Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:46 pm  

Happy with the wins but not really that impressed with performances. I think our defence overall is pretty good but our go forward is (and continues to be) pretty poor at times. Its unfair on those young forwards as we've been screaming out for a quality prop for years.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:47 pm  

I know Leeds were missing more players than us but put Marshall, Manfredi, French, Field and Gildart back in and our attack is far more threatening.

With two second rowers in the centres we will never be as fluid as we want to be.

The Hastings try showed how much juice we had taken out of them, that was pure fatigue in defence. From that point on, although only 6 in front I never felt we were going to lose the game.

Big efforts from Smithies and Isa. I’m pleased for Hanley, an error free game and we saw half a glimpse of what he could do if we managed to give him the ball in some space.

Is it just me who can’t stand this new ball stripping rule.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:47 pm  

I don't think Lam will even consider playing Hardaker at fullback when French is back.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:48 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

I don't think Lam will even consider playing Hardaker at fullback when French is back.

Post game interview didn’t sound like it did it.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:51 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

I've slated Hanley's performances every week. He's not quite proved me wrong, but he was solid for the first time today. Great to see his first errorless performance. I'd still leave him out next week if French returns, but it's encouraging. Would have liked to have seen Halsall get a crack after a good game last week, better than having two second rowers at centre. I thought Shorrocks had a bad game.

Shorrocks a bad game? Thought he had a cracker myself. Worked his socks off, good aggression and decent ground made. Hanley did more than just not make errors in fairness to him. He ran the ball pretty well and got a couple of opportunities in a bit of broken field where you can tell he’ll be strong. A good ending (as it probably should be) to his first spell of a few games for us.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:56 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

I don't think Lam will even consider playing Hardaker at fullback when French is back.

Yeah I think we’ll see Zak at centre pretty soon. He is probably right Lammy in that it’s best for the team. You don’t lose much, if anything at fullback (if French plays like last year), you get a more natural centre and a player in great form moving in to that 3 shirt, which then lets Isa or Faz move in to the back row.

One downside of Lams interview for me was him saying Smithies is a loose forward playing at second row as though he thinks he’s totally out of position. I think currently he plays out of position when he’s at loose forward. He played plenty of second row in the academy and his time will come in the middle. It doesn’t need to be now and shouldn’t be now at the minute.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:58 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Shorrocks a bad game? Thought he had a cracker myself. Worked his socks off, good aggression and decent ground made. Hanley did more than just not make errors in fairness to him. He ran the ball pretty well and got a couple of opportunities in a bit of broken field where you can tell he’ll be strong. A good ending (as it probably should be) to his first spell of a few games for us.

Maybe I'll think differently about Shorrocks when I watch it back or see the stats, just noticed him getting driven back a lot and giving up set restarts/penalties.

We do need to find a way to make these hard yards, Leeds had plenty field position to win that game but lacked the guile to punish us.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:07 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Maybe I'll think differently about Shorrocks when I watch it back or see the stats, just noticed him getting driven back a lot and giving up set restarts/penalties.

We do need to find a way to make these hard yards, Leeds had plenty field position to win that game but lacked the guile to punish us.

Just liked his energy but there’s no doubt we’re short of one big man in the middle and he’s not that. I’m loving Smithies out wide and Shorrocks is another who probably should be eased in to it from the second row but he worked overtime tonight.

I’m sure when the big games come round we’ll see more lads step up. I don’t think Bateman has been anywhere near his best yet. I’d say the same for Powell as well but there’s no worries on those two. It’ll really help the side to get Isa and Faz back in the pack.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:08 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Maybe I'll think differently about Shorrocks when I watch it back or see the stats, just noticed him getting driven back a lot and giving up set restarts/penalties.

We do need to find a way to make these hard yards, Leeds had plenty field position to win that game but lacked the guile to punish us.

I know Leeds were missing a few but it has to be said our defence was outstanding.

Re: Team V Leeds : Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:11 pm  

Good to get a win but we still look second best around the middle. One day a teams will steamroller us up the middle and then be able to spread it effectively. If we are struggling to get out of our own 25 the best teams will be lining up for attacking practice.
I have been saying for a while that Smithies needs to run further out and he looks threatening but he has a long way to go to be as good as Faz. As for Bateman and Powell they are at their best when they are going forward off a dominant drive.