Maybe Lunt has been coached to play the way he is, he's not scooting or taking the line on anymore more a case of just passing from dummy half, that may be a coaches instruction rather than the player choosing not to ....same with Eorl and his lack of offloading these days. I'm sure these players don't just stop doing what they have been very good at in the past, and if they did i'm also as sure the coach would wanna know why they aren't doing it anymore !

19 announced

Wood plays instead of robinson at hooker, good decision as wood has been putting in MOM performances in for oldham and robbo not been great but he has been given the week off to recover from knocks and recharge the batteries as he has had sleepless nights with a new born baby recently.

Lawrence in for bailey, another good decision from anderson here, bailey not taken his chance for me and lawrence never lets anyone down.

connor keeps his place at full back!!


connor
mcgillvary
cudjoe
wardle
murphy
lunt
brough
ellis
kopczak
huby
ferres
lawrence
hughes

taai
crabtree
mullally
wood

line up like that i reckon

Ref: P Bentham.
Video Ref: J Child, M Thomason.

Lawrence isn't in for Bailey- they are both in the squad.

I'm nervous about this game for us yet very excited!
It's very winnable however I think Leeds have a better mental attitude than us.

Brian McDermott and Captain Kev will print into there players minds to play percentages just like the NRL teams did last week in the World club series. They don't have much to prove.

In contrast, I hope I'm wrong but I think it'll be a case of us trying too hard to show the Sky viewers that we are a top 4 team, and a team to be aware of by over playing.
Could work in our favour if it's one of them nights that things go right. We don't get many of them nights though...

I wouldn't change the team apart from maybe putting Johnson in for some younger legs in the prop department. Crabtree or Koppy to miss out for him.

I don't quite get the dislike for Lunt to be honest and I think he's professional enough to put the effort in all season and hopefully in the future. Is he this seasons target for our fans?

When Wood returns it's straight into the halves for me. Our best rugby last season was when he was partnering Brough. His passing is exceptional while on the move. Away at Leeds may not be the best for his return though!

All in all. COYG!! Let's get this season started on Thursday!

"we might as well not bother going then as we've no chance of winning now"

do what has got us wins at headingley in the last 3 years and we have a chance.

that is do the basics right, play the percentages, kick deep and chase hard, turn them around and don't give them an inch in defence.

that's what we've done the last 3 years and it's worked for us, try and score off every set and they'll crucify us, keep it simple, keep it tight and we will get the rewards

yeh ok, lawrence in for bailey in the 17 team then

yeh thing is they have hardaker at full back now and not ben jones bishop which has been the case previously, hardaker is a much better full back, their backs get them on the front foot , thats what we need to stop to have any chance

Correct

Hardaker has played at FB for Leeds for a few years now- we beat them with him playing there plenty. It's our centres I worry about.

thought you worried about our forwards?

We'll put in a full 80 minute shift and win yet again at Headingley

Will be a tough game and just what we need after the poor start we've made to the season. There's nothing like a West Yorkshire derby to get you going and the players have got a point to prove. You could class this as the first real game of the season after our woeful pre-season preparation and friendly call off.

Going by that performance Woody needs to play every week- and he needs more minutes. We looked so much brighter and quicker around the ruck in that few minutes he was on than with lunt.

Ship Lunt out to Oldham until his ego matches his talent again.

Top 4 probably gone now. Let's hope for a good Cup run or it'll be a dull season.

a lot better 3 soft trys one a simply missed tackle Ferris switches off 34 seconds after the break and there last one full back out of position and wood not moving across . yes lunt made a mess of the last play but yet again got into a good position but couldn't close the game out not fair to pick on anyone player play like and we will soon claim up the table ellis look good so did wood

Lunt just going through the motions. I could stand at dummy half and do 5 yard passes.

We are very predictable. Need to give Hubyband Wood more game time.

No chance of top 4 now.

I'll get jumped on for this but I think Anderson has taken us as far as he can. Hive Purtill a crack.

As a neutral, I thought Huddersfield handed the game to Leeds.
Or rather, some of the players did.
Although he got a try, Ferris is Hock 2.
An absolute serial offender.
He negated all attacks down the left side in the first half for various misdeeds and shows no promise of changing his attitude.
Lunt is not the Lunt I recognise.
Your fullback needs to take the ball up quickly, he's dithering and losing yards.
I could go on but some of the players need sorting.
Huddersfield should have won.

I totally agree with your first two comments- in fact I'd drop ferres on current form and play taai for 80 with lawrence and Bailey at loose- but don't agree Jake Connor hesitates- it's how our full backs are told to play, the game plan is to wait for the winger- I don't necessarily agree with it but he's doing what's asked of him.

Yeah, I realised that when I typed it.
But I still feel there are two ways to get support, wait for it to come back, or run up to meet it.
I know which one gives better yardage.
Predicated on someone sprinting back to play the ball.

Paul Aiton proved, if proof was needed, that not only is he a dirty player he is also dishonest, going down clutching his eye in a damned good imitation of a premier league wendyballer. It was a perfectly legal hand-off, which Ganson and his sidekick decided to interpret differently. I was surprised Connor didn't get a yellow, so we have to be grateful for small mercies.

While I agree Aiton made a meal of it and quite frankly as a Leeds fan I found it a little embarrassing I am not sure about perfectly legal hand off. I don't believe he has any right to hand off a marker defender after he has played the ball?

im worried that there might be talk of a gouge, looked pretty bad on the replays. im sure it wasnt deliberate, but you cant put your hand in any players face like that. silly pen to give.

however im with you on the theatrics, but im happy he did that than kick off and maybe get pen reversed.

The penalty should have been given for aiton messing about at the ptb- then he wouldn't have needed to be handed off. Simples.
This messing about in the ruck -whichALL teams are guilty of at this level - is seriously putting me off the game of RL. I'm getting tired of it to be honest- it spoils the game Too much effort put into bending the rules /cheating at the ruck and less on showing some rugby skills. It's the worst thing Aussies have brought to our game.

Another frustrating night, i don't think we played too badly once we woke up. Problem is we let an average side on the night score 3 very easy tries by not putting more effort in to make tackles, the Sky commentary team even commented on it, and then we find ourselves 18-0 down, credit to everyone for sticking to it and clawing it back to be leading but with a bit more effort we wouldn't have needed to come back.

Thought our back 3 looked solid again, these 3 need to stay there and develop as a unit.
Lunt was poor again, Wood was miles better in his spell and IMO Lunt's place should really be under threat now - he hasn't performed for a while now.
Broughy calmed down a bit once we got back into the game but was again on a warning for dissent and it can only be a matter of time before he gets marched.
Ferres is turning into a bit of a penalty machine and needs to get back to the attacking threat he was.
Disappointed and frustrated really as we had won the game once then lost it again.