Re: Leigh (H) : Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:39 pm  

I think the crowd was that sparse because we were playing top of the league. Only us sadomasochists turned out today knowing what would happen.

The difference between the sides was clear to see in ever possible way. They cut through us in defence, kept us to 15/20 metres gained on multiple sets and were much stronger and quicker in all departments.

A showcase of the haves vs the have nots.

Re: Leigh (H) : Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:01 pm  

Fans who I class as true supporters go to every game even if its win, lose, or draw.
That's why teams struggle when they start losing.
Fans drop off and clubs struggle to pay wages.
Get behind your team

Re: Leigh (H) : Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:51 pm  

To be fair I own up to my mistakes, I meant Sa’u, but obviously he has gone to Keighley. Yes Inu had joined.

I understand why fans are disillusioned. I really do. However, when walking away from the ground and supporters are saying it’s a disgrace. Need to have a word. It’s professionals against semi pros out there. Their middles simply tired us out and barged over. When there’s full time training involved. It’s bloody hard. This side had practically 70% NRL/SL experience if not 100%.

Anyway, I thought DFJ did okay considering I thought he was going to get hammered at first. Kibula had his best game, maiy defensivley. Hallas ran his blood to water. And I thought Flanagan tried to get under their skin a touch. All in all, better than I expected but still not particularly great.

Re: Leigh (H) : Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:55 pm  

Butler dropping out in warmup disrupted things a bit which won’t have helped. Because we brought Burton in to replace him, losing a decent middle player and replacing him with a back and then we got battered down the middle.
I’m trying to get my head around what the ref was doing. Refs don’t go on the pitch to have a bad game. I can only think it was his definition of a dominant tackle which stuffed us, as it became self fulfilling. Leigh got a dominant tackle, so the ref let them lie on for a couple more seconds than he let us. But that just means their line was set faster and they had a much better chance of another dominant tackle. On the other hand, the ref limited our time we could lie on and so limited our defensive line being set etc etc.

Re: Leigh (H) : Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:26 pm  

Bongser will now frisbee his cap into the room and see what happens.

Re: Leigh (H) : Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:08 am  

Amone was outstanding. Leigh are a level (or 3) above us but agree with Highlander that the ref allowed Leigh to roll onto, and then lie on the tackle spoiled the spectacle. They were already dominant, winning the ruck, and to just allow them to 3 man on, count to 3, 3 man off made it unwatchable.

I thought we tried. Kibula tried an offload and a lovely kick brought a try. It just wasn't a contest.

[Bullseye]

Re: Leigh (H) : Mon Jul 04, 2022 8:01 am  

Sadly this was a foregone conclusion so hardly surprising the crowd was so low. Would've liked to have seen a bit more starch in defence, particularly up the middle.

Re: Leigh (H) : Mon Jul 04, 2022 8:53 am  

One of the reasons the Leigh forwards make big yards is because they receive the ball at pace and from depth. Consequently they make mor distance when contact is made. This is something we seem incapable of doing and are too flat and too slow. Baldwinson is a prime example of this, a big man who makes very little ground.

Re: Leigh (H) : Mon Jul 04, 2022 9:06 am  

You only had to look a the front rows during warm up to know what was going to happen.

Conditioning wise Leigh look like a Super League outfit.
The way they set up in attack and defence they look like a Super League outfit.
They support the ball carrier,
The way the carry the ball with pace and aggression onto the defensive line
They have set plays that opened us up like a tin opener - to the point of embarrassment at times it was so easy

Whereas we looked like startled rabbits and could not cope with their size, speed of play, speed of thought and general mobility.

I've still not seen a straight and moving defensive line from us and in part that's down to Walker and Crossley. Yes people love their barnstorming runs but they are a bloody liability in defence and Leigh sat Walker on his 'arris yesterday.

The scary part was how, when they were comprehensively tooling us, they REALLY upped the intensity and properly bullied us after the injury.

Still there was a positive though - We didn't give up and we kept them below 60 when at one point it looked for all the world like a full on, point per minute, blow out was imminent.

Re: Leigh (H) : Mon Jul 04, 2022 9:08 am  

Well it was about the scoreline I expected, I would be surprised if any Bulls fan paid on the gate yesterday to go watch that tanking. I think my interest is at an all time low, mainly because I'm not sure what I'm backing. Are the club serious about building towards SL or are we happy being mid table Championship? I guess we will have a fair idea when the coach is announced.