Sun 23rd Feb: SL: Leigh Leopards v Huddersfield Giants KO 14:30 (BBC/SS+/SL+)

[wakeyranger]

3 minutes ago, Ant said:

I think the 5 and 6 spots are anyones to play for still.

 

Well, apart from Cas.

Agreed. So far this is shaping up to be the most competitive season (I appreciate it's only round 2).

[Championi]

No comment and no comment

[Ant]

1 minute ago, wakeyranger said:

Agreed. So far this is shaping up to be the most competitive season (I appreciate it's only round 2).

I'd say top 4 may be already sorted, just details of where and when. 

After that to 11/12 is wide open 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

7 minutes ago, Ullman said:

Offensively avianist?

It's just a phrase the Goose household has always seen as a bit rude. Not sure what it's origins or meaning actually are but that's just what we think.

[wakeyranger]

21 minutes ago, Ant said:

I'd say top 4 may be already sorted, just details of where and when. 

After that to 11/12 is wide open 

I think 1st and 2nd is shown up. Beyond that who knows. Think Cas will finish bottom but don't think they'll be pushovers. 

[sweaty craiq]

Just got in from the game, very challenging conditions to say the least and a short 10m lead to an unspectacular arm wrestle with way too much allowed in the tackle.

We struggled against the gale first half and Hudds did so the second. Looking forward to how we link up in better dryer and warmer conditions but happy to take the points.

plenty sore bodies tonight.

[sweaty craiq]

10 minutes ago, wakeyranger said:

I think 1st and 2nd is shown up. Beyond that who knows. Think Cas will finish bottom but don't think they'll be pushovers. 

Can’t see us second but you never know

[Leyther_Matt]

On 22/02/2025 at 12:19, Leyther_Matt said:

Rare for more to be particularly confident, but with a good rest after the Wigan game I’m going Leigh by 14. 

I thank you  

 

[Worzel]

3 hours ago, Eddie said:

Good to see Degsy being interviewed. 

I missed the start, did the BBC show this?

The sport doesn’t have enough Degsys… I know it’s all a bit camp, but it stands out and that’s what we need to do

[LeytherRob]

13 minutes ago, Worzel said:

I missed the start, did the BBC show this?

The sport doesn’t have enough Degsys… I know it’s all a bit camp, but it stands out and that’s what we need to do

They did a great job with the circus theme branding around the stadium, and it keeps to the theme of the rebrand momentum which as you say is a bit camp and stands out. 

[Josef K]

I thought Huddersfield were very good in defence but offered next to nothing in attack. Leigh only have to it step up a notch then you’re in real trouble, they scored a couple of nice tries.
Excellent attendance as well. 

[Harry Stottle]

5 hours ago, Just Browny said:

When I came back to the UK from a few years overseas, I was a bit too happy to reacquaint myself with Greggs and similar places I had missed. Tom Burgess looks like he is on a similar journey.

In my opinion watching him live today I think the Giants have wasted a lot of money signing him, they have better props but they take them of the field to interchange with Burgess who lumbers about for thd next few minutes till he is knackered again.

Edited February 23 by Harry Stottle

[Worzel]

1 hour ago, Josef K said:

I thought Huddersfield were very good in defence but offered next to nothing in attack. Leigh only have to it step up a notch then you’re in real trouble, they scored a couple of nice tries.
Excellent attendance as well. 

To be fair us at Hull KR recalled Danny Richardson only a few days ago, so Huddersfield are pretty light in the halves. George Flanagan looks a prospect having been given his chance at short notice, hopefully he’ll grow into it this season.

[daz39]

Back from the match and re-watched it and thought it was a bit of an arm wrestle at times, we looked ok until the last quarter when we ran out of steam and Leigh took advantage of some individual errors to coast home.

At one point we had players all over the place due to injuries and reshuffling etc.

I also thought at the game we were on the end of a couple of harsh decisions and watching the game back i still do, the knock on against Leroy was a very harsh call as the Leigh defender pushed him away from the PTB, the one against Flanagan was clearly backwards, it went behind his head so must have done, the penalty against English for tickling Lam was ridiculous, there was hardly any contact, if that is classed as late then every tackle in the sport could be penalised.

It was one of those Afternoons where we just didn't seem to get the rub of the green.

On the plus side i thought we looked good in defence for the main and George Flanagan had a great debut, he's a smashing kid and hopefully he's done his chances no harm.

There was a great moment when him and his dad were embracing at the end, both with tears in their eyes.

He was our man of the match.

Leigh deserved the win but i don't think they were 3 scores better than us.

[DoubleD]

41 minutes ago, daz39 said:

Back from the match and re-watched it and thought it was a bit of an arm wrestle at times, we looked ok until the last quarter when we ran out of steam and Leigh took advantage of some individual errors to coast home.

At one point we had players all over the place due to injuries and reshuffling etc.

I also thought at the game we were on the end of a couple of harsh decisions and watching the game back i still do, the knock on against Leroy was a very harsh call as the Leigh defender pushed him away from the PTB, the one against Flanagan was clearly backwards, it went behind his head so must have done, the penalty against English for tickling Lam was ridiculous, there was hardly any contact, if that is classed as late then every tackle in the sport could be penalised.

It was one of those Afternoons where we just didn't seem to get the rub of the green.

On the plus side i thought we looked good in defence for the main and George Flanagan had a great debut, he's a smashing kid and hopefully he's done his chances no harm.

There was a great moment when him and his dad were embracing at the end, both with tears in their eyes.

He was our man of the match.

Leigh deserved the win but i don't think they were 3 scores better than us.

The decision against Flanagan was due to losing the ball after the tackle had been complete but it was clear on the replay that his ball carrying arm hadn’t hit the ground. Shame he didn’t feel confident enough to challenge the decision.

Wallis is so error prone, I’m amazed he keeps his place in the side. 

Who was the presenter on beeb? 

[daz39]

7 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

The decision against Flanagan was due to losing the ball after the tackle had been complete but it was clear on the replay that his ball carrying arm hadn’t hit the ground. Shame he didn’t feel confident enough to challenge the decision.

Wallis is so error prone, I’m amazed he keeps his place in the side. 

Who was the presenter on beeb? 

He keeps his place as Halsall, McGowan, Sutcliffe and Milne are unavailable, he's ok but at this stage of his career he probably won't improve much so should be seen as a squad filler, he's decent cover though.

The presenter is JJ Chalmers, interesting back story to him - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JJ_Chalmers

Edited February 23 by daz39

[unapologetic pedant]

5 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

The decision against Flanagan was due to losing the ball after the tackle had been complete but it was clear on the replay that his ball carrying arm hadn’t hit the ground. Shame he didn’t feel confident enough to challenge the decision.

Didn't help anyone's comprehension when the ref said "knock-on".

[daz39]

11 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Didn't help anyone's comprehension when the ref said "knock-on".

Exactly, that's what he signalled at the time, bit of a weird one, another time that would be classed as a late pass and go unpunished.

[Eddie]

4 hours ago, Worzel said:

I missed the start, did the BBC show this?

The sport doesn’t have enough Degsys… I know it’s all a bit camp, but it stands out and that’s what we need to do

Yeah he and Edwin Ipape had a really good slot before the match. I’m not a Leigh fan but I think Beaumont is a massive benefit to the game, and not just Leigh. 

[JohnM]

To me, Leigh seemed faster, stronger, more aggressive, with more attacking ideas than Giants. Leigh's future opponents need to develop a strategy and tactics to counter Leigh's defensive line speed and aggressive (completely legal) gang-tackling and maul. 

From the few games I've seen so far, though, I feel it is too early to try to predict final league positions.

[Snowys Backside]

On 21/02/2025 at 22:42, Snowys Backside said:

A potential banana Skin as Hudds have a decent pack going forward.

All about winning the ruck this one. If we manage that, we should do them by a couple of scores.

Play with anxiety (which Leigh are capable of doing first home game in), we will come a cropper.

Leigh by 14.

Never mind Mr Lawton, owd Snowy predicted first

Tough hit out. 

[phiggins]

10 hours ago, daz39 said:

Exactly, that's what he signalled at the time, bit of a weird one, another time that would be classed as a late pass and go unpunished.

But the ref did explain in detail what the decision was, and they still chose to not challenge it, even after the ref stated that the arm had hit the ground. Thought it was an understandable call to make in real time.

[LeytherRob]

Definitely not a classic game but the conditions with the wind were never going to allow that to happen. Leigh were able to play those conditions much better and it showed in the territory battle 1st v 2nd half. Kept it pretty even playing into a strong headwind then just suffocated Hudds into their own 30 in the 2nd half with the wind at our backs. Reminded me of the Womens Champ final last year in the midlands which followed a very similar pattern between Leigh and London.

[phiggins]

22 minutes ago, LeytherRob said:

Definitely not a classic game but the conditions with the wind were never going to allow that to happen. Leigh were able to play those conditions much better and it showed in the territory battle 1st v 2nd half. Kept it pretty even playing into a strong headwind then just suffocated Hudds into their own 30 in the 2nd half with the wind at our backs. Reminded me of the Womens Champ final last year in the midlands which followed a very similar pattern between Leigh and London.

Was almost impossible to have any sort of kicking game when attacking the South Stand. Leigh won it with the defence second half, regularly pushing the ball carriers back, off the back of the wind assisted kicking game, and from the point Hudds kicked the 2 to make it 10-6, I don't think the ball made it back into the Leigh half until the game was done.