have the aussies brought anyone fat like george rose

As I said earlier Leeds will get beat by a team that will do the basics more accurately and faster than Leeds can - that should not be that hard to coach into talented youngsters. Unfortunately the junior amateur game is all about winning and not about skill development. We have players in an elite competition that can't pass - Hardaker is MOS yet he struggles to pass at all never mind accurately.

great players bill , would you have gone to headingley just to watch ellery or schoey play against ? we didn't get the best of them even with 40 offside tries in a season

et , lyons , grothe , currie , izzard would poss put in my all time leeds teams that i've watched but were here for short spells

best rugby for me has been 2004 and 2005 with ali , senior , bai and the youngsters supporting

I agree re SL but the NRL is miles ahead of where it was pre-SL - watch some of the old origin matches and the difference is huge. Can't agree re winter rugby - SL haven't got the skill set to play in the dry it would be tedious in the winter. The NRL has real star players these days and competition that standard-wise is as good as it has ever been

just had text 1,000 tickets left . thought it would sell out with the clamour for elland rd prev

Agree with much of above and points by Seth and fair chunks of points by Andy. A large part of producing star players like thurston and deeper overall quality is a numbers game. Apologies in advance , if I have the below numbers wrong but recollect someone telling me recently that the number of registered 15/16 year olds playing in Aus is over ten times higher than UK. Approx 25,000 versus 2,000. As others have said our potential thurston are probably in Man city academy along with for example the sons of Kylie L and mcGillvary from giants. Mal Reilly played football until. 16/17 then played RL. these days he would never have worn an RL shirt. Sadly, I have no particular solutions

Having watched the NRL version of Sam Tomkins crumble under the high bomb last night, I hope the management at Leeds have taken note. Our kicking game has never been one of the best despite our success, and if it's as bad as it was last week, I.e non existent, we're in for a long night tomorrow. Seeing Watkins die with the ball on the 6th tackle on our first set and watching Delaney tasked with a last tackle kick was indicative of how poor our options were last week. I'd like to see more kicking from our lot tomorrow, whether it be 40/20 attempts, rockets up into the dark Yorkshire night, or testing kicks along the ground into the in goal or cross kicks for our wingers to compete for. A physical battle is one we're never gonna win, a good kicking game and clever tactics will always be our best chance of success. Fingers crossed we have a bit of luck and they don't hit top form.

The NRL's version of Tomkins? It was the first game Ferguson had ever played at fullback. In contrast NQ's fb Coote is really solid under the high ball. Not saying it shouldn't be part of our tactics, but the lessons you can learn by comparing one team to another are minimal.

Agree with that and with everything that AG said. It isn't that hard to coach the basics into youngsters. It just takes time and a wildly different setup and environment to that which currently is in place in the amateur game.
As you say the basics aren't being taught.

In my humble opinion, the amateur game is failing Rugby League in every aspect.

No they haven't won the last 6 WCC games. They've won the last 3, which is frustrating enough although one of those was a measly 4 point win over Leeds.



I'd suggest you look up what the phrase "pot and kettle" means before you use it again.

But anyway, hoping for a win but predicting a probable defeat against the NRL champions when almost half your first team's missing isn't an excuse and if said NRL team came over with that many players out they've be accused of not taking the game seriously, by you and Wiliam "stuck in the past" Eve to name but two. If Leeds had their first choice 17 out and beat a NQL team missing 7+ first choice players you and that sad old troll would be the first ones on here belittling the win.



I think you're getting confused, unless you're now claiming the 4N doesn't matter?
Unlike you I see some pleasure in seeing a sportsman that is right at the very pinnacle of the game - if Lionel Messi was playing against Leeds Utd - unlikely I know - I would go and watch and I have no interest in soccer whatsoever. Great players are what sport is about, its what creates interest and drives participation - ignore their importance but I would say you are wrong to do so. Much rather admire a truly great player than get excited about one that is a pale imitation of the real deal.'"

Sad, bitter old man in harking back to the "good old days" when "I were a lad" and "everything was better" - SHOCK.

You're a walking, talking cliche William. The game's moved on, if you don't like it then go find yourself a new hobby but please do us a favour and stfu. Go get yourself an allotment or something... I hear they're popular with the old folks.

I agree with some of what William says and disagree with other bits. But it wasn't SL that ruined the sport. It was the 15-20 years prior to it that nearly killed the sport and something that we're still recovering from.

"Rounded view" coming from somebody going to watch one or two players in what is TEAM sport. I go to watch TEAM performances not individuals. Yes afterwards we can highlight and praise the things a certain player did but it's a TEAM sport for me when I watch it.



I go to plenty thanks, maybe you go to more games than me but maybe that's because you've got so little else going on in your life that allows you the freedom to go
You attend so few games I would be embarrassed to call myself a RL supporter - so don't try and demean those of us who spend our hard earned on supporting the team home and away despite the opportunity cost of doing so!!

In a game there are a few bits of individual brilliance - that is what you remember about a game - what do you remember from watching the Saints semi on TV - I bet it was Sinfield's 40/20 that is why we keep going to games - small nuances of individual brilliance!!

I am sure you have watched the last two WCS games on the TV as you will the game tomorrow - one thing even you should have noticed is the best players in the key positions seldom ever get to SL - have any of the starting 1.6.7.9.13 of Brisbane, Roosters or NQ ever played in SL?

No one is suggesting the SL clubs are rubbish - but even Stevie Wonder can see - there is a significant gap in standard between the NRL and SL - about 30 points if the last two games are anything to go by - the fact you fail to acknowledge that says much about your understanding of the game.

William is a great supporter of the amateur game - it has many faults but without it you would not have the likes of Sinfield, McGuire and Peacock - just think how much better they would be if the amateur game had the resources and support its enthusiasm deserves. William recognises how hard these clubs work so he attends a host of amateur games - pity you haven't got enough about you to do likewise. Not much chance given you can be bothered to attend the games of a team you claim to support so passionately