It sounded like an even game for the first hour or so from listening to the game on the radio and the missed conversions made the scoreline more one sided that what it actually was. We shouldn't be too depressed about tonight and with it only being the first game we can only get better.

Just got home and I thought Rovers looked on a par with Leeds. 18 point difference was very flattering to Leeds and they won on the back of a hefty penalty count Rovers where constantly under the pump because of that. Leeds where piggy backed up the field and never had to work as hard as Rovers for their field position. When Rovers are picking Leeds players up and dumping them on their backs and the ref pulls them up for going above the horizontal on a perfectly legal tackles your in trouble. The difference in holding down was totally one sided. But I'm proud of the effort the boys put in tonight. Leeds scored one try off a clear obstruction another off a forward/knock on. Harsh result to take but that's rugby league.

Well done to all the rovers fans. Massive following tonight.

Who'd have thought you'd have the mirror image of the derby game so soon afterwards?

Score very much flatters Leeds, we were the better team for the first hour, possession told in the final quarter with us going about 10 minutes without touching the ball what with penalties and drop-outs.
Positives; our forwards look mean, dangerous offloads flying out, defended our line fairly well for the most part.
Negatives; discipline(?), dropped off in the last 20, couple of sloppy tries.
If we play like that every week we will finish in the top 6.
Manfully losing at Headingley without our captain and our best player from last year is no disgrace.

Welham, but Watkins defended in field for some reason. Sinfield was marking Welham and had a stinker in defence.

I'm a Leeds fan and was there tonight. I think you guys can take a lot of credit from the game, you outplayed us in certain parts of the game and as we do, we pulled away in the last 20 minutes. Reckon you guys could be a threat this season. Con Mika and Mickey Paea look like good players as does Graeme Horne. Great following as well, provided a great atmosphere. Good luck for the rest of the season!

Tbh being in the crowd I couldn't tell how full it was, how many came from here, roughly?

Southstanders match report is positive.

You were very sharp around the ruck and your line speed in defence was very good in the 1st half.
You caught our right edge time and again and will cause team plenty of problems and given you had Green and Galea missing there are plenty of positives from this for you.
On the downside when we upped the gears your left edge namely Welham and Hodgson couldn't cope with Watkins and your discipline was poor no matter how easty dresses it up you were warned more than once by Bentham but couldn't resist holding on the couple of seconds too long and the dump tackle on Burrow was rightly penalised.

Isn't benduke a japanese facial?

Surely you're not suggesting easty's view isn't impartial?

How on this earth is that rightly penalised when he was never taken above the horizontal?
Did he penalise us for showing aggression in the tackle or maybe it's our fault Burrows is only 3ft 2 and weighs 75kg?

No idea mate, it's also my name

Hull KR are my team I have to be impartial

I have to disagree with the tackle on Burrow, Paea picked him up, tipped him on his back and threw him to ground, he never went above the horizontal. Other than that I think there were more than a couple of grapple tackles/high shots that went unpunished. Anyway, regardless of the ref it was a good game and there were plenty of good signs for both teams.

Yes but when he's got all his winners rings on he weighs more than any of your forwards. You were beaten because despite playing for 60 minutes you fell apart for the last 20. Watkins has beefed up but the way he ran through your left hand side defence for the last couple of tries will worry your coach. Your forwards were awesome in the first half but a game lasts for 80 minutes.

We went OK in patches, dominated in the forwards for long periods but lacked a killer ball. This is going to be a bit negative but I see these more as areas to improve.

When playing away from home, if you concede two or three penalties in the first seven minutes for laying on, you absolutely make sure you clean that up, otherwise you'll get pinged for that all night and end up on the back of an awful penalty count.

We got bumped off in the initial contact far too easily, against a team like Leeds that are looking to promote the ball and ship it about they will expose that.

McDonnell's one on one tackling is a concern, McGuire was certainly favourite to beat him for the final try but I want to see the full back do more than brush the dirt off McGuire's shirt as he runs past so he looks nice for the photographs.

Hall at six has potential, we should keep him there but he needs to do more than slide across the defensive line and then give Mika a hospital pass.

Paea we need to wrap in gold, or krypton, or something that makes sure he plays as many games as possible, he was well covered by Leeds tonight though. Tackle on Burrow was silly and luckily Burrow wasn't hurt.

Left defensive channel was weak without Galea to organise and just be his usual excellent self, certainly lacked communication for Watkins (who was fabulous) second try.

I can see the point and am generally in support of switching Hall, Murrell and Lovegrove around in defence and attack, but Lovegrove going anywhere near the wing is not a great idea, we've bulked he lad up for three seasons and we missed some of his power through the middle, a wide running, hard working loose is what he is.

Typical Headingly evening for us, the game was there to be won but Leeds were clinical, they perhaps missed two chances to score and scored at least three that we should have prevented with McGuire getting his customary late on try.

Fair result and for a firt game of the season with a pitch that looked pretty solid along the south stand side both teams tried to entertain and largely succeded.

Leeds have only lost twice in their opening game since SL began.
And not since 2000
Which kind of proves your opinion totally wrong.

The first match doesnt mean "slow starters" which proves you wrong.

I thought in the derby friendly you were laying on in the tackle a lot which went unpunished that day. I don't really remember you doing that in the last few season is this a new Aus style tactic that has been brought in?

I think he means Leeds dont play well win or lose at the start of the season,but that is disrespect to Rovers good show tonight

Rovers played well apart from dobbos kicking for the first 60 but 60 mins not good enough I think this season will be Leeds season thought the rugby you played was very entertaining and we was taught a harsh lesson in the last 20 which by this time the circulation had totally gone in my feet, good luk for rest of the season.

I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. Took you a long time but you have

Good start I thought, you are always going to be up against the decisions at Headingley much the same as teams are at Craven Park. It's annoying that he waited until the 4th tackle everytime before pinging us.

Good run out, plenty of wins in this team. The defence on the left hand side was poor in the last 20 minutes but nothing that can't be addressed it was more one on one misses than poor positioning

And whoever stated Dobbo should have let Hall take the kicks obviously didn't see his attempt against Hull

In the past 12 years Leeds have won their opening game on all 12 occasions.

Yeah great opportunity I don't think.

Far better to get them in week 2 or 3 when the world club challenge is nearer. Of course Hull FC know all about what it takes to beat Leeds.........NOT!

Now getting a jet lagged Warrington at home in week 1 - that really IS an opportunity.

Rovers played well and your forwards were getting some good go-forward. We were just alot more clinical than you. The tackle on Burrow was rightly penalised, admittedly there was no malice in it. Don't really know why you do all this switching around with Lovegrove and Hall, if Lovegrove is going to play on the wing then he can't find himself being shaddowed into touch by Danny McGuire so easily.