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Leeds Rhinos: Wigan Warriors will warm us up for Manly - McDermott
Boss Brian McDermott believes this evening’s cup final rematch at Wigan Warriors is an ideal dress rehearsal for Leeds Rhinos’ world title bid.
One of Rhinos’ toughest Stobart Super League fixtures comes just six days before they face Manly Sea Eagles in the Heinz Big Soup World Club Challenge.
McDermott is expecting a fast and furious clash with a Wigan side who suffered a shock defeat in their opening league game last week.
And this season’s first blockbuster fixture will give Rhinos a taste of what they can expect when they take on the Australian Grand Final winners next Friday night.
“We need to play well and get the result,” McDermott said of today’s clash between the 2010 and 2011 champions.
“I think it’s a great fixture before we play Manly. We will get to play at that intensity.
“We didn’t have a warm-up game before last week and that was a well-calculated decision.
“But I felt we were perhaps a little bit rusty against Hull KR, because we hadn’t played at that intensity.
“We will be a lot better this week and hopefully after Wigan we will be a lot better again.”
Wigan began their Super League campaign with a shock 20-16 home defeat to Huddersfield Giants last Sunday, but McDermott is taking no comfort from that result.
“They will be improving this week,” he stressed. “All teams are going to be improving for the first three or four weeks.
“I think they will be better against us, regardless of last week’s result. I think we’ll be better as well, with more game time with each other.
“Our timing, offensively especially, will be a lot better. Last week we made some defensive blips, but take them out of it and I thought we were very strong.”
Wigan were the only Super League team Rhinos failed to beat last year.
Warriors hit back from 22-4 down to draw 22-22 at Headingley Carnegie early in the season, before hanging on for a controversial 26-24 victory on their own turf,
when the visitors had what appeared to be a legitimate try ruled out by the video referee in the final moments.
Warriors were also the last team to beat Rhinos in a competitive match, winning the Challenge Cup final 28-18 six months ago.
“Some of that will carry over,” admitted McDermott. “Just some of it, we are not going to use it as motivation.”
The Leeds boss said Rhinos’ training has been “very disrupted” this week due to the snow and ice, but he added: “Everybody else will be in the same boat.”
Rhinos could be unchanged from last weekend’s win over Hull KR.
Cut
Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Kylie Leuluai are all included in the initial 19, despite picking up minor injuries against Hull KR.
Richard Moore and Chris Clarkson – who were 18th and 19th man for the opening game – are hoping to make the final cut this time.
Warriors coach Shaun Wane will make two enforced changes, with George Carmont sidelined due to a broken thumb and Liam Farrell serving a one-game ban.
Academy products Sam Powell (scrum-half), Tom Spencer (prop), Joe Mellor (stand-off/scrum-half) and Jack Hughes (second-row) are all vying for a call-up.
Wigan Warriors from: S Tomkins, Charnley, Goulding, Tuson, Richards, Finch, T Leuluai, Mossop, McIllorum, Lima, Hansen, Hock, O’Loughlin, Lauaki, Flower, Powell, Spencer, Mellor, Hughes.
Leeds Rhinos from: Webb, Smith, Watkins, Hardaker, Hall, Sinfield, McGuire, Bailey, Burrow, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Delaney, Ablett, K Leuluai, Hauraki, Griffin, McShane, Moore, Clarkson.
Referee: Thierry Alibert (Toulouse).
Kick-off: Today, 5.45pm.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
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here we go again
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 06:08 PMA lot of fans might have been kidded by the unexpected grand final win at the end of last season that Leeds, guided by their coach, would start this season differently to 2011. I wasn't. It was the grit of the players that won that and nothing to do with our wonderful coach. From what I have seen in the loss to Wigan or the win against Hull KR for that matter, the style, flair and skill is again mediocre at best. Whats it gonna be this year McDermott? Last minute Leeds again? You got away with it last year but you ain't good enough or lucky enough to do it again. If Leeds cannot put in performances worthy of the "champions" against the tougher teams such as Wigan last night then I am afraid the fluke of last season will be proven very quickly. Personally I couldn't care less about the WCC. It is a facade for the TV and has no bearing on the season or the club unless of course the match causes long term injuries at it did last year. I won't leave voicing my dissappointment as long as i did last season and will continue to point the failings of this side until the club appoints a coach worthy of its history and success.
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