No consolation to you guys I suppose but as a neutral I thought it was a brilliant match.

Manly seemed to cut through Leeds with real precision, but the Rhinos just wouldn't give up and got close at the end.

Hell, even the fisticuffs added to the occasion.

As someone moving over from the round ball game bit by bit, it was another positive for RL.

Has anyone found Ryan Baileys ars[sizee[/sizehole yet? I believe he dropped it somewhere last night, and hasn't seen it since...

Morley might want it on his mantlepiece

Another thing that the game reinforced for me is how much better some of the English players could be if they were to spend a year in Aus at a young age learning their trade. The structure that NRL sides use in attack is something you simply don't get in SL, and that same degree of structure is apparent in reserve grade here as well.

That combined with (unfortunately) a better class of athlete explains a lot about the gap between the two competitions.

All fair points but as already pointed out by longun the funding the nrl and it's clubs get for coaching etc is light years ahead of anything we get over here so it's no surprise really.

Last night proved that the best team in the Australian competiton last year was 8 (dodgy) points bettter than the best team in the European competition last year.

That's it, the bottom line.

funny how in the lat five years nobody has been pointing out how far behing super league the NRL is.
thats a tongue in cheek comment, we know it's better however the over reaction by some is amazing.manly have been the best club team i have seen in a long time and it was a pleasure to watch them.

Any other club in Super League other than Leeds or St.Helens, would have been beaten by a margin of at least 50 points, no doubt about that. Leeds were outclassed on the night but what a great advert for the game. My favourite part of the game, - Ali scooping the ball up one handed and setting the try up - genius. Stevo compared him to a Sea Eagle? Weren't we playing them? Oh clever Stevo!!!

Problem is he seems to be !!!??!! I thought we had seen the last of the capable back rower playing in the centre last season...but again we seem to be playing him there by default.
Maybe Watkins is still a little young to command a regular place...but what is wrong with Gibson ??? And please let's have Scotty back on left with Senior.

Lost his pace and made of biscuits. Not going to cut it at a top SL side, time to let him go find his level. Leaves you with a choice of Ablett or Watkins until Webb is fit again and Smith can move into the centres.

Watkins is still too green to play regularly at the top level, he's developing physically, mentally and tactically but needs time and space to do it in.

So he doesn't deserve a chance to regain his full fitness then???????
Regards Jjb.