Will you still be saying this if it proves to be right? Maybe Smith just feels Kirke or Ablett is safer in terms of control and temprement in such a ig pressure game as this.

Not saying its right, just playing devils advocate

i can see why ts has left thacks out due to his errors but bailey gives away the silly pens more than most.

too close to call this one

Leeds lose Everybody complains we missed Jamie Thackray.
Leeds win Everybody well not everybody praises the team and forgets about Jamie Thackray missing out on selection.
Catch 22 situation really where Tony Smith earns his corn.

It won't be mindgames.

Faasavalu will be a big miss, but Smith for Long is OK as far as I'm concerned. Long has been poor many many more times than he has been good this year, and Matty will give us the kicking game that would have led us to a win at the JJB last week.

Smith at 7, I still think we'll nick it. If DA goes with Wilkin at 7, we're screwed as we need a better kicker in general play.

faas was pretty poor both times we're played you. i for one hope he plays, and can see him been more interested in smashing Leuluai to return the favour, then actually playing smart. specially if Leuluai gets a big hit on him from the start

too tight to call, lets hope we get the bit of luck that's needed in these big games

Fas has been excellent most of the year, I'm not going to write him off as a liability after (admittedly average) performances against Leeds.

Our biggest strength is that of our bench, and Fas is a big factor in that.

i would agree. he ups the momentum when he comes on after 20 or so minutes. he will be missed tomorrow. is gilmour fit?

We are most certainly due one.

I wish people posting on this board would quote Spanish balls correctly.
"Cojones" not "Cahones".
Re the actual game I want to see the Rhinos win, I fear they won't but hope that if beaten it's fair & square and not due to poor officiating.
If we do lose then I believe that we will win at home next week against either Hull or Wigan. We should have beaten both of them in our most recent defeats.
So all in all a Leeds v Saints Grand Final. A cracking game in prospect with either team capable of winning, the essence surely of a true sporting occasion.

I think Kirke is a safe option whereas Ablett is just as likely to drop a clanger but has far less talent than Thackray!

What are you basing that on?

I've not seen Ablett make the kind of game changing errors Thackray did in his last two appearances.

Can't remember Ablett dropping a clanger but certainly remember loads from Thackary.

His vivid imagination.

It is unfair to say Thackray cost us 3 points on the run in. Yes he lost the ball in the 1st set after we had scored on a couple of occasions but we should still have been able to defend the next set of 6. Senior knocked on from a tap restart with no defender near him which was a worse error than either of Thackray's but he has retained his place.
Time will tell if TS has made the correct decision and it would be hard to drop anyone after the Wakey game, but it is a harsh call if Thackray has been made scapegoat for a couple of individual errors IMO.