Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 9:56 pm  

Newman and Fusitua highlighted on Sky for their poor kick chase just before being taken off. Newman injured his back in the first half (apparently having spasms through the game), Fusitua has injured his other knee. It looked like a particularly poor effort from Newman, who didn't bother chasing the kick-off, then managed to run the length of the field to just about make a tackle after Miller missed it. Wilkin suggested that Newman should have given more before going off.

Smith looked visibly shaken when interviewed at the end. His opinion was the same as everyone else regarding the Miller short kick-off.

First Williams, now Marsters have killed us with footwork. Not sure how we managed to capitulate after restoring the lead 24-12.

Not sure where we go from here. We were in a commanding position for big chunks of the game. The team look very fragile mentally right now. Still far too many mistakes in the team: alongside Miller's woeful kick selection, what about Oledski's booming pass to no-one in the first half, and Sangare's telegraphed off-load to Hudderfield second half? We could have done without the dropped kick from Roberts.

At least Miller and Momirovski made up for errors with positive contributions. Ironically I thought Frawley had a good game, mainly first half.

Not sure about Smith. We did enough to win the game only for individual errors and defensive lapses to cost us. Smith isn't making the errors personally.

No quick fixes, I'm afraid. Depending on Fusitua's injury I wonder whether the club decide to cut their losses while there's still time to bring someone else in this season.

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:15 pm  

Feel really sorry for Fusitua. One of the few class players we have. Terrible luck with injuries, we can’t blame him for that, nor the club for resigning him. Just terrible luck….

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:18 pm  

Amor said on comms he thinks something not right with Leeds. We capitulate too easily he says. Interesting

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:22 pm  

I've noticed Amor doesn't let an opportunity pass when he's commentating to have a dig at Leeds (a former employer who didn't pick him when he was here). He implied Newman and Fusitua were taken off because Smith was blaming them for the first two second half tries, but it seems that he was wrong on this occasion.

Leeds are just not an 80 minute team anymore. Back to the pre-2004 days.

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:29 pm  

I had moments of prescience in this game. “They’re going to score past Newman if we don’t take him off” - 20 mins in.

“We’re competing here because we’re not making errors”. Sangare, Roberts, Miller, error error error lose…

If Newman and Fus stay fit we probably win that game. Leaving them on too long, and still not reining in Miller’s brain trumps… finding it hard to justify.

Also noticed we lost the ruck too much tonight.

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:32 pm  

To be fair to Miller, i don't think he was going for a short kick off. I think he just miss kicked it. Kinda sums the team up really.

To think this is probably the 3rd most expensive squad in the league is laughable... absolutely no depth of quality... Some of those players are for sure stealing a living...

The new signings are just not working...
MoM may have scored 2 tries (4 this season) but looks like he doesn;t have a clue,
Frawley, enough said.. kicks way too deep and does naff all
Miller is up and down... trying too hard probably to make the magic happen. Still rate him.
Croft... goes missing but does have some quality

This season could be over, or probably is but the table is still close.. we could turn it around

Clearly either the players are just sh!te or the coaching is not upto standard... maybe both. Time is ticking for Smith

As for the other Smith who is captain, i see no captain qualities on the pitch.

Can u imagine what a Peacock or Sinfield would have been saying behind the sticks after each Giants score? Going ape with the team..

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:35 pm  

I thought we did some of the basics much better in the 1st half, than we have done most of the season. We had the better of the field position, without looking too threatening will the ball.
The 2nd half was a different story. Huddersfield were well into our half with the 1st set from the kick off and our 1st set finished with McDonnell kicking on the last from in our half. That set the tone for the half.
While we have been poor most of the season our defence has been pretty solid, but these last few weeks even that has capitulated.

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:53 pm  

We’re just constantly losing our composure under pressure.

We were flattering to deceive today - The Snake missed three kicks and the two tries we scored early second half were soft. First half was pretty good, but we let them come at us second half and had no real answer.

If I’m being kind I could say we didn’t have any backs on the bench so losing our 2 and 3 was a big deal.

I mean Catalans got wiped by this crew at their place last week and we did better, but we handled the injuries poorly I thought.

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 11:00 pm  

We have no mental fortitude, and the reason for that is the culture running through the playing side of the club accepts mistakes far too easily. That stems from the CEO and the Coach and manifests in the playing groups. Until that changes we will continue to have the occasional good performance surrounded by mediocrity and a few humpings by the better teams.

Re: RD 8 | Huddersfield Giants (H) : Fri Apr 19, 2024 11:13 pm  

-Weak minded mentality continues

- Fusitu'a should call it quits his body just can't cope with the demand of rugby (Newman isn't far behind him in that respect)

- Mcdonnell can't cover centre although couldn't really be helped with the injuries tonight

-Miller is very rocks and diamonds can produce a bit of magic but tries to do it too often should have just found the deck when returning the ball instead of trying to jink past 3 Huddersfield chasers. To then go for a short drop out with the scores at 24-24 with 5 mins left is a complete brain explosion and sums up the current mentality of this Leeds team.

-Some good pieces of play tonight completely undone by terrible defensive efforts and reads and poor game management the cons far outweigh the cons.

-Kendall is still as shocking as ever with his decisions ridiculous at times.

-Anything but 2 wins from the next 2 and Rohan is surley gone.

Literally losing interest more and more each week in a club I love and will always support through thick and thin but just sick of same old story now for far too long.