first time at the reserves and at Wilderspool for me.

Thought the reserves played really well after they got up and running towardst the end of the first 10 minutes. Almost as if they asked Leeds the question of "what have you got?" before replying with a beefy "thats not good enough, sorry." Two good tries by McCarthy at the end of the half didnt flatter them at all i dont think.

You are right about Penny, he did not play at all well in my opinion. He just stood out on the wing and it was as if he expected the ball to go all the way out to him every time, and when it didnt he never looked as though he wanted to get into the game. Its alll well and good putting a big slap on to an onrushing player, but it wasnt a tackle that stopped the big Leeds player. Penny was also at fault for Leeds' try towards the end of the game. Why does he always run back into the line with his back to the play? And what is with his little skip before going in to take a tackle? Surely he would do better if he just ran full pelt into the onrushing defence? Momentum might take him somewhere and he would be far more likely to break through the tackle than stopping, doing an irish jig and then getting ten bells knocked out of him?!

Anyway, the one thing that I really did like to see yesterday was McCarthy absolutely itching to get back into the game after he took a knock in the second half. He kept looking up into the stand and almost begging to go back on. Thats the sort of desire you want to see from a group of youngsters in any sport. Thought he played really well and commanded the play well at times in the first half.

(sorry if timings arent right in some of that. Written from memory the day after and all)

Here you go

It's a double header at Wilderspool next week too. Academy at 1 followed by Reserves at 3:30.

Anybody know what's happened to the Full-Back/Winger, Yaad johal his name or something along those lines.