Sorry to go so wildly off topic but I thought our goal-line defence was pretty marvelous again today. Some awesome last ditch efforts to hold up or drag players into touch when they looked more likely to score than not.

On topic? Bit radical, but go on then.

I have little doubt that our "against" column is a little skewed by our fixture list so far. But at the same time, even against the weaker teams we're conceding fewer points than other teams, and certainly fewer than we have in the past few seasons. This run of very low "against" scores in matches we've won easily at least suggests a maintaining of our concentration in defence which we haven't always seen.

I doubt we'll manage quite such low numbers on Saturday, but if we apply the same level of commitment and organisation (and concentration) all year (not a given by any means) we'll be pretty hard to beat.

I think Saturday is a huge game. I see a top 3 potentially emerging this year (although Cas's bubble refuses to burst at the moment) and two of them playing each other now is a big, big match. I'm quite excited about it.

If Saints were s**t I wouldn't be as excited...

Anyone for cake?

Did somebody mention cake?

We always seem to play Saints when they're on a bad run or have injuries, and they always seem to pull a performance from nowhere against us recently. I hope Saturday bucks that trend.

Should be a cracking game Saturday.Hopefully the conditions are good so both teams can express themselves to the full.

appears Saints rested a few today and although it back fired a bit, it shows they are focusing on a good cup run.

I was at Headingley today because I'm a member of the "Outdoor Tory Party Conference" this season and Yorkshire were playing Northants. I forgot to carry a copy of the Daily Wail, Daily Torygraph or Yorkshire Post in order to not look out of place among all the ABC1 demographics. It was very amusing observing all the G4S remedials enforcing a sporting apartheid situation between the Rhinos fans (C2DE's) and the YCCC enthusiasts. It appears I'm entitled to two free complimentary tickets to watch the Rhinos and two free complimentary tickets to watch Carnegie as a perk of being a YCCC member. I may now attend the next SL home game (Wigan?) if I can be @rsed.

Great anecdote.

Can you do the one about how you went to Australia again next?

Or the analogy when he tried comparing SL to buying salad cream?

Although they are still wanting to pay through the nose for RL stars

I played for them when they were called West Park Old Boys.

Many years later I coached Mini's and Juniors at Harrogate, for 9 years, where there are 18 sides in total: 6 senior sides, Junior Colts, Ladies, 4 Junior sides (13-16 yrs), 6 Mini-rugby sides (7-12). The excellent Junior/Mini section has over 300 youngsters training/playing every Sunday morning and the club run one of the best Junior Mini Rugby Festivals each year and the Under 15's side have just won the Yorkshire Championship. The Harrogate club was established in 1871 almost a quarter of a century before Rugby League was born.

Similar set ups are to be found all over Yorkshire (and the rest of the country too) and are run with tremendous enthusiasm and dedication. These are not rah rah establishments but cover the whole spectrum of society with poorer kids not expected to pay any subs. Many Mini rugby coaches are recruited from parents who have no previous rugby background who are then trained to become qualified coaches. This level of investment in time and money not only produces players for the club, county and country but equally importantly produces in each generation a deep, lifelong love of the game which in turn brings money back into the game through ticket sales, sponsorship and millionaire benefactors.

League could learn much from this.

How many times did Leeds hold Salford up over the line? At least 3, maybe 4.

The commitment currently in defence is monumental, even McGuire tracked back to stop what looked a dead certain try and took a knock in the process. Everyone's digging in and having a go.