Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sat Feb 15, 2025 11:32 pm  

That game encapsulated the last few seasons to be honest. The atmosphere was flat, it just felt like nobody really believed from the first whistle. I really enjoyed watching Wakey’s attack in the first half, they looked like a team that had been well coached and knew exactly what they were doing. It would be easy to say the forwards didn’t get us rolling forward and give the backs chance in broken field, but let’s be honest, that could have been a Rohan Smith team out there today in attack.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 12:26 am  

I've just watched the highlights, how was that first Wakefield try given? Johnston looked to definitely be in touch.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 1:31 am  

Once were Loiners wrote:

I should add that had Miller and Sivo been available things might have looked very different. Both of them would be expected to make big yards on kick returns, which would take some pressure off the forwards. Maye Clark-Wood will help there and Miller will be back at some stage. But there has to be a Plan B. Doesn't there?

Wakey had 5 first team players missing but don’t worry, we’ll see ya in a few months at Belle Vue. Signing Connor was a desperate act, your return to the top table still seems a way off unfortunately.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 5:03 am  

Once were Loiners wrote:

That's how we let in tries. Batley is saying we fundamentally don't have enough oomph in our pack. I know Oledzki's stats will no doubt look nice again, but he just doesn't have a big impact with or without the ball. Palasia is a worker not a dynamo, as are both our starting second rows. Its all a bit blah. And don't get me started on Cam Smith.....

Precisely this, we get dominated far too easily, and I think this is what BA is referring to when he talks about simplicity, forwards before spreading it, constantly turning a forward back inside is easy to defend, but you must go forwards to create space.

If we fix that, forwards go straight forward hard, win the collision, get a quick ptb, then the field opens up for the halves and backs. If you don’t do this, everything is Hail Mary…

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 6:37 am  

First, a massive congrats to Wakey, who were excellent. Their shift plays out wide were akin to Cas of 2017. Speed of passing and play selection were night and day difference between us and them.

Great to see Gannon out there, and thought he was one of our better players. Also thought Holroyd looked ok, and unlike others I thought Cam was decent going forward.

While Croft and Connor had bad day, I just don’t see what Frawley or Ackers are offering. They’re painfully slow (thought Ackers was meant to be rapid!!), and their play selection is amateur. If Sinfield and O’Connor don’t look at those 2 and think they should be taking their starting spots in the next few weeks, that would amaze me.

First week of the season, Wigan have lost and looked toothless in attack, Hull KR nearly lost to Cas who looked amateur last week. Loads of time and no need to panic yet, but it was a let down of a performance given all the talk in the off season

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 7:10 am  

Trebor1 wrote:

Lost count how many times Smith killed an attack. I really don’t rate him. Needs to improve a lot.

He's played under every coach since Brian Mac plus a couple more while out on loan. He won't improve, he can't improve. He's not alone either, our player development is dreadful.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 7:24 am  

I like Cam Smith as a person, I like his guts in defence as a player. You can see the Lee Crooks influence. He’s no Dave Heron.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:16 am  

Awful, but not suprising, if theres one thing you can guarantee, when this group of players are confident, they are over confident, and serve up a stit show every time.

Pathetic, brain dead, bunch who think they're better than they are

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:55 am  

Wakey fan in peace. After pounding us and looking 3 gears quicker than us in the first half on Boxing Day, then obviously watching the highlights of your game against Wigan I genuinely thought you’d be pushing top 4. You were completely nullified yesterday, Frawley was atrocious (never rated him) and in my opinion the most overrated english players in SL Connor, Bentley and Newman were atrocious too. Handley is not a centre but is a class winger. If you look at the Wakefield trinity stats which are easy to find you’ll see why you were beat. It was a clinical workman like team performance that beat you and the score was flattering. If everything clicks you have some team, but by that performance you look like you have too many individuals and not a team.

Re: Leeds v Wakefield : Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:23 am  

Cam poked his nose through a couple of times. Was ok going forward but has a bad habit of slowing the ball as a pivot.