I'd say if you watched only the last 10 minutes, you'd say Leeds are gonna win the league again. They were clinical in the way they finished off Crusaders once they got their second try.

If you watched the first 60 though, Leeds made a LOT of errors and you'd have to say they may struggle. A lot may depend on the conditions and which of those Leeds sides shows up on the day.

Make the most of your time in the sun. It won't last forever...it never does. And, unless you go into it with the mature attitude that a lot of the older and wiser hands on Southstander do (they know who they are) it'll hurt all the more when you eventually fall.

And no, when you are the top "people" do NOT "thrive" on your failures, and do NOT "live in hopes" of you losing games. SOME immature people do. Surely not someone like you?

For most of the rest of us, well to shamelessly pinch some very apposite words from one of the best-loved novels in the English Language: For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?

Sly dig? I don't do "sly" - if I want to say something I'll come right out and say it, albeit diplomatically where possible. Feel free to show where I have had a "Sly dig" at you before. If I thought you were talking bollox, I said so. If I thought you were making a good point, I said so.

But I suggest the tone of your posts on this thread does tend to detract from the mature image you would seek to portray? In fairness, your banter is normally fine IMO, which is why I found your tack on this thread both surprising and disappointing. We'd expect it from the fekkwit bandwagonners (and God knows, we had our crop of them too), but you are better than that, surely?

Happened in a number of games last season, we're all too used to it. A few games were lost because of the number of errors and penalties given away as a result. But as you know having watched a champion team, they have what it takes when it really counts. I don't remember the last time we played well in the 1st game of the season.

Indeed - when you think about it, how many times when Bulls were in their most recent heyday did we all observe that they had not played well at all for much of the match, yet still managed to pull it off and get the win anyway nevertheless?

my tack on this thread was generated by fans on this thread and others hammering the refs for "helping out leeds" or accusing thailer of not been impartial in some rfl conspiracy? all this after just the first game(round 3 proper). its normally when a fans own team gets beat that some fools start blaming the ref! but to see other teams fans having a pop says it all really. answer me this please adey, do you think the ref made an premiditated attemp to gift leeds the game as some are suggesting?

To clarify...

I do NOT believe a referee is indeed biased. I never have and probably never will. There may be occasions in the past where it's looked like one has an agenda, but I never truly believe that to be the case.

I'm not gonna go back and read my comments, but anywhere I say he actually was biased, I am using this as an exaggeration and to highlight which way the decisions were going.

I do NOT really believe that Thaler actually had an agenda for Leeds to win last night. Nor do I believe Silverwood did, or anyone at the RFL.

I DO believe Thaler had a nightmare game and Silverwood gave a joke of a video ref decision. It just so happens, that the majority (and a large majority at that) of the bad decisions went in Leeds' favour. Hence why folk will call it a biased performance (as opposed to if both teams ended up on the end of bad decisions).

No need to respond in kind though? And with a bit of mischievous rabble-rousing of your own on your own board to stir up some of your more excitable elements??

And no I don't. If anything, had the ref had team orders from Red Hall (something I have oft-suspected in the past, tbh) then the calls would surely all have been going Crusaders' way? I do feel Leeds may have too much influence in the corridors of power, but I'd be very disappointed to find that extended to the refereeing.

And you have to assume, despite some of the infamous atrocious calls in years gone by, that it is only the officials' perception or ability (or lack of) (or in Ganson's case, arrogance) that dictates those calls (except for when Cummings sent Bradley off in his last game, obviously). If you start assuming something else, you'll soon lose heart with the game.

I do think though we saw some poor refereeing (remember, its the first league game of the season for the officials too) and Silverwood's call (which had NO bearing on the outcome) seemed totally bizarre at best. But I rate that guy not one bit anyway. Thaler normally strikes me as a decent ref, in comparison.

What Leeds DID do - and always do - is lie on to within a nanosecond of when the ref will blow. I heard somewhere the refs allow 5 seconds, and Leeds time it to perfection. I once timed them to prove it to myself! And of course they look at the ref when the tackle is made - all the better to judge how to squeeze the maximum out of the official's patience. Leeds do it smart. I said all this last year, and suggested Bulls (who were rank amateurs at this tactic in comparison) could do worse than study and learn from the masters of the art.

I'm the same as Dilli, I do not actually believe that Silverwood or Thaler were intentionally biased, even if the majority of 50/50 decisions went Leeds' way, however I would like your views on this Wilko.


Do you think it is just coincidence that Leeds have the easiest of starts out of any club in the league?

Crusaders, Castleford, Wakefield, Salford.


That is by far the easiest first games of any club in the league, I think there is a possibility that it is a coincidence or could it be that the RFL don't want Leeds to be put in any hard games before the WCC to risk injuries? Beacuse, lets face it, the Storm aren't going to bring anywhere near a full strength squad like Manly did, Leeds will not need to be at their best. they'll just need to be fit.

Just to note, Leeds don't play any of Hull FC, Saints, Wire, Pies or us until April IIRC. Nothing like giving the champions a head start

Think as pig 5hite by the looks of this thread.

Tip:

If you're gonna accuse people of stupidity, make sure you get your own spelling correct.

Yeah those crap teams,eh? BTW How did you get on against them all last year?

You should have more respect!

Comedy gold – I think I might bookmark this thread and when I’m ever feeling low I'll re-read it and simply remind myself “it doesn’t really matter how bad things get I’ll never be as bitter as a Bulls fan”.