YEP Leeds Rhinos fans’ jury - The Challenge Cup seems the best chance of silverware this season

The turnaround wasn’t enough to appease all our Yorkshire Evening Post fans’ jury, however. And the repeated sluggish start and underwhelming first-half performance leaves them apprehensive for the up-coming Challenge Cup contest with Hull Kingston Rovers this weekend.

Most believe Leeds Rhinos have the wherewithal to beat Hull KR but, should they lose, the consensus is it would benefit the remainder of the Headingley outfit’s Super League season. That said, they all fancy a cup run ...

Adam Anderson

It was a very tough night against Huddersfield Giants last week.

And, first and foremost, I would like to wish Adam O’Brien all the best on his recovery on what looked a horrific injury.

We had our work cut out for us in the first half and Huddersfield came at us just like they did in the previous encounter.

The second half was much better; players like Alex Sutcliffe and Brett Ferres really showed their worth to the squad.

This week is a rest from Super League for our foray into the Challenge Cup.

We go without Brad Dwyer and Alex Sutcliffe who are suspended, and Harrison, Dupree, Albert, Ferres are all ineligible to play owing to being cup tied.

It’s good news that the coronavirus scare is no more and we can welcome back the seven missing last time out after they had to go into isolation.

All that being said, it should be a good test for us as Hull KR have been building some good performances in the past few weeks. But I’m also hopeful of a win and going into the hat for the next round.

Graham Poulter

Leeds conceded the first try of the game after one Huddersfield player beat four Leeds players on the tryline.

I feel that Leeds should have shown more desire and strength in trying to prevent the try by Huddersfield from being scored. When Huddersfield went into a 10-0 lead,I thought oh no, here we go again, a case of deja-vu after what happened earlier in the season against the same team.

Leeds again began slowly, it’s a bad habit that Leeds need to rectify in their next game against Hull KR in the Challenge Cup tomorrow night.

I’d like to applaud Leeds for the effort that they put in to make sure that the game could take place after the disruption of Covid-19 and also well done to the players who drove across the Pennines in case they were needed to play.

Hull KR won’t be an easy game for Leeds. Hull KR gave St Helens a scare last Friday night, losing by only one point after taking Saints to golden point.

The Challenge Cup could be Leeds’ only real chance of winning silverware this season, so come on Leeds, you know what to do!

Ian Sharp

Not quite as dramatic as our last game against Huddersfield Giants but just as tense and another one-point win and two points on the board.

Yet again we looked lost in attack and had little punch. The only players who looked to be anything like were James Donaldson, who was outstanding, along with Mikołaj Olędzki, who seems to get better and better.

Why we are sticking with Kruise Leeming as starting nine is also baffling when Brad Dwyer is far better at the moment.

I’ve no idea how they are working out the new percentage win/loss ratio that has been introduced in the last week, but we are in the top four and have two games in hand on the teams above us. With games being cancelled at a day’s notice and players being stood down hours before games, this season is going to come down to who can adapt and overcome the quickest - and keep putting the scores on the doors to be there or thereabouts on whatever day the season ends.

Cup this week against ‘Hull Kingston Rhinos’. A tough game and not the end of the world if we don’t win; we might need the players rested for the run-in.

Dianne Hall

Well, this time we got going quicker than the last time we played Huddersfield!

But the first half was dire, even given the extraordinary circumstances that we found ourselves in shortly before kick-off. The reshuffle shouldn’t have been a problem as they all supposedly train together and learn the same drills/plays.

The lengthy injury delay to Adam O’Brien won’t have helped, but on a side note I am pleased to hear that he has been released from hospital, although he now faces a long road to recovery.

I don’t know what was said in the interval but the team that emerged for the second half was unrecognisable from the first.

The bench gave us some much-needed impetus, strengthening both the attack and defence.

Even though the game was scrappy, we conceded only one try and, as usual, it was only our indiscipline that boosted Huddersfield’s score.

We will need to come out of the blocks quicker and be more disciplined for this week’s opponents Hull KR and do it without Brad Dwyer and Alex Sutcliffe as per this week’s disciplinary.

Matt Fowler

Well, this time we got going quicker than the last time we played Huddersfield!

But the first half was dire, even given the extraordinary circumstances that we found ourselves in shortly before kick-off. The reshuffle shouldn’t have been a problem as they all supposedly train together and learn the same drills/plays.

The lengthy injury delay to Adam O’Brien won’t have helped, but on a side note I am pleased to hear that he has been released from hospital, although he now faces a long road to recovery.

I don’t know what was said in the interval but the team that emerged for the second half was unrecognisable from the first.

The bench gave us some much-needed impetus, strengthening both the attack and defence.

Even though the game was scrappy, we conceded only one try and, as usual, it was only our indiscipline that boosted Huddersfield’s score.

We will need to come out of the blocks quicker and be more disciplined for this week’s opponents Hull KR and do it without Brad Dwyer and Alex Sutcliffe as per this week’s disciplinary.

Christine Kidd

Last Friday’s game against Huddersfield Giants was definitely a game of two halves.

The Rhinos were giving away penalties and making errors throughout the first half but the second half was a different story. James Donaldson and Brad Dwyer made a big difference when they came off the bench. Another one-point victory against the Giants was a great result, especially after seven players were isolating because of Covid. Not knowing the team until two hours before kick-off can’t have helped.

This Friday night we are back on the Challenge Cup trail with a quarter-final game against Hull KR. Rovers are playing entertaining rugby at the minute and gave St Helens a scare last week, taking the game to golden point. If Leeds can get to the game without any Covid dramas along the way, they should be capable of getting a win. Although, with the number of games that still have to be played, missing out on the semi-finals might not be too bad a thing!

I’m sure the players won’t see it that way and will be doing all they can to gain a victory.

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