: Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:36 pm  

BIGAL1 wrote:

Steady on pal., she should be making MY tea not mucking about on here


Somehow feel i may regret this

: Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:41 pm  

BIGAL1 wrote:

]
Somehow feel i may regret this

So do i

: Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:55 pm  

BIGAL1 wrote:

Steady on pal., she should be making MY tea not mucking about on here


Somehow feel i may regret this

: Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:33 pm  

Sorry? For what? Without 2 of our experienced props, with Scully coming back from injury and with a host of 'returnee's' JD and the rest of the gang bust a gut against one of the biggest and best teams around and made them work for their victory. No one shirked, no one bottled it, no one gave up - we were outplayed, and thats all there is to it.

JD and the rest of the team - you don't owe us an apology, it's us that owe you our support. RESPECT!!

: Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:38 pm  

BIGAL1 wrote:

Steady on pal., she should be making MY tea not mucking about on here


Somehow feel i may regret this

edited because i made a crap joke about turnips and it is not in my opinion appropriate to deflect from the general flavour of this thread, which is that JD has been a top bloke and had no need to apologise!

: Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:38 pm  

JD has nothing to apologise for.

For being interviewed live straight after the game he deserves a knighthood. That took some courage.

: Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:30 pm  

don't think that i have ever been to a game with as much as a "don't care who wins attitude" .. we left early with about 10 mins to go and are the one's adam slates..we were also the ones who had the churwell chiefs shirts on..the kids (under 10) were not as aware of the night as the adults but the parents certainly were, being very personal friends of the family... following day the kids went out against eastmoor and an impeccable minutes silence was observed by everyboby. chiefs came out the winners just...

a statement from one of my mates

" i never thought that i would spend a minutes silence with my youngest son for somebody who played with my eldest son!"

R.I.P leon

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:52 am  

I have listened to Leons dad recently - what a amazing man. I tell you what he loves Rugby League. Friday was just sad - nobody was really bothered about the result.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:14 pm  

I'd just like to echo the majority of posts in this thread.

No need for apologies or recriminations from anyone.

John Kear and JD have both been interviewed several times this week and have always spoken with great humility, sensitivity and courage.
JD and the boys pulled on those shirts on Friday night and went out and played a game in circumstances that most of us have never had to cope with and they did all that could be asked of them. It must have taken an extraordinary amount of courage and will to step forward and play that game.

Saints came and did a professional job, again under difficult circumstances. They were asked to come and play a team that was grieving and no matter how it went they were never going to come out of it looking like winners. They did however come and play with great dignity as well, no try celebrations, no enjoying the night for them really.


Finally, it would have been nice for all the fans to remain behind and give them a big show of support but it wasn't to be. As TRB said it was a game that a lot of people wanted to get away from for various reasons (I didn't want to hang around for any length of time it was too sad an occasion for that - I applauded the players off and then went off home to be with my family). I personally am not sure that the players would have wanted to do a lap of honour anyway, I think they probably wanted to get off and do their grieving in private, not in the eye of the SKY cameras.


All in all, I think this club (and RL in general) have this week shown the rest of the country that we have something very special indeed, that other sports cannot match.

Once again I thank everyone at Wakefield Trinity and every player, staff member and fan of all clubs that have tried this week to help us all get through it. I think the way the whole sport has carried itself this week has given Leon a fitting tribute and there is not one amongst us who needs to apologise (especially JD).

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:19 pm  

Chatting to one of our glorious mods at half time I said on leaving him that I intended to enjoy the second half. I didn't enjoy the first half and as it transpired I didn't enjoy the second either.

Nothing to do with the game I just couldn't get into it, much as I tried. It just didn't feel right, I wanted us to win but deep down didn't have the energy to really be bothered - it really wasn't important.

Players are human and if they felt as deflated and raw as I did and I suspect it was far more so, then what they managed on friday was excellent in my book. They wanted to make folk happy and they tried but their hearts and especially their heads were elsewhere, as was mine.

I hope I never watch a game under those circumstances again. I was emotionally drained after Leons dads interview and any possible pleasure was lost then and rightly so.

It was a game that had to be played even if no one really wanted to play in it. What a dreadful week, yet no one could have done more for Leons memory on friday, win or lose. No one who was there and has a shred of decency will ever forget the shear emotion of the night.

It was not a good night to be a fan but as human beings it was a privilege to be there - but hopefully never again!