It was always going to be tough going to KR, Saints are not favourites to win everything this year for no reason.


There was a major shock in the Leeds line up when it was announced that Gareth Ellis was not in the Leeds 17 and had been replaced in the starting 13 by JJB, that as well as the inclusion of Danny Williams on the left wing for the injured Lee Smith were the Rhinos first 2 changes of the season, both replacements in my opinion went on to justify their inclusion. The Saints were at full strength but it was the Rhinos who started the better and after some hard hits early on by both sides we almost went in front, an excellent Sinfield kick through was chased and gathered by Williams and he went over but referee Klein went to the video ref and the try was ruled out, Williams being a yard offside. Ten minutes later Williams got the debut try he deserved this time from a grubber kick by Mathers, there was no doubt this time and we were value for it, Sinfield failed to convert so it remained 0-4 Leeds.
Shortly after the opener Graham who has obviously picked up a few things from Fozzard blatently elbowed Burrow after he had kicked downfield, the Saints player should have walked but ref Klein got it wrong, not for the last time and we made nothing of the resulting penalty.

After that it was all Saints and they finally went over 3 Minutes before HT with a try from Lee Gilmour, converted by Lyon.
HT 6-4

Leeds started the second half brightly but again the Saints began to get on top after Nick Scruton lost the ball on the first tackle. On 53 Klein made the last of a series of 3 errors in quick succession when we were adjudged to have interfered at the play the ball, a simple penalty and 2 points, 8-4 Saints and that was all the help they needed. Five minutes later after another error they swung the ball from right to left and Meli went over, Lyon missed the conversion but it was 12-4 and you sensed that we would not come back from this even though we had 20 minutes in which to do it. Saints scored again on 66 as Long added a drop goal to make it 13-4 and that was it for the scoring.
We defended well for long periods of the game and it was no surprise that there was little left attacking wise in the last quarter.

All in all it was a decent performance and if a couple of decisions had gone our way who knows?
It is one of our most difficult games of the weekly rounds out of the way and 4 points from 3 games which have included visits to Saints and Wigan is not a bad return.

FT 13-4