Strange bench place if he wasn't going to play mcshane. Was impressed with JJB, some strong running. It's only early doors, not going to get too worked up. Never looked like winning always looked second best

I agree with you about Hauraki. When everyone else could see that he was having a nightmare why on earth didn't McDermott put Delaney (a recognised centre) there and move Hauraki into the pack or better still onto the subs bench.

I agree he had a semi decent game but still think he wasted there. Burrow is more effective attacking the line not controlling the play.

Either play McShane or my money is on an average season.....

From the Rhinos official twitter

"For those asking about McShane not coming on, it was because of the limited interchanges this season & the unplanned change for Smith injury"

Whats up ,weres Bentham when you need him ?

Despite Leeds lacking any type of spark in the game who chose not to bring on the player who could have potentially boosted the team.

Leeds were poor, but the thing that was most disappointing is how passive we were. On a number of occasions we had the opportunity to be more aggressive and simply failed to take it. Looked like we had more than one eye on next week, although if everyone is fit, Hauraki should miss out after that performance.

Losing one centre before the game, and another having to play on the wing due to injury didn't help, but unless your forwards go forward, it's always going to be tough. Our kicking game was poor, highlighted by Clarke after the game, and the two things combined with a lack of aggression undid us tonight. It was also tough to see what the game plan was, but maybe that was down to the other points I've already identified.

Totally agree with you.

I dare say Smith wouldn't have ended up being tackled quite as hard resulting in the injury he sustained had he not been intent on sticking late knees into Charnley. Legitimate retribution was certainly swift and precise.

Was Smith really tackled that hard? It didn't look like it to me, and I've had broken ribs from a tackle on a rugby field, so would suggest I know.

I have to say that Smith had been disappointing prior to his injury. I expect BJB to play on the right wing next week.

Don't think so at all. Didn't appear to be hit that hard in the tackle

Despite the performance my lads loved the experience they had today, especially walking on with the players, and being surprised with a new kit on the coach over. We were really looked after by the Wigan club.

It was a hard tackle by Goulding's standards. It was the contact area of the tackle rather than its force that seemed to cause the injury.

And if you're not going to use your interchange hooker you may as well have a 3/4 on the bench to cover for injuries without rejigging your whole formation.

The reduced number of interchanges explanation is bull as well. One interchange with McShane on for one of the backrows with Burrow to 7, Sinfield to 13. As it was we still had enough interchanges to bring Kylie on for the last 4 minutes.

It was a fair result and Wigan out played Leeds in pretty much every area. With Watkins out and a backline consisting of Sinfield, Smith, Ablett and Hall we lacked a player or two who can produce something from nothing, and the pace to score from deep. Lee Smith seems to have lost the aggresion, power and that yard of place that made him a very dangerous player and a great kick returner (pre union). I think he's done as a top 4 SL player.

I know we were beaten in the forwards but we did create a few chances but liked the cutting edge to finish them off. Next week I'd like to see BJB and Watkins come back into the side and Moore to come in for Huraki.

We were very poor around the ruck I thought both in attack and defense. We didn't slow the ptb down enough and Wigan made so many cheap yards on the back of it. We in contrast were very slow in regaining our feet (partly due to Wigan's good defense) and thus made it easier for Wigan to get their line set.

So much in this game revolves around winning the ruck. If you dominate in the tackle, then you either get the extra second in attack to punish the slow retreating defence, or you find yourselves as that slow retreating defence if you lose the ruck. This is the primary reason why some players have made such a name as a scooting hooker.

I thought the better team won they took their chances and scrambled well enough to stop any situations that could of lead to us scoring.
I do think some of our ball movement was pedestrian and whilst i'm far from calling for Brian Mc's head why put Mcshane on the bench and not use him??
I also think we didn't adjust to the line -up re-shuffle as we could/should of done it's not as if the new positions were alien to them.
On a positive note i thought Griffin added some decent go forward and nothing happened tonight that can't be fixed up and improved upon.

Well said

JJB,Burrow and Griffin for me.
Hall has started to run sideways and I wish he would stop doing that stupid little half jump in the air before impact.
If you have lost your pace run through the man not sideways.
As for the rest of the team the backs especially were crap.
Burrow tried but is not the starting hooker FFS.
Let`s hope we did have one eye on next week as that was not good enough.
Time will tell I guess.

Can always rely on you to be the eternal optimist

. i do hope you're right, but I must be one of the few that has so little faith in our illustrious coaching staff. The selections are baffling.

Can but hope he see Hood as our starting hooker. Feel sorry for McShane: what has he actually done wrong ? Give the guy a bluddy chance at least.

Agree with the McShane comment. If he wasn`t good enough we should not have given him the 9 shirt or include him in the 17.
Personally I think Hood is the better of the 2 but McShane should have started.
Cleraly McDermott sees Burrow as the starting hooker unless he is keeping Manly guessing which I doubt.
Sinfield and McGuire were out of sorts tonight which didn`t help either.

What do you mean "sometimes"?

Leeds battered by a team full of ex academy players. Who would have thought it?
Now who is the ?

Leeds were out muscled: only JJB (again) and Griffin competed.

Wigan's defence won it: they're were brilliant. That and a couple of flashes of magic from Tomkins and Charnley: that young guy looks to have some much beautiful balance and pace. Great to watch.

Again, you're the a[ir[/ise.

This post sums up why. I was over there peacefully trying to explain to your fans why last week means nothing and you don't need to buy in Overseas players to compete. You still managed to latch onto it and try to start a b[ii[/itchfest over nothing.

And it's funny how you come over here and pick up on a post of mine about a match-up that didn't even happen. Like I said, you're one of the biggest a[ir[/ises on RLFans and you give other Wigan fans a bad name. For an older gentleman I'd expect more. Obviously you've been a feckw[ii[/it all your life and old habits die hard.

And FTR, I backed Wigan to win this weekend.

edit: Oh, and I would have thought it. It was the point I was trying to make.