: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:50 am  

King Monkey wrote:

Saints are the better at the moment but it isnt the massive problem some Leeds fans would have you believe.

At the moment Leeds are trying to get used to a new pattern of play (rather than the flat attack) so cannot rely on their own attacking game as much as in previous seasons. As a result they do need to study other sides attacking threats more and in the two games v Saints this year, they havent.

Having said that though, they were still within a couple of scores of winning both. Leeds lost the KR game with two sloppy tries just before half time and this one hinged on Leeds almost scoreing at one end before Saints scoring at the other.

No need to panic.

I'd agree with that. Saints were also the better side for at least half of last season (the middle part).

Yesterday was the best I've seen Saints defend against Leeds in 2-3 years. It's also the least organised I've seen Leeds in attack for a long time. However, thanks to Leeds spirit there was still only one score in it.

Come the business end of the season I'm sure Leeds will be much better than yesterday (especially if Buderus can stay fit and become fully integrated into the team). I'm not sure that Saints can play much better than yesterday (that's not a dig...I thought they played very well).

I'm gutted to lose (I want a trip to the new Wembley) but we'll pick ourselves up, enjoy an extra few weeks off and focus on The big prize. We've shown the last two years that we were better than Saints when it really mattered and I don't think the last couple weeks has any relevance to that...its about peaking in October and being in the latter stages of the challenge cup is a distraction in that regard.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:50 am  

In June last year Leeds were galaxies ahead of St Helens. Things can change very quickly, let alone over the course of the season.

Still, our own "fans" will no doubt be writing off players left and right.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:54 am  

G1 wrote:

Still, our own "fans" will no doubt be writing off players left and right.

While others will turn their fire on the coach.

I'll happily do both and I'll include the CEO where it's merited as well.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:56 am  

tvoc wrote:

While others will turn their fire on the coach.

I'll happily do both and I'll include the CEO where it's merited as well.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:59 am  

tvoc wrote:

While others will turn their fire on the coach.

I'll happily do both and I'll include the CEO where it's merited as well.

Quite right. No area of the club should be exempt from criticism but knee jerk reactions make my blood boil.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:07 pm  

At last a thread with well thought out posts.

I am sick of reading people consoling themselves and trying to take something away from Saints with the Mickey Mouse Cup argument. The Challenge Cup should be in RL blood. I do not for a moment, whatever the fans try to say, believe that the players go on to the field in any game lacking the desire to win. Anyone with an ounce of competitiveness in them will understand this (and all professional sports people have bags more of that than the rest of us). And as a Leeds supporter I think I speak for more than would care to admit here by saying it's うんち* to be out of the cup.

Saints won the last two games by being the better team. Simple as. Not by default. However there is not that much between the teams and form goes up and down. I for one certainly wouldn't want to put money on any of the other encounters, that are to come between the two sides.

Being a bit out of it here and relying on crap video streams to watch the games all I can say is that as a fan of the game I would rather watch Leeds and Saints play each other week in, week out than suffer games like the Catalans Bradford game which was only notable for how ridiculously Bradford threw it away.

* I'll put it in Japanese if I have to then.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:11 pm  

G1 wrote: In June last year Leeds were galaxies ahead of St Helens. Things can change very quickly, let alone over the course of the season. Still, our own "fans" will no doubt be writing off players left and right. If you need a reminder of how quickly things change remember how far ahead Saints were in September Trouble is it meant feck all in the end

G1 wrote: In June last year Leeds were galaxies ahead of St Helens. Things can change very quickly, let alone over the course of the season. Still, our own "fans" will no doubt be writing off players left and right. If you need a reminder of how quickly things change remember how far ahead Saints were in September Trouble is it meant feck all in the end

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:12 pm  

King Monkey wrote:

Quite right. No area of the club should be exempt from criticism but knee jerk reactions make my blood boil.

Yesterday Leeds lost at home in the 'virtual' Challenge Cup final. They've already failed in their other 'target game' so far this season. That's not really good enough. The CEO has failed to provide a squad containing an element of competition within it despite having cap space unused and quota spaces available. That's not really good enough.

When the coach makes statements about winning the penalty count (a hostage to fortune if ever there was one) and Leeds can't even win that battle let alone the war. It was a pretty stupid thing to say.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:16 pm  

If you base it on that one cup game, Saints are better than us in pretty much every department.

Although I'm disappointed we're out of the cup I'm not all that worried.

We've made the mistake before of starting off like a house on fire and slowly burning out as the season wears on. But, as JP says, it's how you finish that's the important thing.

If we're playing way below ourselves at the moment we have bags of potential to improve, hitting form as the season draws to a close.

Will be interesting to see if McClennan can manage it.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:48 pm  

tvoc wrote:

While others will turn their fire on the coach.

I'll happily do both and I'll include the CEO where it's merited as well.

I'll happily offer constructive criticism and observation on any aspects of the club, be it CEO, coach or players. I'll do so impartially and without bias based upon a personal "like" or "dislike" of a character.

I'll leave those less balanced to "turn their fire" on anybody connected with the club.