I get no joy whatsoever out of the current dreadfully deficient playing standards in SL and I get even less joy out of the lack of competitiveness. It's tragic to see so many teams just going through the motions for 27 rounds of franchised mediocrity with little to no incentive to improve or produce anything different. The games core values of providing honest endeavour alongside entertaining RL in meaningful fixtures were flushed down the toilet quite some time ago. It's SL itself which has become a heavy mixture of the pathetic and the tragic and your mistake is pointing the gun in the wrong place. I'm just the messenger.

On the topic of honest endeavour, I do believe it was a Hudds fan who earlier this season goaded McGuire on twitter after they'd beaten Leeds at Headingley. McGuire's response was something along the lines of... Who cares? We'll beat you lot when it really counts. Yesterday clearly didn't... obviously. Honest endeavour died quite some time ago along with other key values, particularly at Leeds.

Like a game of RL at the home of the Champions for example?

Honestly, I know you will find this incredibly hard to believe but not all of us are motivated to be associated with success at all costs (We'd have no fans left!). Beating Leeds at Headingley is about as good as it gets for us and I'm fairly sure that our celebrations (if we were to win) would be pretty similar to the jubilation you felt at winning the GF last year.

i can understand that if some can't mate.

To be honest, and I mean no disrespect to Wakey fans, but if they were to win at Headingley and knock us out, then that would equate to them winning the GF itself. There are realistically 4 teams that are capable of winning the competition (Wigan, Warrington, St Helens and Leeds) and then two that have very much an outside chance (Catalans and Hull).

Outside that, it will be a long long time before anyone else wins SL if ever, more's the pity.

The obnoxious and short sigted views of some of the Leeds fans on this board never cease to amuse me when i stop by for a read. I hope we give you another panning infront of the sky cameras again

Jeff you are a bit of lefty - why should rugby players be any different from other humans? I am sure you lift your performance at the PO when it is busier so why do you think rugby players are different? did Noam write something along these lines from his very privileged right wing background?

Ali Lauititi to score the winning try would be fitting

Have you seen the game plan

What's it like living in an ivory tower? Must be great looking down at us minnions. Here's to a Wakey win.

I expected a bitter personal response from you after I'd cited your all-time favourite poster boy as a player who confirmed via his twitter account that he doesn't always try and doesn't care about the rhinos performances and results unless it's games that really count for something.

I might not admire his dishonest, half-d attitude to most games (which is no doubt shared by many other players in the rhinos squad) but at least I admire his honesty in admitting it.

I doubt such attitudes will be aired to market the sale of season tickets.

Oh well if it was on Twitter in response to being wound up by a rival fan then it MUST be true!........or alternatively he's heard the accusations loads of times now and replied with something that would get plenty of bites, and succeeded.

I must have missed all those full-blooded, no nonsense, 100% committed performances from McGuire and the rhinos during the SL regular season. If only McGuire and Co could provide the regular season evidence.

Like a play off rugby match you mean? We take one game at a time and show respect to teams we play

I'd go along with the bit about playing standards and maybe competitiveness (although the latter pre-dates franchising by far). And you might be right that honest endeavour and entertaining RL were flushed down the toilet some time ago. Presumably this was prior to 1976, which is when I started watching, as there were games then in which teams/players didn't exert themselves, when passes were dropped, when tackles were missed, when ageing teams got lazy and when coaches were sacked as a result etcetera. Fortunately, these games aren't the ones that are best-remembered but it's only those with the rose-tinted glasses of the deepest hue that would claim that they never happened.

In William's world the Stones Bitter Championship was better than the ARL and Mal Reilly's lions were winning ashes series.

Depends what your aspirations are.

Cas won a play-off match once. Look at the glory they bask in now.

Keep talking guys. Its all good motivation for us. You are of course the favourites but I think you are carrying the elite Leeds think a bit too far. You finished 5th for goodness sake. You are hardly showing your world beating form.

And I must remember my coat tomorrow as it's always cold in the stadium when the Headingley walk starts.
Quite a few of our recent games have gone to the final second. If you like I'll post on here so you can find out who won.

That's the idea of a forum, that's generally how they work.

Yeah because all the Wakefield players are sat at home reading SouthStander determined to win now not because of the chance of winning a GF but to prove a few people on here wrong.

Enjoy your latest probationary SL franchise news Mr Sellout

The lack of respect from the Leeds fans is already commented on. Your individual comments of course are not being read, but the feeling is well known at the club.
You can be confident without being so dismissive. I hope it back fires on you.

Respect has to be earned.

9th doesn't earn respect.

You are whipping boy SL rabble.

Yer ok. Let's talk after the game.

Why not? You're being confident of Wakefield's chances and also dismissive of the Leeds' fans right to be confident which stems from the playoff experience and success we've had over 10 years, as well as home advantage as well as finishing 3 places above you in the table. (4 if you include Bradford's on field results)

FWIW i actually think Wakefield pose a serious threat this Saturday and we'll have to be on the ball to beat you but stop working yourself up about a couple of fans not fancing Wakey's chances against us, i saw just as many Trinity fans dismissive of Salford's chances of beating you last weekend and possibly ruining your playoff chances.

I guess it is all down to tone of voice.
Of course you are the better side. The league shows that. But I'm just surprised that so many are so dismissive of a team that recently beat you. Calling us whipping boys is not the same as saying you think you will win by 20.

Either way I look forward to either saying well done in a graceful manner and beating a retreat or coming back and reminding a few what they said.
Wakefield win either way as most are happy we are in the playoffs after the way we had to rebuild our team.

...and don't get me wrong, its your forum, you can do what you like. I was just surprised.