YEP Jury: Toothless Leeds Rhinos must cut out the ill-discipline as well as the errors

MATT FOWLER

We were all wondering if Leeds Rhinos would come out of the lockdown with the same confidence and form as when they entered it. I think we know the answer. The performance against Wigan was improved, but let’s be honest it couldn’t really get much worse.

There was some fight there and we had plenty of minutes in the Wigan red zone but the attack was toothless. Wigan had fewer opportunities but when they arrived, they took them.

Two things that didn’t improve enough were the discipline and errors. Wigan weren’t great but we were really sloppy and that proved the difference. I have said before, we are the most ill-disciplined team in Super League and if that does not improve markedly in the next month then our chances of play-off football will be a dream and nothing else.

Hopefully a few players will return for the next game against Salford. Jack Walker is a big miss for us. The league is still pretty tight, and the next few games are all winnable so I hope we spend the next few weeks fine tuning the attack and we can kick on. Hope is not lost.

CHRISTINE KIDD

What to make of Leeds Rhinos performance against Wigan Warriors last Sunday?

There was an improvement on the previous week but not enough for Leeds to win.

Richard Agar made a number of changes to his team. Bodene Thompson made his Rhinos debut and considering it was his first game since early March he didn’t do too badly.

It was good to see Liam Sutcliffe back playing again.

The defence was much improved from last week but Leeds still have a lot to work to do on their attack.

They look nothing like the free-scoring team they were before the break.

Yet again there were too many errors and Wigan made us pay dearly when we gave away penalties. Luke Gale’s sin-binning with 10 minutes to go didn’t help and led to the score looking more one-sided than it should have been.

The Rhinos don’t have a game this week because of the Challenge Cup so they have plenty of time to work on and improve their attacking game, before they hopefully take on Salford Red Devils on August 29.

ADAM ANDERSON

It was a strange one last week, due to play Saturday, being moved to Sunday. It would have been nice for that extra day off I’m sure.

We didn’t look too bad in parts against Wigan, but we still looked miles apart from a top Super League side.

There were performances by a few players which weren’t up to scratch at all. Hopefully Richard Agar rings the changes for the game against Salford at the end of this month.

It was good to see Liam Sutcliffe back on the field and he didn’t disappoint.

The rest will be good for many and could be a chance for our injured players like Jack Walker and Richie Myler to get back into the swing of it.

If they don’t make it back, I wouldn’t mind seeing Sutcliffe at full-back and moving Ash Handley back to his trusted wing spot.

Lockdown hasn’t been kind for us, we were the best defensiv team before, now we’ve gone to conceding silly tries.

Hopefully this gets nipped in the bud on this break.

GRAHAM POULTER

Capital E for Errors. Capital P for Penalties. Capital R for Repeating.

Why oh why Leeds do you keep on persisting with making the same errors week after week?

They are consistently bad in dropping the ball and it’s absolutely infuriating to watch.

It’s the same with giving away the same kind of penalties week after week, head high tackles, do any of you guys not know how to tackle correctly?

Also laying on the opposition far too long in the tackle, just when is the penny going to drop, eh fellas?

Sort it out pronto, you all seriously need your heads banging together.

Just think about what you’re all doing as a team in contributing to the giving away of vital field position and aiding and abetting the opposition.

It isn’t good enough fellas. Some of you aren’t good enough to wear the Leeds Rhinos jersey.

There certainly needs to be serious questions asked of the recruitment policy at the club.

IAN SHARP

Taking out the positives of this week’s loss to Wigan – at least we scored!

That’s not far off the lot if I am honest. I thought Ash Handley had a solid enough game at full-back and Harry Newman ran his blood to water for the cause, my worry is where is the team that were so excellent before lockdown?

It’s the same squad and yet we look like strangers, we have no last play strategy at all, the kicking on the last tackle is woeful, players are just looking at each other, when we get to the 20-yard zone, as what they are going to do.

Surely they are the plays that should be imbedded in the brain in training? – not leaving Luke Gale looking like captain Jack Sparrow trying to steer a rudderless ship on his own.

It was a better performance, but on the back of the week before it wasn’t hard.

With a break this week because of the Challenge Cup, let’s hope they are working on some plays in the 20-yard zone so when we play against Salford we have at least some idea of how to get over the whitewash.

DIANNE HALL

Well after last week’s debacle an improvement was needed and although the determination was evident, there were still too many errors and wrong option plays.

Many of these were made by the experienced players but I thought the youngsters in the side stood up well, Tom Holroyd showing his worth in his short stint driving the ball in well.

The silly penalties were almost eradicated and though it seemed more, we only conceded five.

We were still in with a shout up to Luke Gale’s sin-binning which I felt was a bit harsh, but at least the referees are consistent in their clamping down with this type of tackle, though referee Robert Hicks did miss a similar one on Adam Cuthbertson.

I think the scoreline at the end did not reflect the effort that was made by us and flattered Wigan somewhat.

The break for the Challenge Cup this weekend gives us a chance to get some key practice in before Salford, Covid-19 dependent!

The idea to honour Rob Burrow on the Wigan shirts was a lovely gesture.