I wouldnt be totally down if we do lose as Leeds are thee Grand Final side and also Leeds owe us in a Final after two pretty easy wins in the end at Wembley.

Should be a great game I felt our semi last year was good enough to be a Grand Final, it had everything.

all the players wags are very expensive cleaners r its a live cap it can't be breached

List your squad next to Wire's squad, estimate their salaries, and you'll probably find there really isn't much difference between the salary totals.....

For a start, I'm willing to wager that nobody in the Wire squad is earning more than Sinfield or McGuire.

i bet they do. and i bet benny westwood hopes he gets the same type of contract as he did last time

You haven't a clue, pal.....Admit it, you know jack. If you knew what all the players were earning, you wouldn't spend your time on here.

You're like the majority on these boards, claim to know all the 'inside' info, but actually just get your stuff from the local taxi driver or your own over-active imagination.

Saints used to be the grand final masters. But then relatively new kids on the block leeds rolled up and blew them out of the water in 2007.

Now, leeds, are the wiley old grand final masters and warrington the hungry new kids on the block, ready to blow them out of the water.

As a fan i feel so different looking ahead to the GF than i did the CCF. The CC i was nervous all week about 'could we finally nail the missing piece'. Already i feel quite relaxed about next Saturday (similar to last year), you get the same sense from the players. It's a case of whether or not it's a complete roll reversal and Warrington feel more tension about the 'their missing piece' than they did at Wembley where they'd already done it twice.

Despite the gap in final league placings no-one at Wire should underestimate Leeds.

I don't think the Wire fans are underestimating Leeds as much as their own supporters are!

Leeds Grand Final record is outstanding. A really tough team who never give up. Should be a great game

While I'm clearly not going to wager on something that is pure speculation, I'd plump for one or more of Waterhouse, Westwood, Atkins, Myler (big money signing), M.Monaghan and maybe even Hodgson (reigning MoS when signed...tho' maybe resigned since then).

Oh and I'd imagine J.Monaghans contract took a pretty healthy jump after the first one-year-dog-botherer-deal.

Intresting post.

Just out of interest though - can anyone confim if the highlighted bit right? He started out at Milford which is pretty much spitting distance from Headingley and I'm sure I've heard McGuire in the past talking about how Richie and him played in the same side at Leeds from a very young age all the way to the first team.

I remember Richie went on loan to the wire for a while.

He was about 13 when he signed schoolboy terms with Warrington. I remember it being in the Warrington Guardian but their archive site doesn't go back far enough, there was a lot of talk about him as being one of the outstanding schoolboys.

I would expect he must have been about 14 or 15 when he went to Leeds as he played in Leeds Academy. He came back to us for a brief spell on loan when he was 18 and then signed for us again in his mid 20s.

From that era (late 1990s) the schoolboy names I always remember hearing about were Mathers and Sinfield. Mathers because he was on our books, and Sinfield, we tried to get in part exchange as part of the Iestyn Harris deal, but Leeds wouldn't have it...they gave us Danny Sculthorpe as well.

Rhinos call on teen spirit for big Saints clash
YEP - 28th August 2002

Teenager Richard Mathers could be in line for his Leeds Rhinos senior debut at St Helens on Friday after being recalled from a loan spell at Warrington Wolves. The 18-year-old Rhinos Academy star has made a big impression since joining the Wolves earlier this season, making a handful of senior appearances including a start against Wigan on Monday. He was due to stay with Warrington until the end of the season, but Leeds’ injury crisis has led to him being called back to Headingley.... snip..... Powell saidRichard Mathers is coming back after being at Warrington. He has had a chance and he has shown he can handle playing at Super League level. We need bolstering at the moment because of injuries and he has shown he can do a capable job. There is a chance he will play on Friday[/i.” Mathers played his junior rugby with the Milford amateur club and had a spell at Warrington before linking up with the Rhinos’ Academy. He has played for England Academy and Great Britain schools, but has yet to make his Rhinos first team debut. Powell saidWarrington were very happy with him, he did a good job for them. He played a number of positions, six, wing, a bit of full-back and centre against Wigan on Monday. I thought he stood up very well in that game. He is a very strong character, very determined. He really wants to reach the top of the game and he works as hard as possible to make that happen. On the field his versatility is a big strength. He is a full-back, but he can play in a number of positions and do it well[/i.”


Mathers gets his chance after a Rhinos SOS call
YEP - 30th August 2002

It has been quite a week for teenager Richard Mathers – facing Wigan on Monday and St Helens on Friday, both with different clubs. Mathers was a member of the Warrington Wolves side beaten by Wigan on Monday, before being recalled from his loan spell and drafted into Leeds Rhinos’ senior squad. He will be back in front of the Sky TV cameras again this evening when he makes his Rhinos senior debut against Saints at Knowsley Road. The 18-year-old former Milford amateur admitted the phone call from Leeds asking him to return to Headingley had come as a bolt from the blue. Rhinos Academy boss Stuart Wilkinson made the initial call to see if Mathers was interested, before first team coach Daryl Powell got in touch. “[iIt was the last thing I expected after the game on Monday,” he said. “It was a bit of a shock and I didn’t believe it at first, but I snapped his hand off when he asked me to come back. Daryl said I held my own at Warrington and he thinks I can do a job for Leeds. I went to Warrington to prove a point and I’m really grateful they gave me a chance. David Plange was fantastic with me. I thought I went all right. I thought I needed first team rugby and Dave gave me the opportunity. I played in a number of positions for them and they were really pleased with me. They were reluctant to let me come back, but that’s how it goes.[/i” Mathers admitted making his Rhinos debut will be “a dream come true”. He saidI’ve been a Leeds fan as long as I can remember. I was a season ticket holder from the age of five or six and I used to stand in the South Stand. It is fantastic that I’ve got the opportunity to play for them. It will be unreal, especially against St Helens. Playing against Wigan on Monday and Saints on Friday is going to be an interesting week and one I won’t forget[/i.” Mathers will be hoping for a better result than his previous appearance against Saints just four weeks ago, when he was a member of the Warrington side beaten 72-2. “[iI know a bit about them, so I’m not jumping straight in[/i,” he said. “[iWe got hammered. I played a number of positions, I started on the wing but Sid Domic got injured so I played 60 minutes at six against Paul Sculthorpe. Although we lost 72-2 it was an invaluable experience. He is a world class player. I think it made me a better person and player, playing against Paul Sculthorpe. Tonight is going to be tough, but all being well it will prove the quality of the young players at Leeds. If we stand up I think we can really give them a run for their money. Daryl’s just told us to express ourselves and not go into our shells. He thinks we can do a good job. He believes in our talent, otherwise he wouldn’t put us in. I think we can turn them over if we all stick together and express ourselves the way we can[/i.” Though he was recalled because of an injury crisis, Mathers is adamant he is not just making up the numbers. “[iI’ve said to Daryl I don’t just want to be a stop gap,” he said. “I don’t want to play one game then go back in the Academy. Daryl has said that’s in my hands and I agree with him. I want to take the chance with both hands and hopefully keep my place[/i.”

__________

St Helens won Mathers' Leeds debut game at Knowsley Road 38 - 18.

Pretty much the same for me. I looked forward to the CC final with all the enthusiasm of a plumber called out to unblock Shaun Wane's toilet. This one I feel we can win.

I'm the opposite, i really thought it could finally be our time in the cc final. But with the grand final, it's been 57 years since warrington won a championship, it just feel like ''its going to be their time''.