Agree with that too, Muts. The Saints players deserve a lot of credit for the way the approached the game.

It's wrong to point to mistakes and errors and single out players last night. It doesn't matter. We had to play the game to draw a line in the sand, and there will be more moments like this before we can really move on.

I would like to mention one moment in the game though - Aaron Murphy's try. Not only was it a nice try and a well worked move, but I was delighted that the lad was able to score and make this statement for his friend. When Danny's kick went over, I was punching the air - it felt for a moment like watching a normal game. The feeling didn't last long, but that had nothing to do with the effort the players put in.

No need for self doubt, no need for recriminations, they were all heroes in my book.

Jason Demetriou we're so proud of you
After what the teams been through
Jason Demetriou

Jason Demetriou
No need to apologise
Watching the team last night
Tears fill my eyes.

I can understand the sentiment, but absolutely unnecessary. For me, JD is one of the pillars of this club, and he is long past the need to apologise for anything.

Yea I thought that was a disgraceful question by Bill Arthur. We did not have to play Friday it was a brave effort we gave our all, but St Helens are a class team and you need to be spot on mentally to give those guys any sort of game and with all this thats hit the club its near impossible to be mentally ready. Well Done boys!!!

JD has no cause or reason to apologise. Friday was one of the saddest rugby league matches anybody wished to have been involved in, so I for one, wasn't all that bothered about the defeat. Instead, lets just focus on Leigh next week.

no need for an apology we all felt and knew what they must have been going through BUT if jd and the boys feel like they let leon down a bit and feel they have a score to settle for leon a week on friday will suit me just fine

100% agree with this post, before jd was in front of the camera he was waiting arms crossed and looking a shadow of his formal self

5 days to prepare for a game like that is nothing
the boys have gone/are going through a tough time that most and i hope no other team or set of players go through

nothing to apologise for the lad did well to play the fixture after the events of last weekend fantastic effort by everbody at the club

Who are you to slag the fans off for leaving early?

I left 5 mins early as my young son was very cold and also getting tired. I travelled all the way to wales to support my side and i'll be going to edinburgh and more than likely back down to wales. Id have liked to have stopped to the end but unfortunatly my young lad comes 1st.

Get off your high horse

Calm down!



Adam is clearly disappointed in that he wanted the players to come around to a full show of support from the fans. He didn't get it - and everyone has their reasons and, TBH, that was a game I could not wait to get away from (although I did stay and applause).

There's no need to get into a slanging match over this and the mods will not allow that to happen here.

We all have our own ways of dealing with these situations - let's leave it at that eh!

Maybe adam feels that if the score was 20-20 with 5 to go fans would have stayed till the end, i don't think adam's opinion is far from the mark, but its an opinion and thats all it is.

To my mind every fan in the ground should have stayed in "a show of support" to the guys on the field, but i accept if you had to go becuase of the little guy then fine.

It's an opinion. After recent events it would have been great for everyone to stay and give the lads a big cheer and show we are united and as the chant was "we'll support you ever more"

But too many people IMO walked out early, but the ones that p!ssed mee off even more were the ones slating the lads when there was no need for it all.

As I have said the lads need our support more then ever at the time and whilst your some was cold I accept that BUT the people just want to avoid traffic really does make me mad. But thats me.

Hi this is Mrs Bigal i would just like to say i felt sad reading JD'S apology this morning, working as a nurse in a hospice i deal with death and greiving family/friends frequently, all the players deserve a big pat on the back for pulling on a shirt on fri night and i feel they didn't let anybody down, your all still greiving from Adam's death and now Leon's death will bring all those feelings back, keep your chins up lads.
As you can guess Al's not in at moment so im able to get on computer .

Post more often Mrs. Al

Great post and I agree with it. Hope most of lads see this thread as they have nothing to apologise for.

It has doubled the amount of pride we have for the team.

Steady on pal., she should be making MY tea not mucking about on here




Somehow feel i may regret this

So do i

Sorry? For what? Without 2 of our experienced props, with Scully coming back from injury and with a host of 'returnee's' JD and the rest of the gang bust a gut against one of the biggest and best teams around and made them work for their victory. No one shirked, no one bottled it, no one gave up - we were outplayed, and thats all there is to it.

JD and the rest of the team - you don't owe us an apology, it's us that owe you our support. RESPECT!!

edited because i made a crap joke about turnips and it is not in my opinion appropriate to deflect from the general flavour of this thread, which is that JD has been a top bloke and had no need to apologise!

JD has nothing to apologise for.

For being interviewed live straight after the game he deserves a knighthood. That took some courage.

don't think that i have ever been to a game with as much as a "don't care who wins attitude" .. we left early with about 10 mins to go and are the one's adam slates..we were also the ones who had the churwell chiefs shirts on..the kids (under 10) were not as aware of the night as the adults but the parents certainly were, being very personal friends of the family... following day the kids went out against eastmoor and an impeccable minutes silence was observed by everyboby. chiefs came out the winners just...

a statement from one of my mates

" i never thought that i would spend a minutes silence with my youngest son for somebody who played with my eldest son!"

R.I.P leon

I have listened to Leons dad recently - what a amazing man. I tell you what he loves Rugby League. Friday was just sad - nobody was really bothered about the result.

I'd just like to echo the majority of posts in this thread.

No need for apologies or recriminations from anyone.

John Kear and JD have both been interviewed several times this week and have always spoken with great humility, sensitivity and courage.
JD and the boys pulled on those shirts on Friday night and went out and played a game in circumstances that most of us have never had to cope with and they did all that could be asked of them. It must have taken an extraordinary amount of courage and will to step forward and play that game.

Saints came and did a professional job, again under difficult circumstances. They were asked to come and play a team that was grieving and no matter how it went they were never going to come out of it looking like winners. They did however come and play with great dignity as well, no try celebrations, no enjoying the night for them really.


Finally, it would have been nice for all the fans to remain behind and give them a big show of support but it wasn't to be. As TRB said it was a game that a lot of people wanted to get away from for various reasons (I didn't want to hang around for any length of time it was too sad an occasion for that - I applauded the players off and then went off home to be with my family). I personally am not sure that the players would have wanted to do a lap of honour anyway, I think they probably wanted to get off and do their grieving in private, not in the eye of the SKY cameras.


All in all, I think this club (and RL in general) have this week shown the rest of the country that we have something very special indeed, that other sports cannot match.

Once again I thank everyone at Wakefield Trinity and every player, staff member and fan of all clubs that have tried this week to help us all get through it. I think the way the whole sport has carried itself this week has given Leon a fitting tribute and there is not one amongst us who needs to apologise (especially JD).

Chatting to one of our glorious mods at half time I said on leaving him that I intended to enjoy the second half. I didn't enjoy the first half and as it transpired I didn't enjoy the second either.

Nothing to do with the game I just couldn't get into it, much as I tried. It just didn't feel right, I wanted us to win but deep down didn't have the energy to really be bothered - it really wasn't important.

Players are human and if they felt as deflated and raw as I did and I suspect it was far more so, then what they managed on friday was excellent in my book. They wanted to make folk happy and they tried but their hearts and especially their heads were elsewhere, as was mine.

I hope I never watch a game under those circumstances again. I was emotionally drained after Leons dads interview and any possible pleasure was lost then and rightly so.

It was a game that had to be played even if no one really wanted to play in it. What a dreadful week, yet no one could have done more for Leons memory on friday, win or lose. No one who was there and has a shred of decency will ever forget the shear emotion of the night.

It was not a good night to be a fan but as human beings it was a privilege to be there - but hopefully never again!