Leeds 18 -v- Wigan 14: Match thread ("_)

[turf]

I thought it was a tense game. To and fro for almost 80 minutes.

Ian Smith probably has broken the new record for a VR decisin but it was an important decision and at that precise moment could have turned the game in one teams favour, and that is why he took so long over it.

I also thought that Ganson had an absolute BLINDER of a game and probably all of the 16 penalties that he dished out (8 - 8 in total) where warranted.

[100% Warrior]

another trophyless season sits sour for me.

I know what you mean, I convince myself everytime "OK, this is it we're going to win" and each time when the chips are down we don't perform until it's too late.

Defensively we were fine (special mention to Mark Calderwood), but attacking especially in the second half wasn't good.

To get ourselves back into the game once then immediately gift Leeds a try was poor, but to score again giving ourselves a miracle lifeline and then knock on from the kick off was unforgivable.

If you make mistakes like that when it matters then you don't deserve to be involved in finals.

Don't get me wrong, the turnaround of the team since Huddersfield at home has been amazing and well done to all involved. However, I must ask why this form hasn't been demonstrated through the whole season.

If it had been we'd have finished in a higher league postion offering us an easier route to Old Trafford.

I may feel differently tomorrow, but to say I'm gutted at present would be an understatement. What doesn't help is that Smith shouldn't even have been on the field to score two tries for the Rhinos.

[jaws1]

We had our chances and did'nt take them last ditch tackles kept the score down .Our defense is all wrong this tactic of Nobles take one step and hold the line is all wrong Leeds were all over us like a swarm of bees at every play the ball shutting us down at will.We could have done with another prop forward on tonight replacing O'Carrol with Colbon was a disaster.Nobles substitutions do my head in when we needed the strike power of Feka and Hock near the end they were sat on the bench???.Calderwood saved his best game for Wigan to the last ,Phelps was getting battered in defense in the centre ,Bailey should have been moved there to shore it up.Mathers had a stinker.Cant knock the determination of the lads they played their hearts out but not good enough ,Leeds defended well and it could it could have gone to extra time if the try gifted to Smith was not scored.Should Smith have been sent off who knows the better team on the night won but only for the last defense Leeds would have scored a cricket score.

[jammie]

ganson has no balls,he clearly said to the touch judge"i don't need any help with the second bit i saw it" and then only puts smith on report if he has seen what has happened he has to act on it and a red card should have appeared but no bottled it.the same for diskin on fielden or was he killing two birds with one stone,he kills off our season and then smith & diskin get bans so helping the stains next weekend wouldn't put it past the dwarf.if the panel watch that match tonight then leeds could and should have half that team banned going off dicisions against us this season,and if they are not cited then some questions about consistancy need to be addressed.diskin(high tackle) smith (kicking out) senior (punching) bailey (take your pick),other than that ganson had a great game :sly: :sly: :sly:

[DaveO]

Tonight we saw why Noble is not a very good coach.

1. Why did he change a winning team? He had no injury worries (not to O’Carroll as least as last week the said that came through unscathed bar a slight doubt about Carmont). He also changed a winning team for Colon for crying out loud who just isn’t good enough.

2. Next we see Leeds running at Phelps all night and he was being overrun (as some people on here suspected he would, kudos to them). Everyone could surely see this in the game? So why not Noble and why not move Bailey over?

3. Then we get the no plan B to actually try and get past the Leeds defence.

4. The we get the odd substitution policy surfacing again. Hock on for the last 7 mins? Higham off for too long. He basically screwed up his “impact bench” which everyone had said worked so well in the last three weeks by dropping O’Carroll (back to point 1 again).

I think these are obvious and plain to see points no one can seriously arguer against as mistakes that lay fairly and squarely at the coach’s door. My opinion is no. 1 was the biggest mistake of the lot as it changed the team significantly. It’s not the first time we have lost a big match due to messing the team about needlessly. Endacott basically lost his job over a GF loss when he moved half the back line around because of one injury. At least he had the excuse of an injury.

All Noble had to do was stick with the same team, send them out like the last three weeks, and use Hock and Feka as he has done previously. Yes Leeds would have expected it but given it was our best way of organising and playing the game so what?

And after that game the fact we are letting Calderwood go because (as I believe was the excuse at the fans forum) he hadn’t regained his fitness is joke. He may have only turned up for the playoffs but so did the rest of the team. He was MoM tonight but Noble has never rated him, which says a lot about Noble.

We now lose Barrett, Higham, Calders and Colbon and I will be watching out in the next few weeks for signings to replace the first three because in my opinion we are going to struggle to do it so we end up collectively as “good” as we are now, never mind better.

And finally according to the reports on Sporting Life Wigan only arrived at the ground one hour before kick off due to traffic problems. That is just amateurish preparation who ever decided on setting off when they did. They should have been there in the morning and had whatever light training they normally do before a game somewhere within easy striking distance.

Dave

[ancientnloyal]

Yes SKY mentioned wigan just turned up around 7:10pm

Agree with Dave why did we have Colbon?

Calderwood made 5 try saving tackles against big men also so fitness isnt the issue, his speed to chase down JJB on his break was amazing no other wigan player would have caught up to deny a try. If calderwood wasnt fit then why was he fastest, running all over the park and defending on his own on several occasions against attacking players pouncing for the line?

[100% Warrior]

Changed a winning team for Colbon, for crying out loud who just isn’t good enough.

Leeds running at Phelps all night ... why not move Bailey over?

Amateurish preparation who ever decided on setting off when they did. They should have been there in the morning and had whatever light training they normally do before a game somewhere within easy striking distance.

Dave

Some excellent and valid points you've made.

I'm sure in the past for cup semis and other important matches in Yorkshire that we've travelled the previous day and stayed in a hotel.

Why not for a final eliminator then! Even if they deny it, surely it must have had some effect on our pre-match prep.

We've all heard the saying "If it ain't broke then don't fix it" but no, we change a winning team that is performing superbly. We needed O'Carroll to beef up the pack when we were struggling at the start of the 2nd half.

[cpwigan]

Colbon I surmise was there because George was nowhere near 100% fit. Mind you neither was Webb. A problem, by not blooding reserves you were left with very little options re reserves.

Neither ourselves nor Leeds can beat Saints. It would have been great to have reached the final but that is the reality. I know why but it will keep but we were simply unable to get field position in the second half which is a great shame because Leeds would have bottled it.

[cpwigan]

I was impressed by Tomkins defensively.

[platt-warrior]

I still believe using Bailey at centre against Senior was the way to go imo