Thur 7th Aug: SL: Leigh Leopards v Leeds Rhinos KO 20:00 (Sky)

[League Express]

Thur 7th Aug: SL: Leigh Leopards v Leeds Rhinos KO 20:00 (Sky)

Discuss the game here.

Please don't accuse match officials of deliberate bias or cheating, or your posts will be removed and your account may be banned without further warning.

[Luke HKR]

Leigh by 8

[Father Ted]

Leigh will improve after last week's first 60 mins. By then I'd expect the game to be won by the Leopards.

[Josef K]

I am looking forward to this Leigh by 12. 

[Loiner]

Leigh playing some great rugby league, can't see Leeds getting owt from this game although Leigh were slightly fortunate to get the win last week. Good game, no controversial decisions may the best team win. Leigh by 8

[Harry Stottle]

Leigh not at their best from recent form but Wire were a far different team than of recent, and the way Leigh came back showed character and commitment, Leigh also strengthened with the return of Mulhearn and O'Neil and I think they will have to much upfront for Leeds to compete with, also looking forward to seeing Tesi Nui bulldozing Harry Newman (I hope) and the rest of the Leigh backs are performing well, looking forward to the game Leigh by 2 scores.

[Thunder Road]

Leigh by 2 scores.

[whatmichaelsays]

I'd expect a competitive opening hour, with Leigh going clear late on. Our pack really misses Oledski and Holroyd and without the option of those two, it really does expose how little Lisone does outside of his impact cameos. Having Gannon back does at least give us more strike on the edges. 

 

[phiggins]

My fear is that Lam reverts to the selection he was going with before Mulhern and O'Neill's injury. With Trout moving back to second row, which will be an area Leeds could target imo.

[Harry Stottle]

2 minutes ago, phiggins said:

My fear is that Lam reverts to the selection he was going with before Mulhern and O'Neill's injury. With Trout moving back to second row, which will be an area Leeds could target imo.

Trout is one of the best performing front rows in the comp on recent form, it would be total madness to move him to second row, put Robbie on the bench, then what a interchange sequence we have at prop with Owen, Joffa and Robbie, and put O'Neil back at 12.

Obviously we sometimes wonder what Mr Lam does with the bench but for me what I hope he will go with is Mulhearn, Davis, Hughes and MacNamara, Tuitivake to miss out which is a shame really he has put in some good stints when coming on, Davis has been Mr reliable and adds energy, Hughes has got better as the season has developed, and Macnamara can mix it up, also becomes the second kicker if anything happens with Gaz O'Brien.

[phiggins]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Trout is one of the best performing front rows in the comp on recent form, it would be total madness to move him to second row, put Robbie on the bench, then what a interchange sequence we have at prop with Owen, Joffa and Robbie, and put O'Neil back at 12.

Obviously we sometimes wonder what Mr Lam does with the bench but for me what I hope he will go with is Mulhearn, Davis, Hughes and MacNamara, Tuitivake to miss out which is a shame really he has put in some good stints when coming on, Davis has been Mr reliable and adds energy, Hughes has got better as the season has developed, and Macnamara can mix it up, also becomes the second kicker if anything happens with Gaz O'Brien.

Lam said post match last week that Trout will probably start at second row when Mulhern is back. Like you, I think it would be madness to move him back. Would be great to have those three rotating at prop, and Hughes can cover back row from the bench if either Halton or O'Neill can't do 80.

I think McNamara might have played himself out of the team last week, with some poor plays from dummy half. With him and Badrock making way for Mulhern and O'Neill. Depends on Ipape's fitness, he didn't look right last week.

[Harry Stottle]

15 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Lam said post match last week that Trout will probably start at second row when Mulhern is back. Like you, I think it would be madness to move him back. Would be great to have those three rotating at prop, and Hughes can cover back row from the bench if either Halton or O'Neill can't do 80.

I think McNamara might have played himself out of the team last week, with some poor plays from dummy half. With him and Badrock making way for Mulhern and O'Neill. Depends on Ipape's fitness, he didn't look right last week.

If Lam did move Owen back to second row then I would put Tuitivake back on the bench, we still need that rotation at prop, no point switching Owen back to prop mud game unless absolutely nessacary due to injury, infact if Lam did start Trout at SR and then moved him mid game, It would confirm what a lot of us are thinking about his team selection in certain areas!

[phiggins]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

If Lam did move Owen back to second row then I would put Tuitivake back on the bench, we still need that rotation at prop, no point switching Owen back to prop mud game unless absolutely nessacary due to injury, infact if Lam did start Trout at SR and then moved him mid game, It would confirm what a lot of us are thinking about his team selection in certain areas!

Though to be fair to Lam. If I was picking the team over this last few years, chances are we'd still be in the Championship, if not League 1!

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Leigh by 6, potential here for a really good game.

[Southampton Leyther]

Hoping we can shake off last week as a really off night with a lucky escape and get back more to our form prior to the break. 

If we give Leeds half the easy ball we gave Wire they'll be out of sight long before any sort of great escape heroics are possible.

We really failed to adapt to losing Armstrong at FB early doors in the last Leeds game, we lost all our defensive shape and obviously shipped nearly 50 points. 

Hoping we can edge it but expecting a close one. 

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Southampton Leyther said:

Hoping we can shake off last week as a really off night with a lucky escape and get back more to our form prior to the break. 

If we give Leeds half the easy ball we gave Wire they'll be out of sight long before any sort of great escape heroics are possible.

We really failed to adapt to losing Armstrong at FB early doors in the last Leeds game, we lost all our defensive shape and obviously shipped nearly 50 points. 

Hoping we can edge it but expecting a close one. 

Don't agree with you re last week, Wire came with a different attitude the attitude of the semi final and the final and we soaked that up conceeding a few points but not insurmountable as we proved, and coming back as we did showed great resolve, team attitude and confidence in each other.

In the last Leeds game Leigh made more unforced errors than they have done in any other 3 games this season, and when Armstrong got injured we tried about 4 positional changes which we didn't adapt to defensively and good on Leeds for cashing in on it. But in turn we still managed to lose by only 8 tries to 6.

I think we are much stronger physically and mentally than we were just a few weeks ago, Joffa has blended into the team magnificently and Isaac Liu is becoming the player expected of him ball in hand and defensively, Lam is playing the best football he has since he got here and finally exorcised the ghost of missing Kai O'Donnell on his outside left, he looked lost early doors without him.

I don't think Leeds will live with our pack, and the backs can do what they are doing.

[Snowys Backside]

I suppose it really does depends which Leigh turns up. Allow second phase Rugby, Leeds will likely win. If Leigh stop that and play more up the middle and do more things play 3 and 4, we could win well. A really good game ahead. 
 

Table reserved on the Costa Del Sol. Pint bought for any Leeds fan who approaches me who says ‘are you a Leyther’. May the best team win

[Southern Reiver]

Leigh to win. And if tou go by the information provided by Sky Sports Action they are playing Leeds United 

[Just Browny]

Oh weird, the video ref is actually watching the footage this week.

[dboy]

Wow!

More of a try than Hanley's last week.

The VRs eyes are painted on...and I bloody hate Leeds!

 

[Chrispmartha]

That was a try

[MZH]

I thought there was enough there to give a try tbh. Especially when it went up as one on the field.

[Archie Gordon]

VR must go.

[Agbrigg]

Close call but correct call

[sentoffagain2]

 Thought that was a try first look but his hand does come away from the ball so good decision by video ref.