YEP Jury: Professional display in Cup bodes well for Leeds Rhinos’ Easter schedule

Our fans’ panel have their say on Leeds Rhinos’ victory over Workington in the Challenge Cup and look ahead to the Easter programme.
Harry Newman scores his fourth try against Workington in the Challenge Cup.Harry Newman scores his fourth try against Workington in the Challenge Cup.
Harry Newman scores his fourth try against Workington in the Challenge Cup.

ANDREW SUTCLIFFE

Well the banana skin was successfully avoided with a resounding and professional performance against Workington in the Challenge Cup.

Muizz Mustapha in action against Workington Town.Muizz Mustapha in action against Workington Town.
Muizz Mustapha in action against Workington Town.

The game was over after 10 minutes and the question became how many would we score? Positives from the game were the kids: Harry Newman looks the real deal and will only get better, Owen Trout didn’t look out of place and Muizz Mustapha reminded me of a young Darren Fleary! Also Liam Sutcliffe’s goal kicking was immaculate.

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Negatives were ball control which was awful at times and Kallum Watkins’ form. I don’t know whether he’s still injured or just worried about his knee but something is clearly bothering him and he is a shadow of his former self at the moment.

On to the Easter weekend and two tough games. Huddersfield at home and the chance to get off the bottom, they’ve improved over recent weeks and will be a test. Followed quickly by Wakefield away. To dream of four points would be a real catalyst for the season and the addition of some size in the forwards could assist us greatly.

Happy Easter.

THOMAS LAWRENCE

It’s hard to judge Leeds’ progress after a comfortable scoreline against League One opposition, but I called for a ruthless performance and that is what we got.

Getting over the line and having a ‘points fest’ can only help confidence grow no matter who the opposition is. It was also nice to see some of our squad players and hot prospects pull on the jersey for the first time in 2019.

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Time to put things right with our Super League form now, starting with some positive outcomes from this Easter period. Some players have had the luxury of a week off and some will strive to pick up from where they left off against Workington. Is it too early to say that the game against Huddersfield on Friday is a ‘must-win’? I guess we won’t really know until September, but the Super League points need to start appearing from somewhere.

Wakefield away on Monday won’t be an easy game either, but as we have seen over the years anything can happen over the Easter schedule and I’m sure we would all be delighted if Leeds’ Super League points tally is at eight by Tuesday morning.

Let’s hope this is the case – come on Leeds!

LUKE CROSSFIELD

It was a very professional performance in the Challenge Cup and credit to the Workington fans who turned up as they were class.

I hope Liam Sutcliffe continues to goal kick like that, it was a joy to watch as it was seeing the academy lads on debut.

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A trip to Odsal in the next round of the Cup is going to be one of the ties of the round.

I can’t wait for the first competitive derby game against the Bradford Bulls for the first time in five years.

I hope Ava Seumanufagai is the prop we badly need and his arrival hopefully can give a boost to the squad.

Wellington Albert did show some good signs last Friday as well.

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On to the gruelling Easter weekend and Huddersfield Giants have been getting some good wins on the board recently, and so have Wakefield Trinity.

I think we should only play one game during the Easter weekend as the quality of the game on the Monday is always much lower.

It would be good to see us get two victories and start climbing up the table.

OLIVER HAWKHEAD

I think last week’s Cup clash with Workington Town was just the type of game and result that was needed for the Rhinos.

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Not only has it boosted the spirits of the whole club but it has also allowed the injured players in the team a chance to to heal up.

However, more importantly, we got a good glimpse at the future of the club and I think it’s fair to say we can have some confidence.

Obviously we must give credit to Harry Newman as not only the quantity but the quality of his tries were superb on the night.

I think Wellington Albert could be very useful in the middle as his offload game will give us a second phase which the team is so desperately lacking at the moment.

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It is just a question of making sure he does it at the right time as we cannot be turning the ball over cheaply with our patchy defence.

All in all I think this game has just come at the right time for us and hopefully we can carry this momentum on into a huge game at home against Huddersfield Giants to kick-off the Easter campaign.

KATIE BURROWS

I know last week’s opponents were “only” Workington, but it was great to see us looking confident and our younger players showed lots of promise, particularly Harry Newman.

A couple of familiar negatives, in that our discipline wasn’t great at times and we threw the ball away without being under any real pressure – both things that we be punished against Super League opposition. But, all in all, it was a good performance and Liam Sutcliffe kicking 13 conversions from as many attempts was very impressive.

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Bradford Bulls in the next round will be a great spectacle and is a game I’m very much looking forward to, having grown up seeing them as our biggest rivals. We face Huddersfield at Headingley on Friday and, given their position in the table, it’s a team we absolutely need to be beating. Hopefully resting some of our key players last week will have done us some good and we’ll come out fighting.

Following that, we travel to Wakefield on Easter Monday, for another must-win game. We can capitalise on their injury situation and come away with a win.

TIM NUTTALL

It is difficult to know how much to read into Friday night’s commanding win over Workington; to score 78 points must give some of the players some confidence, especially Liam Sutcliffe who kicked 13 from 13 and set a new record in the process.

There were some other positive performances as well, obviously Harry Newman scoring four, Richie Myler three and Wellington Albert getting his first. Tui Lolohea looked to revel in the full-back position; but I can’t imagine anything other than Jack Walker coming back in when fit.

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Even taking into account that Workington are a part time side we did score some very nice tries and ultimately, you can only beat who is in front of you. Credit to Workington who kept at it for the 80 minutes.

The Easter period will be massively important and we start against Huddersfield, a team we have struggled with in recent seasons. They will bring a very physical game and we have to be prepared to match that. The team Dave Furner picks will be interesting, a few have certainly given him a nudge.