execution on the line, when that play with good execution has much better percentage potential than a give us a clue post bounce.
Maybe if they hadn't been already too far behind they wouldn't have been trying that stuff, I dunno, I don't think so, I think they play that way because they could, a carry over from the Champs.
I think they have potential to not finish bottom, but they're gonna have to change their perception of the percentages quick.

They were asking for trouble when their starting props were Hock and Tickle.

Lets see how your percentages play out against Hull. You've certainly had enough time in SL to at least now start making an impression in the League,or do you need more time?