Thur 16th Feb: SL: Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos KO 20:00 (Sky)

[ELBOWSEYE]

4 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

You're answering a different question though. Warrington have a very good academy/youth system, but few people really care if the Thewlis lads or Ben Currie were born within whistling distance of the Brian Bevan statue or not. It does mean a lot to see Warrington lads doing well in the team though.

Look I applaud Warrington for finally getting their acadamy working but fans want wins, trophies and entertainment and will (most fans) ignore where players come from. What you point out is that the 3 best clubs over the last 25 years at producing their own players have won the GF. 

[Just Browny]

Leeds also have a tendency to claim anyone from east of Todmorden and west of Doncaster as a home grown player too, which makes it a bit easier.

[ELBOWSEYE]

2 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Yes 4 teams who base their squad on home grown players

Bradford? The other 3 yes. 

[Just Browny]

1 minute ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Look I applaud Warrington for finally getting their acadamy working but fans want wins, trophies and entertainment and will (most fans) ignore where players come from. What you point out is that the 3 best clubs over the last 25 years at producing their own players have won the GF. 

I'm not sure where I'm looking because I agree I think.

[Harry Stottle]

11 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

The defensive structure was just poor and didn't work. 

Was there a defensive structure Tommy? It seems highly unlikely that they have given that part of the game any consideration in the off season.

[Barry Badrinath]

1 hour ago, BroncoFan said:

Leeds have a real problem on their hands with Sezer & Austin who are 2 of the highly paid players at the club.

Sadly they just aren’t good enough anymore.

austin was austin doing austin things.

 

Sezer just went awol, again.

 

He's been awful since his first season at the giants.

[Barry Badrinath]

1 hour ago, BroncoFan said:

Leeds have a real problem on their hands with Sezer & Austin who are 2 of the highly paid players at the club.

Sadly they just aren’t good enough anymore.

double post

Edited February 17, 2023 by Barry Badrinath

[FearTheVee]

When Aiden Sezer is your on-field captain you are in big trouble.

Leeds looked very, very soft.  I know Leeds have a lot of players out and Wire are a good squad with lots to prove (it's the worst possible opening game for Leeds IMO) so it's too early to judge, but I don't think they have enough leaders in the team, too many hangers on and for some reason (which I'm happy to acknowledge may be completely unfair) I have zero faith in Rohan Smith despite his good end to the season last year.

[redjonn]

1 hour ago, BroncoFan said:

Leeds have a real problem on their hands with Sezer & Austin who are 2 of the highly paid players at the club.

Sadly they just aren’t good enough anymore.

you may be right, but they didn't have much ball last night to show anything.  It was like a men against boys in the forwards and similar on the edges... Physically Leeds were smaller and couldn't cope with the power from Warrington forwards and Willams and Co half backs had huge amount of time and space to pity much do what ever they wanted.

So hopefully your not basing it on just last nights performance as both did really well in the run in to the grand final last season. So you surely are not basing it on those games.

 

[bobbruce]

1 hour ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

I don't think fans actually care were players come from, just for my benefit who are the 2

I don’t think it’s about fans successful teams need a core of local/ English players to set standards otherwise your imports just come in and go through the motions. I don’t think they necessarily need to come through the academy I also think long term players with the right attitude can also provide this. As we saw at Saints with Sculthorpe,Joynt,Long,Martyn and many others. Not through the academy but all leaders at various times. 

[Chrispmartha]

28 minutes ago, FearTheVee said:

When Aiden Sezer is your on-field captain you are in big trouble.

Leeds looked very, very soft.  I know Leeds have a lot of players out and Wire are a good squad with lots to prove (it's the worst possible opening game for Leeds IMO) so it's too early to judge, but I don't think they have enough leaders in the team, too many hangers on and for some reason (which I'm happy to acknowledge may be completely unfair) I have zero faith in Rohan Smith despite his good end to the season last year.

Rohan Smith coached sides (even for half a year) have reached the GF in the last 3 years and won 2 of them

its a tad early in his Leeds career to write him off

[Tippytoe]

13 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

We have got a better pack - its round one

We got ripped apart in the forwards and out classed in the backs but worse than that was we had literally nothing to to counter, I have serious issues with handley who can't defend on the wing never mind center and Fusitua who was playing touch and pass as our centres total gash.

[Chrispmartha]

1 minute ago, Tippytoe said:

We got ripped apart in the forwards and out classed in the backs but worse than that was we had literally nothing to to counter, I have serious issues with handley who can't defend on the wing never mind center and Fusitua who was playing touch and pass as our centres total gash.

We have got a better pack than last year was my point.

 

we were beaten in every aspect last night - it happens especially in the early rounds, it will happen to every SL side bar Saints this year

[FearTheVee]

1 minute ago, Chrispmartha said:

We have got a better pack than last year was my point.

 

we were beaten in every aspect last night - it happens especially in the early rounds, it will happen to every SL side bar Saints this year

It'll happen to us too.  We got absolutely battered by Salford last season.

[redjonn]

3 minutes ago, Tippytoe said:

We got ripped apart in the forwards and out classed in the backs but worse than that was we had literally nothing to to counter, I have serious issues with handley who can't defend on the wing never mind center and Fusitua who was playing touch and pass as our centres total gash.

 

Just now, Chrispmartha said:

We have got a better pack than last year was my point.

 

we were beaten in every aspect last night - it happens especially in the early rounds, it will happen to every SL side bar Saints this year

would agree Leeds have a better pack than last night/season but even at full strength they wouldn't have coped with Wires pack. Their remains a huge difference in the physicality and power in the approach from Powell and Leeds with regard to forward pack and type of player. 

[RP London]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

 

Was saying to my son while watching that his post contact metres were huge but didn't realise they were that big.. thats impressive!!

[FearTheVee]

4 minutes ago, RP London said:

Was saying to my son while watching that his post contact metres were huge but didn't realise they were that big.. thats impressive!!

Incredible stats - Walmsley-esque numbers.

[The storm]

1 hour ago, Barry Badrinath said:

austin was austin doing austin things.

 

Sezer just went awol, again.

 

He's been awful since his first season at the giants.

As a body language expert, i can confirm that rohan smith has lost the plot

[ELBOWSEYE]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned James Harrison he was outstanding last night, high work rate, good defence. Only 21 looks like he could be the Alex Walmsley or Chris Hill especially as he fill out. 

[Jughead]

3 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Don't know if anyone has mentioned James Harrison he was outstanding last night, high work rate, good defence. Only 21 looks like he could be the Alex Walmsley or Chris Hill especially as he fill out. 

21?! Jesus, I thought he was about 30. He’s had an uphill paper round in Chernobyl by the looks of things. 

[Harry Stottle]

8 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Don't know if anyone has mentioned James Harrison he was outstanding last night, high work rate, good defence. Only 21 looks like he could be the Alex Walmsley or Chris Hill especially as he fill out. 

That was said on the commentary by Scully re him possibly being Walmsley Mk 2.

[Tippytoe]

37 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

We have got a better pack than last year was my point.

 

we were beaten in every aspect last night - it happens especially in the early rounds, it will happen to every SL side bar Saints this year

Maybe so Chris but the depth of quality in the squad is poor compared to the recruitment of others.

[Szymala]

25 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Don't know if anyone has mentioned James Harrison he was outstanding last night, high work rate, good defence. Only 21 looks like he could be the Alex Walmsley or Chris Hill especially as he fill out. 

He's 27 in June.

[The storm]

James harrison is 25 or 26

Always been quality for 3 or 4 years

Leeds are in trouble

[Tippytoe]

2 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

It wasn’t a dig, i was in some way agreeing with you.

The point being history shows that teams that have a lot of home grown players win the SL titles.

It irks me that Leeds have recently let home grown/local players leave that are currently better than what we have.