I recall saying on the VT around Round 19/20 when it was obvious you were going to win the LLS with several games to spare that it would do you a disservice but Cas fans were adamant that getting to rest players in the build up to the playoffs would give them the advantage. Similarly some were claiming to be fine with being knocked out of the Cup for the same reasons even though it was argued that the Cas team could well do with at least a Cup SF/F for big game experience but that was dismissed with "how different can playoff games be".

What almost cost Cas vs Saints (if it wasn't for Percival's GK) and did cost them vs Leeds is thinking they could/trying to play like they were normal league games.

you may also have beaten us if you played without Gale

They did play without Gale in the GF

Their biggest problem in the GF wasn't personnel it was decision making/tactics. Every man and his dog could tell you you should've taken those kickable penalties early on but Cas refused, don't know if that was because they took their tag as the entertainers so seriously they felt they had to go for tries over goals or they thought their best chance was to try blow Leeds away early like they've done in league games. Either way really stupid decisions and some might say that comes with experience but surely the Cas players and Powell have watched most if not all recent GF's and playoff semis and seen what Leeds do to know what the smart thing was to do. If the fans in the seats and watching tv know taking those penalties was the smart choice then no excuse for Cas not to know either.

We wouldn't have beaten anyone whoever was 7 with a 40% set completion in a competitive final. Gale for some reason is scapegoated from rhinos fans bizarrely as the 1 who was to blame for our GF debacle, he really wasn't. We dropped copious amount of ball and failed to deal with kicks defensively.


Agree wholeheartedly with printer about declining 2 was mental. Literally unheard of in a grand final.

Friday night we probably should have took 2 when 15 up but maybe old habbits die hard.

For all the sniping at each other isn't it great to have the rivalry back again? Fri night was a sensational game of Rugby League and there will be more to come thru the season.

For me growing up as a kid Cas was always the big game. I think this Cas team is fantastic to watch. The rugby they played in the first 25 mins on Fri was out of this world.

We've had a SL rivalry with Bradford and look where they are now. We've had a rivalry with Saints which ended in us beating them in 4 Grand Finals. Long may this rivalry with Cas stay. It's great for Leeds and great for the sport.

Both teams was missing players Fri but produced an amazing game. Long may it continue

I've said before, I don't have a problem with fans or players being cocky. If they can take the inevitable mickey-taking when it goes pear shaped, what's the problem. I'd also add that IMO Cas would have been a very different proposition in the GF with Hardaker in the team, or even a decent amount of time to train without him. Not saying they would have won, but he was a huge loss. Gale I just don't rate that highly based on his play for England.

I like the way Cas play when it works - players in motion and options all over the place is how every team should look to attack.

McShane is getting bad for this. He is becoming the Kyle Lafferty of rugby league. About time they penalised it on the field instead of just telling them to get up and get on with it.

Ironically, they only got to the GF because Percival (a la Watkins) forgot his kicking boots!

Cas have a side that's often great to watch and most of their fans weren't alone in anticipating a GF win. Dunno if that makes them cocky, if it does I've been guilty of the same for some finals - and like them I've had the rug pulled a few times. I do have some sympathy here. Well, a bit...

Last years GF was probably the first time that a fair number of neutrals not so much wanted Leeds to win , but wanted Cas to lose

You'll no doubt be able to provide numerous examples of those assertions then?

You only needed to go twitter to see plenty of it or turn up at OT & see it live especially walking by the parade of shops/takeaways before turning left towards the ground.
Just becase you may not have seen it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

It may well have happened on twitter, I would have no idea. If people are basing their views on what is said in its 140 characters, or whatever it is, we really are screwed. If we are judging fans by a bunch of p1ssed up kids on a once in a lifetime day out we are equally fecked. I have a Leeds postcode, I work in Leeds, I watch Rhinos more than I watch Cas. I could easily formulate every stereotype of a Rhinos supporter from my experiences. Virtually all Cas supporters on here have shown humility & respect for Leeds, pre & post-GF. Why don't you use those posts to label Cas fans? No-one yet has shown a single post from a Cas fan on here to the contrary.

Didn't see Macca do any flops. One by Webster looks bad on first viewing but Oledzki's knee accidentally makes contact with Jakes temple.

stop trying to make up excuses for that flopping fish
he should have been penalised for diving, it was pathetic