I reckon this will be close. Incidentally, having seen the highlights now, Wakey's first try last week may have owed something to some slightly slack defending, but it was very nicely worked. The Leeds defence will need to be on the ball, and shipping one try away at Wigan suggests they didn't defend too badly either. Rhinos by 8 I think.

I agree it could be a tight game but there could have been a lot more points scored by either team. I think 4 or 5 tries were dissalowed altogether. It was also a high intensity game with Wigan making 326 tackles and Wakefield making 341 tackles. Compare this to the relatively easy game at Headingley where Leeds made 285 tackles and Celtic only 258 and you could say we are going in under done.

Can't help thinking that you did no more than you had to do to win the game against CC and I'm pretty sure that they'll up the intensity on Friday, still if our defence is as good as it was against Wigan I think we'll keep it close and then the result kight come down to a bounce of the ball or a ref's decision. Whatever the result I'll be happy if we're competitive, having got two of our toughest away games of the season out of the way in the first two weeks and come away with at least two points we couldn't ask for any more than that.

Bang on assessment IMHO



I think someone might.....JK and JD for a start...

Oh, I agree but if a team comes to play then it is much easier if you have had a tougher game the week before. Also Leeds have lost a player and are playing 2 players who havent played for 4 and 6 months respectively.

Anyway... my men to watch in Fridays encounter are rlBrad Drew and Ali Lauiti'iti.rl. Both game breakers and both coming off good games last week.

Drew is a thinker, a schemer. He will play and play behind the line and then BANG... He has made a 50 metre break and passed to the support player and you are counting the points. He controls the shape of the Wakefield play and when he is on form, so are they.

Lauiti'iti seems to be getting involve a lot more these days and that is a sign of good things to come for Leeds. He attacks the line and very rarely gets knocked back. He also doesnt get put down very often either giving himself time to promote the ball. 110m and 5 offloads last Friday tells its own story and this with a quiet 2nd half too. When he is on the pitch Leeds look a hell of a lot more dangerous down the right side.

Indeed, I'll never forget the nightmare of him scoring five against us at B/V

The 19 man squad in full is:

2. Scott Donald
3. Lee Smith
5. Ryan Hall
6. Danny McGuire
8. Kylie Leuluai
9. Danny Buderus
10. Jamie Peacock
11. Jamie Jones Buchanan
12. Ali Lauitiiti
13. Kevin Sinfield
14. Matt Diskin
16. Ryan Bailey
17. Ian Kirke
18. Carl Ablett
19. Luke Burgess
20. Ashley Gibson
22. Danny Allan
23. Kallum Watkins
27. Dane Manning

My team would be
Smith
Donald
Watkins
Gibson
Hall
Sinfield
McGuire
Leuluai
Diskin
Peacock
JJB
Lauititi
Ablett

Subs
Buderus
Bailey
Allen
Kirke
No place for Burgess and Manning.

If Bluey decides that pairing Gibson & Watkins is too much of a risk, he may play Ablett in the centre, Kirke in the second row, move JJB to 13 and bring Burgess into the subs.
No place then for Gibson and Manning.

Probably start with Gibson and Watkins and if its not working switch it.

Is he Noble in disguise

wakefield are a pretty physical side, wouldnt want to go with only 2 forwards on the bench, dont think there is room for a hooker and a 6/13 swap burgess for allen, and let ablett cover the back 5