Disagree completely there were far more ?'s & baggage hanging over this crop & Coach than the 2008 set up.
Not ony that Cas had destroyed everyone & walked the top spot/LLS.
We were coming off an awful 2016 done nothing since Sinfield JP & KL had left & never looked like beating them all year.
Throw in the age of our best players that were still here from the 2008 era & this is a much bigger win imo.

Saturday was massive! The odd Cas fan are claiming (this is a new one on me) that they are "league champions"

The Eight in a row thing means nowt! As was said all along. Winning the big games is when it counts. We got the job done in some style in the conditions.

Difficult to judge so soon after but this years feels like the best ever win for me (yes even above 2004)

Thinking back to all the losses against Cas this year and watching Gale do his strutting after scoring trys it really was satisfying to see them well beaten on the big stage, it's also great to see the team and coach respond to what was a terrible year last year and to stick 2 fingers up to all the critics.

Also just to add, why is Mcguire never mentioned for England tey could do far worse than have someone with his experience and rugby brain in the squad

Have to agree with the above. In particular I remember Eddie Hemmings at Magic saying Cas walked into the stadium with a strut like they owned the place. Could never get my head around the arrogance. I think they will fall away next year. They will never get that close again.

I agree, confidence is a good thing, but then and their fans total lack of respect is pure arrogance, maybe this humbling experience will learn them some humility.
We are class in visitors and defeat.

Just had a quick read of their main forum, I don't think ive read one post giving Leeds any credit - in fact quite a few saying we were 'rubbish' and 'bang average'.

Are you hell.

Arrogant and cocky supporters taking the mickey before the game. "Why have you bothered to turn up", "Wasted journey", "8 in a row" etc, etc. Grand Finalist supporters haven't done this in the past, mutual respect is what is normally on show. Then at the end of the game they plead that the competition stinks. "How can we be crowned "Champions"?" Well that's how our competition is structured. If Cas (and there have been others) don't agree with the structure of Super League then don't enter the comp.
2017 Bet Fred Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos.
Cas supporters you have to live with that. Get over it!

I went through all 8 winning finals yesterday and everyone was different even 2008 2017 apart from the similar jibes from the saints and Cas fans , remember the lead up to 2008 all those saints fans on here after the 38-10 defeat and certain players Pryce for instance saying 'we should be champions we finished top 'etc. The difference for me was in 2008 I was fearful of the outcome , against Cas I wouldn't have backed us ,but I thought we were in with a chance .The last few games we were getting into a bit of form and Cas weren't running away with games like earlier . the other similar thin about 08 and 17 was saints went into the final on the back of 23 ? games undefeated and Cas had beaten us 8 games in a row and both sets of their fans were reminded that all runs end

Cas fans clearly overlooked the fact that they were decidedly second best in their semifinal win over saints who outscored the so-called ipregnable defence of Cas five tries to three and would have won had Percival kicked only one of the four conversion attempts that missed.

Back in their box & looking forward to visiting their shed next year just to remind them who the Champions are.
Even if they win 66-10 again.....we’ll still be champions & they’ll still be chokers
All finals were special but Saturday was because it was Cas
Back in their box.

Luke Gales post try cat walk strut exemplifies the supreme cocky arrogance that has swarmed them over the last year. There's a reason it's now "cocky classy cas". Everyone knows you don't get cocky until the trophy is in the cabinet, then and only then do you have the bragging rights. The cocky element of their fans (the "why have you bothered turning up" mob) learnt a profound lesson on Saturday.

They'll learn some more lessons next season because it'll be difficult to dominate like they have this season and there's too many teams with pedigree looking for redemption. (Wigan, Warrington after poor seasons, and then hull and saints looking to get past the gfs semi).

I'm not in the camp that thinks Saturday was a stumble on the way to greatness for cas. I think they played a huge get of jail card to get there and then once there blew their big chance, getting to the gf is hard, just ask the saints or hull teams from the past few seasons.

Powell's put a great little set up in place with the players there at the moment (a bit like huddersfield a few years ago), but when some of them move on, when teams adapt to their systems better it will be harder. You can't maintain a top team on journeyman who you make greater than the sum with a good system, you need top quality juniors. That's why it always comes back to Wigan leeds and saints.

Despite you pricks doing your best to belittle Cas , FYI our juniors also made the Academy Grand Final. Lost to Wigan but still, when some of our "journeymen" move on there is some reasonable talent coming through.

Only one prick you should be directing your anger at and he doesn't reside on here.

Chill 88, I don't think most of us are belittling Cas, you played wonderful entertaining rugby for most of the season. Unfortunately when the weather didn't favour your style of play, and you star FB had another brain fart, there didn't appear to be a plan B.

We were written off by just about everyone, including by most of us for much of the season, but against expectations, including my own, we showed why you should never write off Leeds in a final.

If your guys can perform as well next season you may yet break your GF duck. After all they say you have to lose one to win one