Kirke last night seemed to play with more aggression to his game. I know he bombed the try. But in general looked to have decent leg drive and ran it up like he meant it.

Might help if the players directly inside him stopped leaving him with two and three men to defend.

The lack of communication and poor decision making between Sinfield and McGuire for the Thornley try would have been comical if it wasn't so serious.

I thought he looked nervous last night. What he needs is a bit of space to have a good run with the ball in hand to get that confidence back up. Sadly, playing where he does it's highly unlikely to happen. Most of his work is having to be done without the ball.

Anyone else reckon Richard Moore had a pretty solid game apart from a couple of pretty dodgy offloa attempts I thought he ran hard and put some really big hits in and although he didn't get much time on the pitch achurch looked a lot sharper from his step down with the hawks

Moore went well, but there are still times when he needs to take a look before throwing the offload.

It's ok having a go at the players around him for not being aware, but a couple of those last night that ended up flying out at ankle height didn't need to be made.

Sometimes, you get more benefit from winning the collision and generating a quick play the ball than popping out a risky offload.

Joel Moon is a quality signing for you lot, a real class act. However, Vickery looks exremely poor.

Yes barring some dumb offloads Moore looked good. Achurch also looked better granted he had less game time.


Regarding Vickery he isn't the worst player in the world he just isn't that impressive. Looks to have no pace, and defence is weak. (Agree regarding the entire right edge in the thornley try)

I suppose he is just filling in at the moment and provides cover for injuries

If he showed that amount of aggression and more every week he wouldn't get singled out as much imo.
Also during his 1st half stint he didn't dominate Thornley in the tackle and was left on the deck at the ptb!!
Saying that and the bombed try he was much improved on recent efforts to be fair.

Thought it was a solid performance that would have looked a little better if we had finished more clinically.
The forwards went well and on the back of that we did dominate Wigan for large periods.
However, we can't function with just Burrow as a 9. McShane would have added more balance to that side and freed Burrow to roam later in the game. Can't see the point in having Achurch on the bench and barely use him and only have one hooker (who is really a 7). Burrow's passing was at times very laboured. Dummy half play is a lot more than just passing to the nearest runner .
That team looks poorly balanced with Watkins at 1 and the Ablett / Vickery combo. The backs don't work.
We will look much better with Hardaker back, but we need another option at 1 (although you could say that BJB would be that other option - so bad luck with that).
I like BMD's after match interviews but I wish he'd stop blaming the weather. FFS ? we used to play the game in winter, we start in winter and we finish in winter and the coatings on the ball these days are a million miles from the bars of soap we used to play with. True, stupid offloads, playing very flat where every pass is taken under pressure and lack of concentration will all be helped by dry conditions. Under Smith and Bluey we were a great wet weather team, under BMD we are not.

Who picked the in ground MOM?

Ray Charles? Stevie Wonder?

Fantastic

Before the play offs Sinfield was saying how this team preferred playing in autumnal, rainy conditions.

As a neutral I've got to say it was a cracking game to watch, and I reckon you just about deserved the win. It could have been greatly different if Wigan had chosen to kick towards Vickery instead of Hall. You have to wonder if they've ever seen Ryan under the high ball. Safe as houses.

I think it was more to with Wigan plying to their Strengths (ie Charnley) rather than Leeds weaknesses. Hall showed he is the Best winger in the country though last night against the guy most likely to get the other wing spot. His 5 mini sidesteps bamboozled Richards and further highlighted how good he is at finishing when he gets a sniff. On another night he could have had a bag full but Wigan defended well.

Nice piece of heads up alert play from Leeds' dummy-half to give Hall that opening opportunity. Not a bad effort from the alleged flat-track bully.

......says it all really. Don't disagree he had a better game, but why are some given continued opportunities to shine or at least perorm as though they deserve a first team shirt, while others only have to make one mistake - or even none at all - and get dropped. Most recently the easy scapegoats appear to be Clarkson and McShane.

"no pace and weak defence"....now if Mr Vickery was the [uonly[/u cover you might be right. Might as well scrap the acadamey team and pointless competition right now.

Moon had lost contact with his right hand on the ball and I think Ian Smith was trying to satisfy himself that he still had enough contact with the left hand as the ball was 'placed' for the try.

One of those that at normal speed is a try 100% of the time but we run the risk of ruling them out when scrutinised to this degree. An abuse of the VR system IMO and I'm surprised Ian Smith (considering his new role) set that standard of proof.

Said as much to my step-son who could not understand the repeated viewings. Without the 'benefit' of a video replay the numerous tries we see disallowed would be given in real time. I wonder how the history of RL would be changed with such scrutiny given to every try 'scored' in the past.

I guess there's no point worrying too much about that at the moment when less than a third of all tries scored this weekend will have to pass the video test.

I know why we have it and how it can add to the theater for audiences but from an integrity point of view I'd only have it for the end of season play-off games where all are televised.

It might be the old 'wear him out at that end of the field' plan. I remember a similar tactic used against Vainikolo in the '04 GF. Never really seen it work though with Hall, Wire tried it in the GF even after BJB dropped the first kick of the night most kicks thereafter strangley went to Hall or Hardaker.

But most of the time spent was on the Hall 'challenge' on Charnley. That and Moon's grounding were obvious and ok after 2 maybe 3 looks, not around double figures. And that's not Leeds tinted glasses on saying it was obviously ok because I thought the other decisions (Hall no try & Farrell try) were both correct.

It was a multi-faceted decision. Onside/offside, the challenge in the air, how the ball came free and finally the grounding. Ultimately I felt Smith was most concerned and spent the most time on the eventual grounding and for the reason I gave earlier.

Smith has been our best video official IMO and it's usually possible to track the thought processes he goes through to come to the usually correct decision.

Edit: Silverwood asked for a ruling on the challenge and grounding.

Replays:

1 - Onside/Offside
2 - Onside/Offside
3 - Challenge and initial view of Grounding
4 - Challenge and initial view of Grounding
5 - Challenge
6 - Challenge and Grounding
7 - Grounding
8 - Challenge (although presumably satisfied at this point) and Grounding
9 - Grounding
10 - Grounding

TRY

Smith always strikes me as a very good video official. I thought there was one angle where there was some hint of daylight between Moon's hand and the ball on grounding.

I know if you use the video it needs to be right but I still think he spent far too long deliberating over the hall challenge in the air

If he's not certain, then I have no problem with him looking for as long as wants until he is.

From what I have seen I agree was just trying to be positive, however more knowledgeable rugby people than me pick him.