IMO we are seriously lacking a hooker. Fitzhenry isn't the answer for me. Our play the balls were so slow it was untrue which gave the Leeds defence time to get right on top of us. Ok at times they were miles offside (at one point the actual tackler was stood 2-3 yards infront of the ref, even though he was the man next to him in the defensive line he never saw it). If we had a top, top hooker i think we would be a far better team. Also our passing from dummy half leaves alot to be desired, either fired at the head or loopy slow rubbish. Fisher is good, and would rotate well with real quality hooker, but he cant do 80.This area imo is where we are weakest. Personally, i also think we need a pacy, running stand off (in the mould of a mcquire, horne). If Dobson is the man calling the plays, and the stand off is allowed to roam, then this imo means cooke doesnt have a place in the team as i dont think he has the attributes to play this role, he is far better when he is calling the shots.

Well I dont know what I was watching then as I thought you looked good.
I know Leeds had some of their best out but I still thought you looked strong, fit and well organised !

I share your concerns about the hooking role. I thought Kirk Netherton outplayed Fisher for much of last season & I'm yet to be convinced Fitzy is the right man to replace him. Ruck speed isn't really down to the dummy half though, it's the guy playing the ball.

I can't believe all the posts on here are so negative. I'm as disappointed as anyone, but the whole result hinged on a call by the video ref (I had a poor view of the screen, but 3 minutes worth of replays suggest it can't have been as conclusive as some make out). If that try was given we'd almost certainly have gone on to win & all the players would be getting praised. Now it seems they were all rubbish.

I don't think we were poor, just not quite good enough on the night. Leeds haven't fluked back to back titles though. Few teams would have withstood the pressure we applied in the 1st half. They showed the difference between (possible) contenders & true champions. I think the Rhinos players should be applauded a lot more than ours should be slagged off.

The only player whose performance really concerned me was Webster. He's still a pale shadow of the player he was before his injury. Is his ankle still a problem?

....at least the "you should have done that for England" chant aimed at Sinfield made me chuckle!

Funnily enough I have just watched the game and we came over as playing alot better than what I thought I had previously said, it was only the extended highlights though. Its amazing how different you see the game.

I still pretty much stick to my original comments but I will add our kick chase game was very good.

Fitzhenry has nothing to do with how quick the players are getting up off their feet and playing the ball. He impressed me in his first spell.

Our passing all over the park was pretty poor last night. With 5 mins to go we shifted the ball right to left, Galea through a pass to Webster(who seems to be getting a bit of stick), who had to check his run and then catch the ball with one hand behind his head. If he got a quality ball for him to run onto I think he would have easily scored.

Leeds have looked awful to press and have been beatable.Last night the ref failed to take control of the Leeds players dictating the game to him (Sinfield,Diskin and Senior as per usual) up until he sin binned the young lad . Rovers seem to be lacking a decent pack leader and I know you have injuries but you lacked that go foward down the middle,on the positive you looked strong in the backs with plenty of pace.Could be a long season.......

So in a topic titled 'Match thoughts', the only comments you could muster on our second game of the season are ALL negatives?

Granted I was disappointed with some of the players' performances aswel, but just because we've beaten Leeds in the past doesn't mean to say we'll do it every year. They WERE there for the taking last night i agree but do you think Leeds would be pleased with their performance last night either?

to say the game could have been anyones until the 74th minute against the world club champions isn't bad going in my opinion. and as for Alex Mc saying fisher can't do 80 is joke! he's an 80 minute hooker, he's one of the fittest players at the club! why do we need to rotate hookers? cos saints and leeds do it?

I think we all need to take a look at the bigger picture here. We're gunna be in the chasing pack between 5th and 9th. It's just down to taking our chances when we get them. We had ample oppertunites to score last night. We just didnt take them. We WILL in the future. Simples!

Hey up Justin !

Rupert has also said his view has changed now he has seen the game on the telly,from a different perspective. A game does look totally different on the box to when we sit in the stands we all know this !

Not changed my mind about the way we played though, thought we defended very well as a team again but attacked badly as a team.

I wish I had sky+'d it as this chelsea game is boring me.
I cant remember it all but just remember going to bed last night thinking were in for a hammering at Easter !

Yeah fair play for picking out some positives after watching it again, i didn't see your other two posts whilst i was typing mine up.

I though overall Rovers were average at best. Very few players can come off the park pleased with what they had done. Leeds were very poor at times yet still breached Rovers line on three occasions yet Rovers created very little.

TBH i'm pretty disappointed with these first two results and i see it as three points dropped by Rovers. Both Bradford and Leeds were very beatable on the day/night and Rovers blew it on both occasions.

My opinions on last nights game have nothing to do with any previous victories over them. Plus I dont think Leeds will worry to much about performance last night as they took the 2 points on offer.

I dont think the argument of them being the World Club Champions makes any difference, they had key players out injured, not in the best form and with a massive game to look forward to next week.

Well lets hope we do start taking our opportunities because we lost out last night on a major one.

I agree but not sure if we blew our chances of winning at Bradford, I thought alot went against us that day.

Leeds being the World Club Champions shows their strength in depth. thats why when the do have players out they have the reinforcements to pull a scrappy 2 points of a game they should have lost. Like when they won at Cas last year when the oldest player for them was about 25.

I must have had too much Vino then.


Bring on the derby !!!

i agree, Leeds were there for the beating,
i cant remember Jamie Peacock ever been that poor before, but there line defence was spot on all night
2nd half they came back to life and there was only one winner i thought

why leave Mills out? im not a fan of his but hes a big unit and you need that against teams like Leeds.

too many of our BIG players didnt turn up either, Newton,Cooke and Webster just didnt show

i was impressed with Briscoe,Fox and Colbon, thought they got through a lot of work, Fozzard did really well and Galea and Welham did ok but too many were off the pace.

but Leeds are the best about and we gave them a really good go so im not too disapointed really

Could be worse we could be warrington

You showed us we have alot to worry about with your amazing wins.

My friend a win is a win is a win !!!!!

What a good post, you hit the nail on the head

My biggest match thoughts are these..... Why is Fisher coming off the bench when he is the only recognised hooker we have. Cockayne for me was a better impact hooker off the bench then Fitzhenry is a starting hooker. Webster is on the wrong side of the field. Newton needs a bomb up his ar$e as he thinks he is a nailed on, on last nights performance he certainly isnt. Cookey needs to start running at the line more instead of passing at the first opportunity.
Positives were Fozzard, Welham, Briscoe, Dobson and Galea.
Carry on as you were, Fox, Fisher.
Need to do better were Cooke, Webster, Colbon, Murrell, Fitzhenry and Aizue(who is impact off the bench, not starting), and finally Morgan, Start playing people in their natural positions. Dont make us a team of utility players.

ive checked out a few of your posts and this just confirms how much rubbish you type.

.

As stated before some really good effort in defence , and we just need a bit more composure with ball in hand when we are in the last quarter of the park.