Quote: TheUnassumingBadger "I actually saw more positives in the Wire performance than I did in the Leeds one. Their defence will improve and they look to have some quality strike players in attack so I expect them to get much better. Similarly to the GF, Leeds played the occasion/circumstance (1st competitive game for months) much better than Warrington did.
What's interesting is that not a lot gets said about the spoiling tactics employed by Leeds, lot's of cynical and purposeful penalties given away on their own line to stop the game dead last night. I'm not saying it's right or wrong but when a side in cherry and white do it or a team from the bottom end of the table employ those tactics, they are quickly judged as being negative.'"
The reason nobody's mentioning it is that it didn't happen. Leeds were not playing spoiling rugby at all last night. When they were on their line defending for their lives individual errors were made and penalties given away, but no more so than by Warrington (or at least it wouldn't have been had the ruck been evenly policed). People get critical of Wigan and others because their entire defence is based around the prolonged wrestle/third man in/slow peel etc. that is not what Leeds' defence is about.
As for the game itself, Leeds didn't just play the occasion better, they played better in both attack and defence.