Leeds Rhinos v St. Helens

[saintfrank]

Sat in traffic , great to be proved wrong, got a funny feeling that dumb and dumber will put this win down to Saints losing Eastwood and Pepperami man ,Saints bombed too many chances well done Leeds.

wouldnt exspect any other reply from a south stander

which glasses did you have on southstander, of course losing Eastmond and Pryce changed the game

Edited July 3, 2010 by saintfrank

[Exiled Wiganer]

Leeds had the air of a team which was always going to find a way to win. If they hadn't scored after the McGuire touch (where the ball went backwards in any event), they would have found another way to win. They spent the last 10 minutes easily keeping Saints at bay, and could have steppped up again if they had to.

I am not sure how many Leeds have missing, but Webb and Burrow are pretty significant for them. They deserve to be feeling very confident, as they are clearly building nicely. Pryce and Eastmond getting injured during the game was unfortunate, but that is part of life. Eastmond is brittle and Pryce was on for nearly 3/4 of the game.

If Saints fans are very confident, then good on them. Certainly they weren't disgraced. Unless Leeds suffer yet more injuries I can only see one winner in the semis, particularly as Leeds had the Saints pack exactly where they wanted them.

Finally, 2 players who have impressed me recently are Roby and (please don't laugh) Bailey, who may well be maturing into a vey useful prop.

Thanks to 2 teams for a very entertaining game. Wigan know that a win of any sort in France will leave us 6 points clear with games running out. That would be sweet indeed.

[3owls]

Another great game of R.L and leeds just about deserved to edge it. A couple of decisions that could have gone either way but the decisions levelled themselves out overall. No malice during the game and it would seem after the stories of bitterness between the leeds/saints players during the last tour of Oz that a mutual respect has been restored between both sets of players. It's a long time since the main stand at headingley has stood to applaud the opposition off but that's what happened and saints deserved that show of respect, it was nice to see james roby reciprocate. Leeds have beaten all the top four during this good run and with players due to come back over the next month it augurs well for the playoffs. Happy days at headingley.

[saintfrank]

particularly as Leeds had the Saints pack exactly where they wanted them.

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Exiled Wigganer, you are talking tosh if you class that as the saints pack..Maybe you never noticed but, paletua,fasavalu,cunningham and wilkin were missing..Top half backs struggle when the pack is weak, and then when those half backs get injured as well the go forward impetus is lost. If Sinny and McGuire had left the game early would LEEDS have won i doubt it.If those mentioned return before the semi,plus Meli,and hopefully Pryce and Eastmond you will see a different saints, even though tonights players came so close to getting the result .

[3owls]

particularly as Leeds had the Saints pack exactly where they wanted them.

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Exiled Wigganer, you are talking tosh if you class that as the saints pack..Maybe you never noticed but, paletua,fasavalu,cunningham and wilkin were missing..Top half backs struggle when the pack is weak, and then when those half backs get injured as well the go forward impetus is lost. If Sinny and McGuire had left the game early would LEEDS have won i doubt it.If those mentioned return before the semi,plus Meli,and hopefully Pryce and Eastmond you will see a different saints, even though tonights players came so close to getting the result .

If my aunty was a man she'd be my uncle ! You've got a lot of ifs in there old lad. Most teams have influential players missing and that's the nature of the game nowadays. It's how good your overall squad is and yours obviously wasn't good enough tonight. Our strongest 17 tonight would have had leuluai,lautiti,diskin,burrow,burgess,webb and possibly watkins in but they weren't available, simple as that. August 7th is a long way off and there's a chance that some more of your players may be unavailable by then, it's more of a squad game than ever these days.

[foozler]

Saints should have won that game.

Lomax had a very good game on one wing, unfortunately Gardner had a mare on the other. For mine, Jamie Foster should be back in the team replacing Gardner, Foster proved against Wigan that he has a big game capability.

Fair play to Leeds who seem to be on a roll but in my view they're riding their luck a little bit. Wigan contrived to lose the CC game, Warrington proved that consistent goal kickers are an invaluable must have and Saints proved that losing your 1st choice half back pairing during a game can be very costly.

Here's hoping the Redvee comes out on top at the Galpharm.

[3owls]

Saints should have won that game.

Lomax had a very good game on one wing, unfortunately Gardner had a mare on the other. For mine, Jamie Foster should be back in the team replacing Gardner, Foster proved against Wigan that he has a big game capability.

Fair play to Leeds who seem to be on a roll but in my view they're riding their luck a little bit. Wigan contrived to lose the CC game, Warrington proved that consistent goal kickers are an invaluable must have and Saints proved that losing your 1st choice half back pairing during a game can be very costly.

Here's hoping the Redvee comes out on top at the Galpharm.

Wigan "contrived" to lose the cup game because they couldn't score a try. Any team that fails to get over the line doesn't really deserve to win a game. Leeds scored six quality tries and scored 37 points away at wire which no other team will do this season. If that is your idea of riding their luck then so be it.

[bewareshadows]

Wigan "contrived" to lose the cup game because they couldn't score a try. Any team that fails to get over the line doesn't really deserve to win a game. Leeds scored six quality tries and scored 37 points away at wire which no other team will do this season. If that is your idea of riding their luck then so be it.

I think when the Saints players look at the video, they will see that in the first half, Leeds really struggled to break down the Saints defence, they made 2 runs down eastmonds wing, which ended up eastmond taking down senior, Leaving Ryan Hall very little room to manover. Other than that Leeds had to rely on Seinfield kicking the ball and Saints cocking it up big time. Gardner was as usual suspect, the coach changed this after he 2nd one he dropped, putting Pryce to centre defense rather than flannery as flannery ended up running into Gardner rather than standing back to pick up the pieces when it all went wrong.

As for the ball that Wellens left to bounce. I think thats the first time a kick from the oppositions 40 has resulted in a return to the attacking side without a defensive player getting a hand to it. 3 kicks 3 tries. All 3 kicks nothing out of the ordinary and should have been dealt with. Field any of those kicks and the loss of the half backs at the times they went off, becomes a side issue.

At the end of the game we where chasing the game with no subs and a pack of forwards on the field.

EMmitt, Flannery, ROby, Moore, CLough, Fozzard, Hargreaves, Ashurst, Graham

backs: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Lomax

From that team we could only run at Leeds up the middle, there was no one to spread the ball, but when we did and it got to Gidley, he almost ran though Leeds at will towards the end. Just a pity he didn't have the pace of yester year as the Leeds players covered across.

As a SAint I'm quite confident that we can do better even with limited resources, as for the video ref, sometimes you get em some times you don't. In the grand final we had it against bradford, last night we didn't.

1st place has gone, but 2nd is still well within grasp, and still in our hands, a good win at warrington, before the challenge cup and we can top Warrington. The main thing for Saints now is just to keep the pressure on warrington until that game, there are lots of competitive clubs that can still give everyone a game. Not to mention Warringon Wigan coming up.

In fact Warrington have a tough 2 weeks before they meet saints,

Wigan at wigan, then a trip to france, then Saints..

So still plenty to play for as we know 2nd is as good as 1st as far as the playoffs goes, unless Wigan select to play the 2nd team when it comes to chose your opponent time.

Disappointed not to be in the running for first, but time to lower our sights to concentrate on what we can win not what is a bridge to far. GF and CC still well within sight.

COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!!!!!!!

ps no more sanctmonious comments from south standers, when they come to St. Helens, talking about the language from the Saints popular side, after the very clear and nicely tuned, ginger bast*red chants.

[saintsbird]

I think when the Saints players look at the video, they will see that in the first half, Leeds really struggled to break down the Saints defence, they made 2 runs down eastmonds wing, which ended up eastmond taking down senior, Leaving Ryan Hall very little room to manover. Other than that Leeds had to rely on Seinfield kicking the ball and Saints cocking it up big time. Gardner was as usual suspect, the coach changed this after he 2nd one he dropped, putting Pryce to centre defense rather than flannery as flannery ended up running into Gardner rather than standing back to pick up the pieces when it all went wrong.

As for the ball that Wellens left to bounce. I think thats the first time a kick from the oppositions 40 has resulted in a return to the attacking side without a defensive player getting a hand to it. 3 kicks 3 tries. All 3 kicks nothing out of the ordinary and should have been dealt with. Field any of those kicks and the loss of the half backs at the times they went off, becomes a side issue.

At the end of the game we where chasing the game with no subs and a pack of forwards on the field.

EMmitt, Flannery, ROby, Moore, CLough, Fozzard, Hargreaves, Ashurst, Graham

backs: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Lomax

From that team we could only run at Leeds up the middle, there was no one to spread the ball, but when we did and it got to Gidley, he almost ran though Leeds at will towards the end. Just a pity he didn't have the pace of yester year as the Leeds players covered across.

As a SAint I'm quite confident that we can do better even with limited resources, as for the video ref, sometimes you get em some times you don't. In the grand final we had it against bradford, last night we didn't.

1st place has gone, but 2nd is still well within grasp, and still in our hands, a good win at warrington, before the challenge cup and we can top Warrington. The main thing for Saints now is just to keep the pressure on warrington until that game, there are lots of competitive clubs that can still give everyone a game. Not to mention Warringon Wigan coming up.

In fact Warrington have a tough 2 weeks before they meet saints,

Wigan at wigan, then a trip to france, then Saints..

So still plenty to play for as we know 2nd is as good as 1st as far as the playoffs goes, unless Wigan select to play the 2nd team when it comes to chose your opponent time.

Disappointed not to be in the running for first, but time to lower our sights to concentrate on what we can win not what is a bridge to far. GF and CC still well within sight.

COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!!!!!!!

ps no more sanctmonious comments from south standers, when they come to St. Helens, talking about the language from the Saints popular side, after the very clear and nicely tuned, ginger bast*red chants.

Great post. Couldnt agree more.

On your last point I could have sworn (pardon the pun) I heard cheers from the south stand when Eastmond & pryce got injured. On reflection i figure I couldnt have done after all its only Saints fans that do that innit

[3owls]

I think when the Saints players look at the video, they will see that in the first half, Leeds really struggled to break down the Saints defence, they made 2 runs down eastmonds wing, which ended up eastmond taking down senior, Leaving Ryan Hall very little room to manover. Other than that Leeds had to rely on Seinfield kicking the ball and Saints cocking it up big time. Gardner was as usual suspect, the coach changed this after he 2nd one he dropped, putting Pryce to centre defense rather than flannery as flannery ended up running into Gardner rather than standing back to pick up the pieces when it all went wrong.

As for the ball that Wellens left to bounce. I think thats the first time a kick from the oppositions 40 has resulted in a return to the attacking side without a defensive player getting a hand to it. 3 kicks 3 tries. All 3 kicks nothing out of the ordinary and should have been dealt with. Field any of those kicks and the loss of the half backs at the times they went off, becomes a side issue.

At the end of the game we where chasing the game with no subs and a pack of forwards on the field.

EMmitt, Flannery, ROby, Moore, CLough, Fozzard, Hargreaves, Ashurst, Graham

backs: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Lomax

From that team we could only run at Leeds up the middle, there was no one to spread the ball, but when we did and it got to Gidley, he almost ran though Leeds at will towards the end. Just a pity he didn't have the pace of yester year as the Leeds players covered across.

As a SAint I'm quite confident that we can do better even with limited resources, as for the video ref, sometimes you get em some times you don't. In the grand final we had it against bradford, last night we didn't.

1st place has gone, but 2nd is still well within grasp, and still in our hands, a good win at warrington, before the challenge cup and we can top Warrington. The main thing for Saints now is just to keep the pressure on warrington until that game, there are lots of competitive clubs that can still give everyone a game. Not to mention Warringon Wigan coming up.

In fact Warrington have a tough 2 weeks before they meet saints,

Wigan at wigan, then a trip to france, then Saints..

So still plenty to play for as we know 2nd is as good as 1st as far as the playoffs goes, unless Wigan select to play the 2nd team when it comes to chose your opponent time.

Disappointed not to be in the running for first, but time to lower our sights to concentrate on what we can win not what is a bridge to far. GF and CC still well within sight.

COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!!!!!!!

ps no more sanctmonious comments from south standers, when they come to St. Helens, talking about the language from the Saints popular side, after the very clear and nicely tuned, ginger bast*red chants.

I don't think you can complain about the video ref, he was called upon 3 times,twice for your tries and once for ours. He awarded all three so don't you think you got a bit lucky in reality?

[bewareshadows]

I don't think you can complain about the video ref, he was called upon 3 times,twice for your tries and once for ours. He awarded all three so don't you think you got a bit lucky in reality?

My point was about the knock on in the GF against Braford, which we got a the one with Maguire last night , they are all finger tip stuff and sometimes they go for you other times not. But f you're relying on a ref call to win a game or lose it then your teams not done enough to win.

We had chances to win lastnight, or at least to stop some kicks, youdo that then the video ref call is academic.

I'll have to watch the game back on TV to see all the video ref tries, I couldn't say whether they were all good or not because they were down the other end and I was at an angle not to be able to see the screen. Just going off comments on here that the ball rotation changed.

Maybe it did maybe it didn't but either way. Catch a ball and it makes the whole thing irelevant.

[3owls]

My point was about the knock on in the GF against Braford, which we got a the one with Maguire last night , they are all finger tip stuff and sometimes they go for you other times not. But f you're relying on a ref call to win a game or lose it then your teams not done enough to win.

We had chances to win lastnight, or at least to stop some kicks, youdo that then the video ref call is academic.

I'll have to watch the game back on TV to see all the video ref tries, I couldn't say whether they were all good or not because they were down the other end and I was at an angle not to be able to see the screen. Just going off comments on here that the ball rotation changed.

Maybe it did maybe it didn't but either way. Catch a ball and it makes the whole thing irelevant.

Not a hope in hell of making a judgement from the stands but of the two contentious decisions he had to make (flannerys first and the leeds try) i don't see he had cause to disallow either. When you look as long as he did at both tries i think you start looking for something that isn't really there.

[John Rhino]

On your last point I could have sworn (pardon the pun) I heard cheers from the south stand when Eastmond & pryce got injured. On reflection i figure I couldnt have done after all its only Saints fans that do that innit

The cheer for Pryce was because they thought he knocked on.

Both were clapped by the south stand as they left the field.

[saintfrank]

If my aunty was a man she'd be my uncle ! You've got a lot of ifs in there old lad. Most teams have influential players missing and that's the nature of the game nowadays. It's how good your overall squad is and yours obviously wasn't good enough tonight. Our strongest 17 tonight would have had leuluai,lautiti,diskin,burrow,burgess,webb and possibly watkins in but they weren't available, simple as that. August 7th is a long way off and there's a chance that some more of your players may be unavailable by then, it's more of a squad game than ever these days.

of course both teams had players missing we know that, but some seem to think it was an easy win which it wasnt, lost at the end by the Pryce injury and the dodgy Leeds try.

[Exiled Wiganer]

Except to my neutral eyes at least it was lost because Leeds were slightly better. They cruised through the period after they took the lead, and chipped away at the lead with an inevitibility borne out of being a very good team. Leeds also had plenty of players missing, and injuries during a game are facts of life. If it shows anything it shows that the squad left behind after the tax man has caught up with the club is only as good as but no better than a number of other squads. No disgrace in that, and they could yet win everything, but they look second favourites for the semi on what I have seen recently.

[3owls]

Except to my neutral eyes at least it was lost because Leeds were slightly better. They cruised through the period after they took the lead, and chipped away at the lead with an inevitibility borne out of being a very good team. Leeds also had plenty of players missing, and injuries during a game are facts of life. If it shows anything it shows that the squad left behind after the tax man has caught up with the club is only as good as but no better than a number of other squads. No disgrace in that, and they could yet win everything, but they look second favourites for the semi on what I have seen recently.

Well said that man.

[bewareshadows]

Except to my neutral eyes at least it was lost because Leeds were slightly better. They cruised through the period after they took the lead, and chipped away at the lead with an inevitibility borne out of being a very good team. Leeds also had plenty of players missing, and injuries during a game are facts of life. If it shows anything it shows that the squad left behind after the tax man has caught up with the club is only as good as but no better than a number of other squads. No disgrace in that, and they could yet win everything, but they look second favourites for the semi on what I have seen recently.

Really 2nd favourities, I find that interesting, probability suggest that we won't lose 3 players in a game again this year, and we won't lose both half backs. Honestly how many times does that actually happen. So if we can finish within 4 points of Leeds at their own place when all that is going on, you think we'll do the same or worse in a couple of weeks time.

Or by your own logic exiled does that make Wigan worse than both Leeds and Saints as they lost to Saints only 2 weeks ago.

[Bitofaboogie]

Saints must be very cheesed off with the winning try for Leeds as Maguire clearly knocked the ball forward in the build up yet the video referee missed it.

This was a really bad decison, the kind that is so bad it looks dodgy.

Seems that the old special relationship is still at work.

The Scousers were robbed in my opinion.

[adelwire]

Anyway back to the main match Guiseley Rangers v Hunslet Parkside - both did very well scoring some good tries in the small amount of time available. Yet again a big thank you for allowing these kids to step on to the hallowed turf.

Most at the match are probably not aware that one of the Guiseley lads took a high but not malicious tackle that obviously hurt him and ultimately led to him visiting LGI for the evening for tests. The good news is that Lewis is ok but not allowed to take part in sport for two weeks to prevent any further knocks. (That'll be a hard job for his parents!!) A reminder again that this is one tough sport.

Edited July 4, 2010 by adelwire

[Kenilworth Tiger]

Really enjoyed this game and felt sorry for Saints ath the end - to lose an on form Pryce and Kyle Eastmond made the job particularly difficult but still looked like they could snatch at least a point.

That said, I thought Leeds were very very clinical and did enough.

And yes Saintsbird, there was cheering at both injuries by the SOuthstand

[Exiled Wiganer]

Really 2nd favourities, I find that interesting, probability suggest that we won't lose 3 players in a game again this year, and we won't lose both half backs. Honestly how many times does that actually happen. So if we can finish within 4 points of Leeds at their own place when all that is going on, you think we'll do the same or worse in a couple of weeks time.

Or by your own logic exiled does that make Wigan worse than both Leeds and Saints as they lost to Saints only 2 weeks ago.

I am not sure that it follows that Wigan are worse than both those teams, though perhaps it shows that Wigan would be second favourites if they have to play Saints again. My point was this, really. While relaxing watching the game, it always looked to me that Leeds would find a way to win, and they so casually closed the game down once they hit the front that confirmed my view. If McGuire had been ruled to have knocked on, then I genuinely believe they would have found another way to win the game. But you never know what might have been. If you believe that you're favourites for the semi then that's good, it's good to have faith in your side.

[Keith Nutter]

Obviously the ball suddenly spinning as Mcquire's arm passed near it was completely coincidental.

A poor decision by terry decides the game

I agree about the "spinning" S M but ignoring that am I the only person who noticed that Danny Buderas was clearly in front of Bailey when he made the pass and came back from an offside position to collect the ball prior to passing on to Hall.

Just an observation cos I aint bothered who won the match.

To me it was no try, penalty to Saints.

[Saint Toppy]

The dodgey video ref's call aside, I think what really cost Saints the game were the 3 injuries during the match. Not just becasue 2 of them were the main playmakers but mainly due to the lack of rotation available in the pack in the 2nd half. There were too many player out on their feet in the last quarter and once Leeds got ahead it was nigh on impossible to come back. Had Leeds lost Sinfield, McGuire & Clarkson I doubt they would have snatched a win.

[Northern Exposure]

Oh, boo-fricking-hoo.

You LOST, get over it.

As for people cheering players who stay down injured, cry me a river, it happens all the time.

Remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNdzfnYAYX8...feature=related

PS - Pryce is a ##### so he doesn't count.

[3owls]

Oh, boo-fricking-hoo.

You LOST, get over it.

As for people cheering players who stay down injured, cry me a river, it happens all the time.

Remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNdzfnYAYX8...feature=related

PS - Pryce is a ##### so he doesn't count.

Once more the voice of sanity brings some sense to proceedings. Have you ever noticed whenever any of these mug teams lose to leeds they didn't actually "lose" they just didn't play well enough on the day or bad luck conspired against them. 2007 grand final,bad weather, 2008 grand final, saints had an off day, 2009 grand final,bloody video ref eh ! Half the saints fans on here are better comedians than their own jonny vegas, LOL