I think Brian has earned some criticism tonight. He got all the tactics all wrong.

Warrington are rubbish and have been for the majority of this season. They were there for the taking and the Rhinos fluffed their lines.

No point blaming injuries or referees for a defeat to a second rate side.

good game bruce?... good game?

what you you get for a pair in this game brucie?

I thought Wire were very good and their tactics were spot on. They've a big set of props and an excellent backrow alongside 2 cracking hookers. They used that to their advantage and ripped us apart down the middle.

I don't quite see what was wrong with our tactics. It was our tired-looking performance that was the issue. No support for the ball carrier and not enough men in the tackle. That's nothing to do with tactics.

What about the "tactic" to use our starting props for the entire first half (Cuthbertson for the first 60 minutes)? Or of leaving Sinfield on the bench throughout the first half when we desperately needed control and some form of kicking game.

Honestly, just when you think BMac knows what he's doing he defies you. (To be fair, he also has a habit of defying you just when you think he doesn't know what he's doing. He's a very peculiar coach.)

Well Peacock is definitely capable of doing 40 mins and IIRC Singleton went off in the first half but I can't really recall when.

I also can see why he left Sinfield off. We looked like we needed pace and energy rather than steady as she goes. If anything I'd say we needed Burrow on rather than Sinfield.

I don't think the props, in isolation, or the kicking game was the issue. We just didn't support each other either in attack or defence.

We didn't support the ball carrier, there was nowhere enough bodies in motion when we had the ball except on a couple of occasions in Wire's 20.

And we certainly didn't get enough bodies into the tackle. That's why Wire got quick play the balls which Higham and Clark took advantage of.

I also think it was one of those days where the luck doesn't go for you. If the ball was going to bounce it would bounce in a way that favoured Wire. On numerous occasions we tackled hard enough to dislodge the ball but it went backwards and into a Wire hand. By contrast the times Wire did it to us it went forwards and was a knock on.

There was also a not insignificant effect on the game by the Work Experience Lad with the whistle.

I think Wire's tactics played perfectly to their strengths.
I don't think our tactics not the interchanges were the primary reason for our poor performance. I think the players not playing well enough was the primary reason.

Maybe the effects of Easter and a small squad catching up with us plus missing Briscoe, Hall, JJB & Leuluai, plus Wire playing well, plus us not playing that well.

For me the biggest impact on the game was the ruck speed. The registered seemed to allow the tacklers to lie for an age. Warrinton played to this but we seemed to jump off the tackle and gave them quick ball.

What nonsense. Wire are a good side that have been struggling for form (and to find the right settled team/system) after several major squad changes

I'm never sure if its just my own bias but I've often thought we're poor at taking advantage when refs are allow a slow play of the ball

i agree. It is quite a fine art though and Leeds probably don't train so much on it. The likes of JJB and peacock get pinged for it as not quite fast enough to peel away in time.

as this topic is about brian mac and you question

in mac's case it's 2 grand final wins that make a pair,come back when you can make a pair of grand final wins....good game,good game

I think JJB is dreadful at it, always really blatent even when he isn't penalised.

I'm sure there is a big contrast between how much time different coaches are willing to spend on the "dark arts" such as slowing the PTB. I've always got the impression that Tony Smith for example is quite heavily focused on skills and individual coaching and wouldn't make much time for it.

JJB is like Senior used to be.Good for at least 1 penalty for holding down per game, (or so it seemed).Frustrating to watch at times

It can be frustrating but we missed it so much on Friday. Our play the ball was so slow, yet we failed to control the Ruck when they had the ball.

regarding penalties that jjb concedes i believe that the more tackles a player makes in a game then he is far more likely to concede penalties, as is indicated by our best player this season stevie ward being guilty of conceding 7 penalties despite making 486 tackles imo jjb was having a great start to the season performance wise but he was found guilty of giving 5 penalties away,i'm not sure if these 5 penalties were all tackle related but when you look at his tackle stats in the games that the penalties were awarded against him you will find that his tackle counts were pretty high in those games www.superleague.co.uk/matchday/player/271 would you rather have a player in your 17 that gives away 0 penalties but who makes the odd tackle when hes on with also a couple of misses thrown in too? if you do then who is going to make those tackles? jjb will easily make our starting 17 each week when fit,especially when the big games come around irrespective of the annoying penalties he gives away

regarding penalties that jjb concedes i believe that the more tackles a player makes in a game then he is far more likely to concede penalties, as is indicated by our best player this season stevie ward being guilty of conceding 7 penalties despite making 486 tackles imo jjb was having a great start to the season performance wise but he was found guilty of giving 5 penalties away,i'm not sure if these 5 penalties were all tackle related but when you look at his tackle stats in the games that the penalties were awarded against him you will find that his tackle counts were pretty high in those games www.superleague.co.uk/matchday/player/271 would you rather have a player in your 17 that gives away 0 penalties but who makes the odd tackle when hes on with also a couple of misses thrown in too? if you do then who is going to make those tackles? jjb will easily make our starting 17 each week when fit,especially when the big games come around irrespective of the annoying penalties he gives away