LeytherRob

Huddersfield’s squad isn’t that bad and hasn’t been for a few years, barring a couple of players who shouldn’t be near a SL 17 like Bibby. Attitude, morale and coaching make big differences at this level of the sport. You only have to look at the tune Paul Rowley is currently getting out of a real poor Salford team. There’s plenty quality in the Huddersfield team which is why they’ve been able to lead at HT in so many games. They are weak mentally and that is a coaching issue.

I agree with pretty much all that, except I’d leave out Hughes over McNamara. Davis has more than justified his position as a middle/13 with some really high energy performances - McNamara gives cover for the halves as well as providing better service from dummy half. If we lose a second rower, there’s enough options like moving Trout. I think Mulhearn, Tuitavake, Davis, McNamara has a good balance between strong front row strike off the bench and versatility.

Surely that's just a point in the realism column?

I did notice that, luckily, he and the rest of the squad have a week off to rest some of the niggles. Brand won't have to miss a game with his HIA either - although I was really impressed by how well Badrock slotted in last night considering he'd probably have been expecting about 10-20 minutes spelling Jack Hughes. I think our strength in depth is far better than anyone including ourselves gave us credit for in preseason. There are a good 25 names in our squad now that are capable of doing a job before you get onto the young project players/reserves. Big improvement on 23 and 24s paper thin squads where we basically fell apart if Mulhern or Amone got injured and couldn't play 60+ minutes every week to carry the pack.

Joe Offahengue

Come at a good time for Leigh, I think a week off will be welcomed after playing the rest of the top 5 back to back.

Originally international break, then decided it wasn’t worth playing France then they decided to take a week off instead. Also gives opportunity to potentially catch up any postponed games like the issue Leigh and Wigan had last year fitting in the fixture that made way for the WCC

I wrote this month off as 0/3 at the start of the year when fixtures were released. 1 would have been brilliant, all 3 is an unbelievable effort

What a mid season signing Joffa has been. I was devastated we didn’t get Amone back but Joffa has quickly become one of the best middles in the comp. Still just about the right side of 30 too

Any more contact on Niu and he’d have risked giving Leigh a penalty for obstructing the defender

Isn’t the rule being within 10 within the ball landing rather than being gathered? He was well outside the 10 when it bounced

Good to see Warrington learning their lesson after Sam Kasiano...

1982 it was

Yeah you need a hell of a bank to be making that commitment. The difference for Leigh in 2022(and Wakefield 2024 for that matter) over 2018 was that it wasn't do or die. Beaumont didn't have the cash in 2018 to sustain after it fell apart but after a few years of not spending a great deal over 2019-2021 and growth on his business he had enough so that it could become a 2-year plan and the communication all the way through the year was that it didn't really matter if we got promoted or not in 2022. The overseas recruitment that year, which I think honestly think is probably the best done by any UK club in a single season ever, is also something that you can't just repeat - Nene MacDonald, John Asiata, Edwin Ipape, Tom Amone, Kai O'Donnell, Blake Ferguson, Lachlan Lam in the championship? The longer time goes on the more ridiculous it sounds.

8th August 2024 - Leigh Leopards centre Ricky Leutele speaks out on his future at Super League club – Total Rugby League “We’re currently in talks. I’m constantly talking with Chezzy (director of rugby Chris Chester) and the club,” said ex-Samoa international Leutele. “The good thing is the club want me and I want to stay so we’ve just got to work out the finer details of it all and hopefully get it over the line some time soon.”