Smith was outstanding and Senior showed true class (I’ve almost surprised myself saying that) – god knows how we’d have done if there was a winger outside him.

It would have been a much closer game if we’d not had a little tem minute nap after the whistle blew fro the second half.

But got to agree with tad – it was our right side that was vulnerable tonight.

Other than what I can only describe as a brain fart in the first 10 mins of the second half by Rhinos we would / could have beaten Manly. I really enjoyed the game and feel that the Superleague is not a million miles away from the NRL as people would have us believe. Well done Rhinos!

did stuart play good

I always fancied Manly to win, they were outstanding at times and Leeds could not live with them. Leeds needed to play with more width but they miss Webb and Burrow in that area, still you came back at them and gave them a run for their money.

Unlucky Leeds no shame in losing to a team that beat Storm 40-0 in the NRL final.

Fair play to you guys....i think alot of us Aussie could take some lesson in how to accept defeat gracelessly.
I have only seen the highlights but it sound slike Manly are going to be the team to beat this season again in the NRL.
Would have been good to have seen a different game with Leeds having Danny B, Webb and Burrow (if he stayed on the field....great tackle though from Whatmough) in their side.

Whatmough is a local manly junior see what happens when you produce and nuture your own juniors

The kind of game I'd expect when the NRL side takes it seriously. Remembering that they haven't actually played a game and we've played three, it gives a reasonable idea of the relative standings of SL vs NRL. It would be ideal if the NRL sides took this as seriously every year.

Just on Watkins, the kid's only 17 and won't be facing Manly every week. He's got a lot to learn and that was as good a lesson as he'll get. If he can watch the game and see what he did and didn't do he should only get better as a result.

Watmough was amazing, one of the best games I've ever seen from a second rower. Smith was excellent, why did we keep bombing Stewart, Williams looked a little shakey under the high bomb. That 10 minute spell for Manly in the 2nd half was 10 minutes of just quality rugby league. If Peacock hadn't been sin binned and Burrow hadn't have been injured, things may have been different. But we did well not to let our heads drop, and we drew the 2nd half.

I wish for once the SL team would take it seriously and not like a friendly.

rlpics from Skyrl

Fantastic game and despite the 3 try blitz I thought we held our own

We looked all at see when Diskin wasn't on the field and missed our 2 best attackers in Webb and Burrow, I thought we also missed Eastwood/Ellis as Kirke looked well out of his depth (first time in a long time) in the first half.

Even with a full 17 out I think Manly would still be too quick, strong and skillful for us, they would probably just of stepped it up another gear.