One of the good things about supporting a top club like Leeds in this golden spell of the last few seasons, is the fact that after a major trophy win, out of the woodwork comes the fans of the perennial under achievers of modern day Rugby League.

Whether its the simple gormlessness of Humbersiders, or the whinging bitterness of delusional Wigganers, the morning after entertainment value is almost on a par with the actual winning of the Trophy!

Long may it continue.

Smokey, whilst I can only imagine your euphoria of seeing your club crowned ‘World Champions’, surely you don’t think this statement is correct.

The Aussies play at W.C.C intensity week on week, there’s no way any SL club would make the play-offs in the NRL. They would be bumping along with the Sharkies & Titans.

100% on the money! It's the gift that keeps on giving! Unfortunately I'm in brisbane on business and not back in the syders office till Friday when I can get stuck into the Manly fans.

As you rightly point out the SL Leeds hate crew just make our victories sweeter!

Leeds did very well to win. Great defence. Ryan hall always seems to performed in the big games. However lets not kid ourselves. The sl clubs have an advantage. One side is in pre season while one side isnt. How could that not be an advantage? Now of course it would be great to see the australians take it more seriously but cant see it happening. NRL is everything! !

5 or 6 sides in SL that could compete in the top end of the NRL? Not a chance!! 4 Max and even then they would need time to adjust for the intensity week in week out.

This.

Watching the NRL for me is watching a different breed of Rugby. However Manly putting out an unfit side does no favours to how people see the competition over here. Anyone who watches the NRL must know how intense that competition is.

I do find it amusing how people always crow on about SL clubs having an advantage when they clearly forget that the NRL sides have a far larger salary cap and therefore can attract better players. If Leeds had a salary cap similar to Manly, imagine the players they'd have (as well as other top SL clubs).

They'd have exactly the same squad quality, but they'd be paying them more. A larger salary cap won't increase the number of top quality players we produce or, to any great extent, the number of players coming over from Aus.

Your forgetting Australia just produce better players.

Nonsense.

Paying a player more money won't make them a better player. But being able to offer other players more money will either attract them to your club or retain them (i.e. we've just seen some players leave to union and the NRL).

I'm not saying I want the cap to increase (it would create a huge gulf in class between top and bottom, as the better clubs will attract the better players from the less successful clubs). But to say they'd have exactly the same squad is ludicrous.

And? This is club rugby, not rep rugby. If you've got a bigger wallet, you can bring in better players even if you can't produce as many.

Regarding Leeds World Club Challenge victory, is 2 SL games really an adequate preparation for such a game? May be Leeds need 10 SL games in preparation to get their defence bob on . After all SL is by far inferior to the NRL, so we keep being told. Unlike a few people on this topic, the Manly coach has no excuses www.therhinos.co.uk/news/18747.php Well Done Leeds

Regarding Leeds World Club Challenge victory, is 2 SL games really an adequate preparation for such a game? May be Leeds need 10 SL games in preparation to get their defence bob on . After all SL is by far inferior to the NRL, so we keep being told. Unlike a few people on this topic, the Manly coach has no excuses www.therhinos.co.uk/news/18747.php Well Done Leeds

No they dont. Its a myth, they dont play at WCC intensity week on week. They have games which arent intense and arent at a high quality, they have games which are pretty poor. They have good teams and they have bad teams, they have games where they dont have to try as hard. They just dont have as many of them as we do.

There isnt a massive difference between the best teams in the NRL and the best teams in SL, in a one off match any of Leeds, St's, Wigan, Wire could beat any of the top NRL teams.