Anyway, back on topic.

No one can sniff out a try like mcguire. If we are to win and get through to the grand final, we need ali, burrow, eastwood and webb to be outstanding. Because that's where our tries will most likely come from. We need gamebreaking plays from these guys.

I think this is ''wigan's time''. They've fallen at this hurdle sooo many times the past 3 years I think this year they'll get one step further. It's one of those times in sport where you just sense when it's a teams turn, so to speak.

Like in the 2004 grand final, after 32 years, you just knew it was leeds' time.

Sadly I think you're right.

With are recent success there are some who will see a CC final and a Championship semi as a disappointment, I'll just be happy that we're not Bradford.

Of course he wasn't.

It's pitiful to suggest he was. You suggested it last week at after the Wigan game and your shameful suggestion was proven to be way off the mark then so I've no reason to think your previous insidious suggestion was any more accurate than your most recent one.

I agree with the 1st paragraph and would add we need that level of performance from 1-17.
As for this being "Wigans time" they still have to earn it and yest the table shows their consistency this year in 2 of their biggest games of the year they've failed against you know who.
Of course missing Mcguire and Peacock is a big loss but this squad as we know are more than capable of performing when written off and i think we can and will win.

I like your confidence.

Maybe you're the rl jedi master, and not tony smith?

It's fairly obvious that Wogan have been the top flights bench mark side this season but who else has had the measure of them home and away this season and to be more precise who's beaten them home and away when it really matters?

Far from it did you see where i finished in the prediction comp?
I just love it when we are written off and yes i can see why they are favourites but this squad have proven themselves in these play-off eliminators past and present whereas Wigan have beaten an ill disciplined Rovers and lost to us.
I also don't think they are the "Machine" they are made out to be yes they good and deserved top spot on merit and have some quality but so do we and i don't think we'll let this trophy go lightly.

Could not agree more.....think this team will go down fighting but none should complain whatever the outcome. We have had a Bluddy good run. Next year will be interesting.

Not wishing to get involved in your more than capable ripostes......did you not mean invidious rather than insidious ?

I make that about 8 pages of dross out of 10.

The only thing I'd argue with is that Leeds have beaten Wigan 'when it counts' with regards the first play-off game. Everyone knew it wasn't sudden death for either team (except perhaps the wilder Wigan fans who seemed to think the sky had fallen in). The next game is the one that counts.

Whether Leeds quite have the personnel left to win the comp is a bit of an unknown. All we know is that they have done it in the past, but need a few of the lesser lights (and some possible relative underperformers this season) to really step up if we're to do it.

Must have been a miracle recovery at Wembley then.

At least the stretcher got to make a brief appearance after the boy cried wolf!

Speaking of pitiful suggestions, one of your heroes has now jumped on the ted McClennan bandwagon and let himself down badly [url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/Peacock-sure-Rhinos-will-be.6539544.jp[uhere[/u[/url

You still think Mcguire called for the stretcher at Wembley?

You still think McGuire was feigning injury at Wigan?


Peacock's comments seem perfectly reasoned and well constructed and, unlike yours, probably reflect the truth of the matter.

Yep, and I also believe he chelped for a stretcher at Wembley after feigning injury and crying wolf.



The moral of the boy cries wolf? Even when liars tell the truth, they are never believed. The liar will lie once, twice, and then perish when they finally tell the truth.



McGuire cheated by pulling a player back and in the process sustained a serious injury. Given McGuire's previous propensity for feigning injury and making miraculously rapid recoveries, I'm not surprised in the least that a couple of Wigan players didn't believe him either and berated him instead for cheating.

It's disappointing to learn that Peacock has now joined the ted ranks of making crass, insensitive and inflammatory statements, though to his credit at least he hasn't repeated his coach's [i"Danny has done knee ligament damage to his knee after he we was fouled off the ball"[/i allegations.

Why are you disappointed by Peacock's comments? He's saying that two Wigan players stood over an injured player calling him a cheat whilst he was hurt. Is that the kind of behaviour you want to see from anyone? I'm amazed.

Its a load of b*lls to suggest they would have taken into account McGuire's past 'record' of supposedly feigning injury. They were very annoyed at losing a game they supposedly couldn't and had an easy prone target to yell at. If they were so convinced he was faking it, they could have done what that guy did in the NRL a few years ago, and lifted him up. Funnily enough they didn't, suggesting that they could see he was hurt but were more interested in yelling at him.

BTW have you got a list of examples of McGuire's 'propensity' to fake injury? TBH this is the first I've heard of it.

They didn't know he was badly hurt, and he did cheat. Had roles been reversed and Sam Tomkins had obstructed a Leeds player off the ball, I'm fairly sure your players would have something to say about it.

Bollox he was in agony and despite the sh#te that the "re-incarnated AP" Bell End popcorn has typed you could see he was clearly injured.

I can't see past a Wigan win to be honest, we were always going to struggle without Peacock but now without McGuire as well, who in the first match:

Put Hall in for a try
Put Donald in for a try
Scored a try
Made a try saving tackle on Richards

Just a bridge to far for me and as Era said it has Echo's of '04 when we lost to Bradford at home.

It's been a fun year mind, I've quite enjoyed it.

Firstly, in the YP article it is Dave Craven who makes the suggestion that Danny was injured prior to grabbing Carmont not Peacock. Interesting to see a Journo formally express his opinion on the matter.

Secondly, this makes things a little clearer to me in respect of Bluey's comments in his Sky interview directly following the match. I always suggested that Bluey had maybe not fully understood what he had been told in the brief minutes he had before heading back out on to the pitch for the interview. It would be my supposition that some of the player had been upset with Riddell & others for indeed giving Danny some crap while he was injured on the deck and this is where the confusion was about what happened after the event.

In true Smokey TA fashion, I have the evidence of my own eyes and attending many games involving McGuire over the years, whilst you're some distance away in Australia. I'm aware of his propensity for hitting the deck writhing in alleged agony as if he's been shot prior to making a miraculous recovery, getting up and playing on.

He's no Rob Burrow.

Boo hoo, pessimist.

It has no echo of 04, as that team throughout the year was far better. How you have enjoyed this year, god knows, you must be an easily please individual, considering some of the 5h1te we have witnessed.

I think we will beat Wigan, and beat them more comfortably than we did at their place, even without McGuire. If we don't though this seasons been a disaster, and the poorest since 2002, which at least had excuses.

If we get the opportunity to play Huddersfield in the final then I am confident for 4 on the trot. But I don't think we have a chance of beating Saints if it's them.

McGuire will be missed and undoubtedly he has been the player of the season, although given that we have Webb, Burrow, Smith and Sinfield to share his duties it isn't in itself a reason why we can't beat Wigan. Peacock is still the greater loss IMO, as we have no-one else that can replicate what he does. In the only game that has really counted against Wigan this year it was Peacock's never say die attitude that kept us in it.

I have similar feelings to this game than I had with the previous one. If Leeds win it will be a close one again, otherwise I can see it being a very one-sided scoreline in the end to Wigan. Leeds have the play-off experience and home advantage and hopefully the squad will be closer to full fitness after a week off, but Wigan will be really determined and it would be too embarrassing for them if they lost to be honest.

Will be interesting to see how both sides cope with the mind games. Given what is at stake I'd be surprised if we see any handbags or obvious foul play until a clear winner emerges.

Correct - and they'd all be twittering away relentlessly at the cheating injustice of it all afterwards too. Perhaps they ought to quit being twits by spending more time away from Twitter and focusing on the job at hand instead?

My overall view is that 2010 is a season too far and the pressure of being champions 3 years on the bounce has become too much to bear. This has instilled a grumbling and griping siege mentality of woe-me proportions which even Morrissey would be proud of. They've been champions this year but they haven't been good champions. They no longer wear the SL crown with distinction. I've never known a club, it's coach and it's players whinge, whine and moan as much as this lot have done throughout a season.

There's been grumbling all year long about injuries where in previous years the club has been blessed... injury crises have been hopefully wished on other teams... they've responded to their own cheating with tales of injustice, off-the-ball thuggery, cowardice and unsportsmanlike behaviour from other teams, and they've niggled and chicken-winged their way to scraping into the Top 4. They aren't going to go down this season without a further misplaced chelpalthon either. They need putting out of their collective misery ASAP so that the heart and soul of the may be cleansed. It's long overdue.

In '04 we had not won the championship for a long time, finished top of the league and lost the 1st play off game at home same as Wigan this year.

That's just my opinion Gotcha and I respect yours and will not be calling you Crazy, looney or a knob for not agreeing with me



I've enjoyed this season mainly because I enjoy RL and unlike the last few years were Leeds & Saints would win almost every week it's been good not knowing how most of the weekends games would turn out, given a semi win over Saints in the cup, a trip to wembley and the win at Wigan, I've enjoyed it a lot thanks very much.

I know some on here are blinkered, blind and parochial ([iany[/i club will always need them to help adequately finance them)....but you seem very much the opposite. Do you actually 'support' the club or its team members in any way ?

Incidentally it's "its coach and its players" ...(no apostrophe in these cases). Just a friendly correction between fellow 'supporters'.

I can't remember Leeds players being sympathetic with Sam Tomkins after Ablett "illegally" lead with the elbow at your place not so long back. They all wanted to carry on fighting. Short memories indeed. How are you going to swing that one round in the defence of the Rhinos?