Leeds Rhinos Jury: Rhinos provide a real masterclass in losing from a winning position

Our fans' panel look back at Leeds Rhinos' defeat against Wigan and ahead to tonight's trip to Hull FC.
Joel Moon kicks through the Wigan defence.Joel Moon kicks through the Wigan defence.
Joel Moon kicks through the Wigan defence.

DIANNE HALL

Most of the people leaving Headingley on Friday night will have felt like they had had their pockets picked! After leading for 70 scrappy minutes the game turned on its head and Wigan snatched victory in the last minutes of the game.

Wigan Warriors' Sam Tomkins  is congratulated on his drop goal.Wigan Warriors' Sam Tomkins  is congratulated on his drop goal.
Wigan Warriors' Sam Tomkins is congratulated on his drop goal.

Up until then our defence had once again been outstanding and our kicking game, which was average at best, kept Wigan at bay.

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A couple of unpunished malicious incidents by Wigan, seemed to be forgotten by the officials when Brett Delaney was penalised in front of the sticks, allowing Wigan an easy two points.

I thought that Matt Parcell was our man of the match, he never stopped trying.

We need to smarten up in killing off tight games, stick to game plans and keep our heads for the full 80 minutes. Everybody in the ground apart from the 13 Rhinos players knew that Wigan would try for a drop goal at 8-8.

Wigan Warriors' Sam Tomkins  is congratulated on his drop goal.Wigan Warriors' Sam Tomkins  is congratulated on his drop goal.
Wigan Warriors' Sam Tomkins is congratulated on his drop goal.

Hopefully we have been practicing drop goals this week, because we know what a certainSnyeeeeeed will do if it’s a tight game tonight!

MATT FOWLER

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After the win at Wakefield, Brian McDermott said the victory would help the team further into the season. I am hoping the defeat against Wigan will be an even bigger learning experience and one that has far quicker impact.

The game was scrappy and the play of the ball area was nothing short of a disgrace. It was a pretty poor advert for the game and the last 10 minutes of game management by Leeds will be a difficult one to watch in review.

You could sense the team coasting in that last 10 minutes and the one positive, our defence, suddenly began to get rolled over. Hopefully we will learn some valuable lessons and quickly.

Next is a trip to Hull FC tonight and it is normally a happy hunting ground for us.

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The players talked openly last year of not having back-to-back defeats on their record so all being well they can continue that.

We will certainly need to be better in attack. I thought Joel Moon was particularly quiet against Wigan and we need him back to his best to get the win. Enjoy the game.

CHRISTINE KIDD

What a let down the last 10 minutes of the game against Wigan Warriors was last Friday. Up until that point the Rhinos had repelled everything the Warriors had thrown at them. Then things changed.

After going 8-0 up they thought the game was won. They shut up shop and in doing so allowed Wigan back into the game, the final nail in the coffin being Sam Tomkins’ long range drop goal.

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A win on Friday would have put us above Wigan in the league table. Both teams looked tired after their Easter exertions and it wasn’t one of the best games between the two teams.

Ashton Golding had one of his best games in Rhinos colours and Kallum Watkins’ goal kicking seems to be improving.

As with certain times last year, Rhinos seem to be in control of games but are struggling to put points on the board.

A visit to Hull FC tonight will be another difficult game and although we have a good record at the KCOM Stadium we will have to be firing on all cylinders to get anything out of the game.

ADAM ANDERSON

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The game against Wigan Warriors was quite an eye opener for the fans and the lads on the field.

It was simply the last 10 minutes where we switched off and the game was lost.

Tom Briscoe moved off his wing for the first time all night and sadly they scored from it. A high tackle caused a penalty which they kicked and then a poor decision to go for the short kick off at 8-8 cost us.

Another poor decision was going for the one point with a minute to go and on the second tackle.

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For me, we didn’t get the decisions we should have in the game, but we can’t dwell on that issue now. Other than that I thought we were top quality in defence.

Hopefully tonight we can put in a good performance against Hull FC.

It’s coming to the point now where we need to pick up wins against the pack of wolves around us.

Congratulations must go to the Leeds Rhinos women’s team who got off to a cracking start against Bradford Bulls in their first Super League match.

IAN SHARP

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Defrauding, deceiving, in other words plain cheating, in our game has to stop right now.

This jumping about at the ruck on the fourth or fifth tackle is blatant cheating in my opinion.

If the players want to start behaving like footballers and falling over to gain an advantage, I suggest they go play the round ball game.

The RFL and the referees themselves need to be clamping down on this growing virus that’s encompassing our great game, but the ultimate responsibility is the players and coaches.

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I’d love to know what brainbox came up with the idea of a 10-yard kick off at 8-8?

As stupid decisions went in the last six minutes against Wigan, that topped the lot.

We stopped playing and defending and then gave them field position in the last two minutes to get a drop goal, which I have to say Tomkins took fantastically.

By the sounds over the weekend the inconsistency in the standard of refereeing has yet again been highlighted. Nothing enrages fans and players more.

Hull up next, let’s hope we’ve learned the lessons.

GRAHAM POULTER

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Leeds are usually the masters of winning tight games , but they did the complete opposite on Friday against Wigan Warriors, gaining the new title of being masters of how to lose a tight game.

They seemed to have in their minds that the job was done, sorry lads but do you know that the game lasts 80 minutes?

It was such a massive disappointment in how Leeds threw the game away purely through not using their brains, a sad end to a poor game.

A Leeds team of old that contained the game management expertise of Kevin Sinfield wouldn’t have thrown the game away in the manner that Leeds did on Friday.

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He would have got into them to stay switched on and do their jobs and not to give away stupid penalties.

Come on Leeds players, grow up and concentrate on just playing the game and cut out the stupid stuff, you are your own worst enemies at times.

And I certainly wouldn’t put my mortgage on Richie Myler to kick a drop goal, it was a pathetic attempt from him at the end!