I'd thought that was a marker for the game. McDermott just mentioned it now.
The way our defence stepped up and started hitting at that point, re-set the tone of the game.
That's what won this for us. TBH, our attack was poor. No tries from attacking play. The cleverest piece of play being Burrow running right at an offside player to get the penalty. There is a saying in american football: "Offence wins games, Defence wins championships" and it seems to apply here too.

I can believe how tough we were today. At 70 mins we looked dead on our feet but somehow we hung in there and got our chance and took it.

Is there a finer thing in sport than an angry defensive set? 5 men in the tackle! We defended like absolute trojans tonight. Lunt lead the way IMO, he handed out 5 or 6 huge hits in the first half alone.

Lunt has really stood up in the last few weeks, I wasn't convinced by him to be honest after his first 2 games for us as he seemed pretty average. But he has really stepped up his game, I'd keep him based on the last few weeks, he has big games in him.

That spell could have won us the game but for Silverwood who caned us for the next 15 minutes - O loughlin knock on, another knock on after a scrum on our 20, the Lunt knock on & then 3 almost identical ball strips/knock ons, where Delaney & Burrow (I think) are judged to have knocked on yet the Wigan one on their line was a steal.

Overcoming that, and defending a couple of sets on our line at 12-11 when we looked dead and buried won us the game. Best defensive effort since the Saints game at KR in 2007 for me.

My 2nd favourite defensive moment was Zak catching Charnley on the turn when we looked out on our feet after 70 mins of so, along with Stevie Ward getting him up top, and slowing the PTB for that crucial half second. I thought Hardaker was immense tonight, returned everything with interest, made great yards and his positioning and handling was supreme.

Lets not mention his attempted cut out pass to hall in the first half.

It was good to see him coming into the line and making play out wide though.

This is part of our DNA though in play-offs and GF's we get a poor call or make an error and we up our intensity whereas in CC finals we go to pieces.

I liked the tackle by Hall and Ablett on Flanders that carted him into touch. There were so many big performances out there, I know Sinfield has taken a lot of the plaudits but JP, JJB, Ablett, Bailey, Lunt and Kirke (anyone else think he's [iearned[/i a new deal?) were immense.

As for Hardaker. I'm looking forward to seeing him at FB for Leeds for years to come, so good to watch , but he really cannot pass.

Flippin' Nora, that was some defensive display.
What was Slitherwood on in the second half?
Regardless, the best team won.
I listened to Wane after the match. What a plonker! He has no grace. He even said they could have won easily. Obviously not matey!
What a team effort.

That's harsh. I thought Wane came across OK after the match. He said that we deserved to win on more than one occasion. They could have easily won the game which is what he said. Any decent composure in the last 15 minutes after they scored and they could have killed us off.

They didnt have many chances but didn't make very good 5th tackle plays close to the line

Did anyone else have visions of the 'Wide to West' try when Charnley and Goulding broke down the right at the end?

Almost soiled myself

I thought it was lucky Danny McGuire wasn't playing otherwise he'd have pulled back Charnley and Phil Clarke's head would have exploded.

Possibly, I have been drinking...

Nah, on second thoughts, I'll stick by what I said. I felt he came across pretty ungracious. Even felt the need to mention the try count.

He whittered on about toughness of our players, and back tracked. Can't remember much in the way of complimentary comments tbh.

Good grief, typing on a tablet is really hard when you've had a few.

You should lay off the little fellas pal, typin is far easier that way



I must admit I loved seeing him lose his rag at the end, with some guy next to him (Harris?) face down with his head in his hands, it reminded me of John Kear when we beat Wakey in the last minute a couple of yrs ago.

It is worrying how ineffective we are in breaking down defences close to the line.......the Burrow duck and scoot nearly came up trumps again (and I would have cheered like the rest of course) , but it's a bit limited.

However, as stated, boy did it fire up the Leeds lads for another huge game winning defensive effort.

I think some of problems come from the simple fact that we don't have enough players with the ability to to execute the right pass on the edges. Delaney and Hardaker inparticular are fairly poor in this department. Both had great games overall but it is something they need to improve on greatly.

Dare I say it.....? .... we miss Webb



(Only joking: Hardaker was/is brilliant in all other areas especially in the very-unlike-Webb-great-defensive display.)

It was just as i thought to be honest, i knew without mcguire leeds would struggle for creativity, we really seem to lack that little 'je ne se qua' attacking nsive in near the line without him (and webb now as well), and i thought that would be decisive in wigans favour.

But sh*t fate didn't half throw a curve ball with tomkins out and the early intercept try. The once ahead it was just a slow tough grind, classic playoff rugby.

Wigan didn't half lack some composure though towards the end 1 point up.

In Watkins they have a real strike player - they have to get him more quality ball

Great game of Rugby League and Leeds deserved their win primarily because they played the conditions to perfection.

That is a point myself and Conroy have made on the Wigan board. Wigans "generals" particularly Finch and Tommy L took the wrong options on the last tackle. I complain about other teams doing it but that ball should have been kicked dead and made Leeds come from 80 metres, which they never looked like doing (apart from the loose Wigan pass). Had Leeds been in that position they would certainly have slowed the game down by getting the ball out of play.

Superb match, and a great defensive display from BOTH sides, much better than some of the tick and pass we've seen this season.

I axtually think we missed McIlorums agression and kick pressure more than we missed Sam.

Yeah I agree but i do think tomkins chiming into the line and evasive runs in broken play would have put leeds on the back foot more during the game.

How lucky were we at the end with hall lying on? The ref had been letting those pretty much go most of the game...but still.

If Delaney had kept hold of it more, he may have seen it.