I applauded your one Rob Burrow chant. Absolute legend of the sport.

Apart from the 2 grand finals we've already won?

I'm in catch up mode so only just picked up your post.
Agree with a lot of that.
We need at least 2 new centres and ideally a LF. I'd happily "swap" Bateman for a decent LF and play Smithies in the 2nd row.
The guys who I go to the game with don't think that we need any new blood in the backrow, I think we are screaming out for it.

Firstly I thought Leeds defended as their lives depended upon it.
Fantastic defence and they took the few opportunities that came their way with composure and professionalism.
If I was a Leeds fan last night I would have ecstatic with that performance after an awful start to season and some horrendous levels of injuries during the season.
They will be even better I suspect, come next season.

We looked slow in thought at times and our passing seems to have lost that bit of zing and accuracy that gives us time and space to use our pace.. Leeds obviously played a part in this last night but Cust not being there I feel also played a significant part of it.
Just 4-2 up at half time I feared that Leeds would come back strong in the second half. It was one of those occasions where I wish I was wrong with my predictions.

Personally I would started with O.Neil and put Powell on the bench. Playing Powell and Tommy I thought was high risk and O'Neil has been decent at hooker and I thought deserved his place.

2022 has been one of my favourite seasons in the last plus 50 years in watching the club.
The team are nowhere being one the best teams but what they have given me is some fantastic memories and some unbelievable tries with the Salford game away being a particular favourite.
They've put pride back into the club after some awful seasons performance wise and they are back in the community again after too long an absence.
For me we are still some way of being a very good side but with Matty Peet at the helm I'm pretty confident that 2022 will be a season to build on and that we will improve over the next few seasons.

I think that most of us know where new recruits are required and now that IL and KR are back in the zone I am quite hopeful that we will improve the overall quality of the squad next season

I am not sure we need new blood as a starter at second row/LF but we really could do with an effective interchange who can come on and bring some momentum, Faz is a top player but on the smaller side, Isa is a willing worker but limited. Oh for a Betts or Goodway type for the older viewers Partington, Shorrocks have had chances but not really been consistently good enough.

For me Ellis and Mago are big disappointments , Ellis started ok but has drifted a lot (seemingly since the sending off against Cats) whilst Mago for his go forward makes a lot of daft mistakes and not really much comes off him, I would let either or both go for one better repalcement.

Centre is (and has been) a glaring weakness for a long time.Thornley is ok when he plays but his injury record is poor and we can't rely on him stringing a consistent run of games together on a regular basis. Playing second rowers there is only an option in times of injury - it weakens both positions.

Don't care what he HAS won. Jamie Vardy won't be winning any more Premier League's but will still play in the top league. We won't be progressing from the front if Powell is the pivot.

It would have been interesting if the Marshall disallowed try had been given. I thought it was only ruled out due to poor freeze frame, never any sign of separation and if sent up as a try it it would have been given.

Looking at the game;

We weren't sharp enough in key spine positions. Having both Powell and Tommy in there stifled creativity and threat. It made Leeds easy to read and slide across in defence.

Out wide, we had no one straightening up the attack. The lack of a strong centre or 2nd row makes this an obvious flaw.

We have 3 back routers who are all great club men but have very little differentiation and is a weakness in our recruitment policy as we really need to offer a different point of attack and penetration.


I thought we would work on some new attacking moves to inject Field or KPP into the attacking line, but it just seemed pass out wide and hope Field pulls in a defender then a flat pass to the wing.

We relied too much on that move to French and Marshall and makes it easy for a good defence to read.

We should be looking at how we get Field on the shoulder of a strong off loading forward, Cooper didn't offload once, Mago can't remember any. It should have been a big part of our game.

Finally despite all the talk about off the cuff play what you see, we should take a look at Saints in attack inside the 20. They invariably come through Lomax and he slides a kick through, and every time at least two forwards are racing onto it. They must practice this until they can do it in their sleep. Same with Lomax's high kick to the corner, Batchelor is always full speed half a stride behind him and they challenge and usually get the ball, force a mistake or pin the on the line. Again they can do this in their sleep..

We need this type of play as an option against a defence that is well organised.

Overall a great season,, best in years, well done to all the players they've entertained and turned the club around. Interesting to see how we develop next year as we need to build on this year.

The three try assists from Lomax yesterday were world class. Pretty much unplayable with how close he took the ball to the line.

The intensity with which Saints started both halves was impressive. We started the game pretty well (after the Singleton knock on) whereas our opening 10 in the 2nd half was awful and ultimately cost us the game.

Our intensity was great. We should have gone into the 2nd half 3 scores up. I just think we look a little lost when camped in the 20 against a good defence which doesn't get sucked in.

Saints have 2 or 3 moves they just nail every game which cause panic on the best of defences, all based on repetitive practice, consistent behaviour and skillful kicking of Lomax, and Batchelor being in exactly the right place every time.

We were crying out for some structure like that rather than shift to the wings.

It’s strange how fans of different teams have such different thoughts. I think we struggle with attack close to the line considering the possession we invariably have. Lomax is a brilliant player and everything comes from him but if Welsby has a quiet day (as yesterday) we can struggle. We’ve missed Dodd hugely which has impacted our attack.

It’s a reason why I’m hoping we get an assistant focusing on attack next season. Briers has done a brilliant job with Wigan on that score. Defensively we are still outstanding and the way we started yesterday was a blueprint to how to play knockout rugby.

Bar Friday Wigans attack has looked much better than ours, with options everywhere especially with Field coming into the line. I think Cust was a huge loss for you.

Our passing was too slow and our timing was way off.

Exactly this Stu. Wigan have comfortably had the best attack this year and to suggest we struggle to score based on that one game on Friday is utter nonsense.

On the Lomax kicking it was clear that the coaching staff (or Lomax himself) were targeting Sneyd who has the turning circle of an oil tanker. Brilliantly executed by Lomax without doubt. Not something, I would suggest, that would be so effective against a better, more agile defence.

Congrats on the 4th consecutive final. I have a feeling you'll turn it into the 4th consecutive win.

We certainly owe Leeds. I still have scars from 07, 08, 09 and 11. I’m a Utd fan and Old Trafford was my most hated ground around that time especially given our loss in 2010 against Wigan too!

A lot will depend on the disciplinary. Whilst I will have no complaints if Knowles gets a ban I’m unhappy with the media focus on Welsby. C4- nothing said, Amor and Wilson call it a brilliant shot.

Sky- with JJB as a Leeds employee and O Connor with his son playing for Leeds have magnified it to the point where there is pressure on the RFL now.

All i'm saying is that we should have a few more options in the event our attack (which i consider to be far more effective and more enjoyable to watch) is off-key.

Saints lack much of the creativity and flair we have, but they execute planned moves to perfection every single game.

In game where we are struggling with out timing and/or a key strike player out injured it would be great to have something like that to fall back on. And it takes the focus off the usual suspects/moves.

For example, instead of Field taking the ball out of the back 30 yards out, slide the ball through for him to run onto, a move we have rarely if ever done for the fasted players in the league, or back on the angle to Marshall on the other side.

Well, you have half a point. But you must admit, it would be a novelty if Saints were not presented on TV as the blue-eyed boys?