: Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:40 pm  

etoile1 wrote:

Totally agree, Alice's Phallus. Can understand Leigh fans being upset by the performance yesterday, but all the talk of possible relegation etc is not realistic, based on your matches so far. I know you are disappointed with your style of play at the moment and I can understand that. However, I think you are being far too generous in your estimation of other teams. As I have posted previously on here, you have now played all the so called top teams, except for Fax. Be honest, until yesterday, did any of them look much better than you? They did not. Toulouse look a very very good side at this level. Any supporters of other clubs who are feeling smug about this result are also going to get one hell of a shock when they go to Toulouse. IMO , so far this season, clubs such as Fev, Widnes, Haven have been playing a very similar style to you. They do not look any better than you and that is why you beat two of them. All the wins you have had so far have not been flukes. In general in rugby, the best team does win on the day. For the first time this season, you have been thumped and though not good for your fans to see, plenty of other fans will now suffer the same fate against Toulouse. A lot of teams in this league do not seem capable of playing a brand of rugby like Toulouse did yesterday, so far this season. Do not imagine that all the other teams are much better than you. They are not. It will be a tight league. Lots of teams will take points off each other.

Still to play Halifax (twice), Whitehaven (twice), Barrow (away), Widnes (home), Toulouse (home) - of the 'top' teams. On current form, we aren't going to get much from them. Then, there's the so-called 'lesser' sides to play away, like Batley (already embarrassed by them at home), Gateshead, and Featherstone. We'll have to buck up our ideas for them too!

: Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:56 pm  

Helga wrote:

Ja I bet my leetle libeling cud surt ot dis mess bring in my leetle obstkuchen der duften Biene herr flik he would be one for de kellys eye, hey my eengleesh is getting butter no?

: Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:10 pm  

I know you have not played some of the so called top teams in the league, but my point is that you have met them all at some stage or in some competition, except for Fax. You have watched them against your team in a competitive match. You have played Haven, Widnes, Fev, Barrow, Toulouse etc and I maintain the only one of those teams that really impresses me and looks much better than you at the mo , is Toulouse. How come all your other games(not just a one off) have been really tough battles and then all of a sudden you are hammered against Toulouse? I may be wrong, but to me, on the form they showed yesterday, they are clearly the best team you have faced this season and by some distance. It might not be of any consolation to you, but they will beat a lot of other sides too. It is the first time this season that I have been genuinely impressed and surprised by a team and credit to them. On the subject of having to buck up your ideas to beat Widnes, I do not think you do. You proved that all of nine days ago, when you beat them and based on the territory and dominance you had for the last twenty minutes, could have done so quite a bit more heavily. A lot of Leigh fans seem to forget the wins you have had. They were not flukes. They happened for a reason against Widnes, Haven, Donny, Sheffield etc. You were the best team on that day. You were robbed away at Fev and from what I have heard, were thrashing Barrow and should have taken the points and gone top of the league. I am not saying you are wonderful, but neither are most others in the league. You are definitely good enough to compete well and have already more than proved this. Believe me, it does not make it any better for you, but a lot of other teams in the division do not play the champagne rugby that every fan dreams of. I will say it again. Lots of teams will take points off each other this season and gone are the days when one team is constantly winning with cricket scores. I admire the way Toulouse played yesterday and would love Leigh to adopt a similar style. Leigh are definitely not fluent at the mo, but they do have talent. Guts and determination can only carry you so far. If they were in Super League, they would obviously be being thrashed. The reason that yesterday was the first time you've been hammered in this league, is that you have the ability for this level of rugby and playing in the right manner (more expansively and fluently) and getting your best team on the pitch, you could be a more than useful outfit IMO.

: Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:38 pm  

I have never seen Toulouse's Aussie half back Wynne play before, but he is huge for a scrum half, and top notch.

Nor have I seen the Toulouse centre Sebastien Planas be as exciting and dominant as he was yesterday.

After Salford got thumped by Catalans, coach McRae gave as one reason that it took the team 11 hours to get to Toulouse. Did it take Leigh fans that long? How could it take so long, when the air flight is only 90 minutes.

: Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:07 pm  

Alice's Phallus wrote:

I have never seen Toulouse's Aussie half back Wynne play before, but he is huge for a scrum half, and top notch.

Nor have I seen the Toulouse centre Sebastien Planas be as exciting and dominant as he was yesterday.

After Salford got thumped by Catalans, coach McRae gave as one reason that it took the team 11 hours to get to Toulouse. Did it take Leigh fans that long? How could it take so long, when the air flight is only 90 minutes.

Salford are strapped for cash - it's all gone into their magnificent new stadium. Think they hitched to Catalans!

: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:09 pm  

[quote="mr. chairman"]word on the ground is neil kelly will be out by june and replaced by rowley and with a new u/21 coach coming in
=========================================
Well to be honest Keith, Paul Rowley had the team playing some fine attacking RL when he was in charge and what ive seen so far this season
from Kellys team is one man yed down forward play with a defence with more holes than my keepnet after a 20 lb pike had a go at it in Leigh Basin last year....
Go for it with Rowley it cant get any worse in my opinion
the only way is up !!!

: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:15 pm  

just got back from toulouse and yes leigh wernt good but to be fair toulouse are a very good side, size, strength, speed all over the pitch and i dont think any team will go there and win the rest of the season the only thing that will stop them getting in the top 3 is how well they travel to away games widnes wer very lucky to play them wen they did, they will be in SL next time the franchises are up

saturdays game : Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:42 pm  

I have been home 30 mins and I,m not reading all through the thread cos I,m tired.

Toulouse surprised me because they were bigger faster and passed properly.

In contrast we didn,t pass well, tackle well and dropped too many passes.

I thought too many players had bad games at the same time and injuries to Donlan and Higson didn,t help.

Word is our stand off problem might be rectified sooner rather than later and maybe we can turn this around.

We have played 2 at home and 4 away and this season was bound to be one of good days and bad. I would like a more expansive game but you can,t play that if passes are going to players ankles or around the shoulders. Maybe that area of our game could be looked at.

Will we win Thursday ? Well the players I talked to after the game know the team played badly on the day. Lets hope for an improvement.

PS couldn,t fault the ref. Quel surpreese as we say in the posh part of Salford.

Food in Toulouse is very good and people very friendly but the price of the beer is extortionate.

Re: saturdays game : Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:33 pm  

frankb wrote:

PS couldn,t fault the ref. Quel surpreese as we say in the posh part of Salford.

Top chap who took the banter in good heart

frankb wrote:

Food in Toulouse is very good and people very friendly but the price of the beer is extortionate.

Tha still supped enough of it though Frank

Very disappointing performance and I thought criticism of our half-back partnership was a little unjust as our forwards simply didn't lay the platform for them. Toulouse were bigger, faster, stronger and, quite frankly, played some bloody good rugby at times, with a couple of the tries being applauded by the Leigh fans as well. Very impressive side and Wynne at scrum half is an absolute monster.

saturdays game : Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:47 pm  

Well must admit I had a few too many on Saturday after the game but that was cos I suffer very badly from depression. I have no idea why but I find going missing when its my round always makes me feel better.

The beer was good I thought and was also impressed with the red wine which I have to drink for medical reasons.