I think that`s all pretty much spot on.
I said on our thread your defence especially in the first half was the difference.
To me a knock on and never a sin binning and you score 10 points.
But saying that our lack of creativity without Croft and your defence and we were never going to win tonight.
Lastly those that think Wells wants a Leeds win will only be down to him having a bet on us winning.
He hates Leeds Rhinos with a vengeance like may do from Cas.

I'm getting Sita vibes from Musgrove. Comes on for 10-15mins most matches and offers very little.

He takes the ball on and gets quick play the balls.

Takes the ball on? You mean he runs it in? I'm not sure he gets any credit for running it in as a 10-15min per match player. Not sure I've seen him offer quicker PTB's than any other player.

He looked clearly onside to me, and if you are tackled without the ball in a try scoring positions that’s a yellow card for me.

But Leeds look much better, defence (finally found some line speed!) look much more like it. They struggled with the ball but possibly a big part of that is missing Croft. If they can add a couple of players they’ll be decent next year if Arthur stays on - Martin will be a miss though.

The Tai and Lisone sin binning was bizarre. It was clear the only person on the pitch who thought play had stopped was the referee. The only player at risk of a sin bin in the whole episode was Miller given the warning for players running in.

Thought Bateman looked better, still a little off the pace - surprising given he’s been an NRL regular. But he improved.

That's unfair on Sita, at least for the first few runs he absolutely smashed the line and made the occasional line break. Musgrove apart from about 2 good games is just a very average prop, i'd honestly play Wood ahead of him every week. Philbin played with more energy and impact in his come back than Musgrove has in the vast majority of his games.
Him and Bateman are completely replaceable. Get rid of him and Bullock and replace them with Bienek and even Rob Butler and we'd be looking stronger next year.
It's a real shame we missed out on Ese'ese, imagine him in our team this year.

Did a good, professional job. Defended well, took our chances. Looking at the way the coaches congratulated Gleeson after the Dufty try from the Walker break, that was pre planned. Walkers eyes light up when he see’s Frawley at marker and just carves through. And great to see so many in support. Options inside and out, even after the Williams pass could have gone again.

Another interesting reaction was between Bateman and Currie after the Dufty try on the left. They celebrate together like they have been setting up for that. Bateman, in my opinion, was very good. Hit hard in defence and got Lisone with a decent one, when he was causing us problems.

Goes without saying that Dufty and Williams were good, but Currie, Ashton, King and Tai were top class too. They are a better team than they were even a few weeks ago, great result.

Don’t know how bad Dufty’s knock is, he was limping at the end but I would rest him next week. Let Wray play.

The Fusitua sin-binning was technically the most correct decision of the evening for me. Harsh if not considering the rules, but it's a rule that has always stood: Go for a player and not the ball, during a try-scoring opportunity (even if he wouldn't have scored) and you go for 10. For reference see how many times Hughes got binned for us over the years by stepping into the path of players. I think a big Saints playoff game is one that springs to mind.

Yea, I should have in luded that sita made some big runs and hits. I'd also have Wood over Musgrove. I think Bateman was ok last night. He isn't performing as we all hoped but he did everything that Holroyd did and a little bit more so he does improve our team. Don't see Holroyd getting that offload away.

Let's not go down the butler road. He's nowhere near our standards. The last match he played for us he was gassing after 5 mins and looked so out of shape.

Yep. A professional foul in a 'try scoring opportunity' is either a penalty try (if the video refs opinion is that a try would have been scored without the foul play) or a sin-binning, no middle ground. It was stupid of Fusitua.

My team [Leeds won't get anywhere near the grand final so I really hope a new name goes on the trophy this year. Good luck

Thewlis deserves praise for holding up over the line. How he did that on his own was fantastic.

Thewlis is a brilliant player

53,103 second lowest attendance for a Magic Weekend. Saturday 30,810 Sunday 22,293

Good. The fact they can't even flog it in RL heartland may help them decide to put the concept out to pasture. Utterly pointless enterprise that just repeats fixtures that have no meaning, half of which have no bearing on anything now.

There is talk of where it goes next year with Nottingham, Dublin and Paris in the conversation. I don’t ever want it going to Paris since the French decided to bale on the World Cup, don’t want to be putting money into their economy. Always fancied Dublin, and as for having it in the heartland I always thought the concept was to take it around the country to showcase the sport to new people.

Dublin works for me!

Quote ="Chris McKean"I'm getting Sita vibes from Musgrove. Comes on for 10-15mins most matches and offers very little.'" Seems Sam disagrees with you. Zane Musgrove’s longer minutes https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/wa ... fitzgibbon Musgrove has played in 18 of Warrington’s 21 games in Super League this season: and the former Samoa international has played longer minutes in recent weeks than what we’re used to seeing from him in a primrose and blue jersey thus far. “I think he’s been great,” Burgess said of Musgrove. “I’ve been trying to get him a few more minutes, I wanted to see him in that zone of fatigue and see how he managed it but he’s been great. “I think he’s played a lot for us, I think he’s only missed four or five games so he’s been pretty consistent for us.”

Quote ="Chris McKean"I'm getting Sita vibes from Musgrove. Comes on for 10-15mins most matches and offers very little.'" Seems Sam disagrees with you. Zane Musgrove’s longer minutes https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/wa ... fitzgibbon Musgrove has played in 18 of Warrington’s 21 games in Super League this season: and the former Samoa international has played longer minutes in recent weeks than what we’re used to seeing from him in a primrose and blue jersey thus far. “I think he’s been great,” Burgess said of Musgrove. “I’ve been trying to get him a few more minutes, I wanted to see him in that zone of fatigue and see how he managed it but he’s been great. “I think he’s played a lot for us, I think he’s only missed four or five games so he’s been pretty consistent for us.”

Team selection for next week, will be giving Burgess some food for thought. Would you rotate the middles, freshen up the pack. With Vaughan having a week off maybe. It’s now becoming to a point in the season where you’d want everyone fit and in form, that includes the fringe players.

Normally I would say yes but with it looking like points difference coming in to it I’d go strong. Only change I’m thinking of is Dufty he was still limping at the end of the game. Rather him fitter for Leigh

We definitely need to find a rest for Dufty, it would be a disaster for him to be burned out and get injured before the playoffs. Thewlis or Taylor-Wray are more than worthy cover options at FB.

Should be giving thewlis the option to play dufty style with williams, be better to give him some reps now than be forced into it mid game following an injury