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Match Report: Bradford 0-30 Leeds

simon4643859 — Sun, 28 May 2006 00:54:02 +0000

Leeds cut St Helens' lead at the top of Super League XI to three points after coasting past Bradford Bulls at Odsal.

A solitary try from the diminutive Rob Burrow was all that separated the two sides in an electric opening half.

The Bulls, who lost Brett Ferres and Michael Withers just before kick-off to a virus, threw everything at the Rhinos to get back into the game.

But second-half tries from Willie Poching, Chev Walker, Ryan Bailey and Keith Senior led to a convincing win.

Despite their attacking flair, Leeds were indebted to their defence, which repeatedly kept Bradford at bay.

In the first half, Shontayne Hape had a good chance to score for the Bulls, only to spill the ball going for the line.

Then Ben Harris thought he had scored after intercepting a Senior pass only to be felled by the relentless Burrow.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Tough at The Top

simon4643859 — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 06:41:01 +0000

Rugby Super League Top 4:

Pos.	Team	Pld.	W	D	L	+	-	Pts.
1	St Helens	10	10	0	0	315	106	20
2	Leeds	10	8	0	2	328	141	16
3	Salford	10	7	0	3	236	150	14
4	Bradford	9	6	1	2	228	156	13

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Salford Reds v Leeds Rhinos Preview

simon4643859 — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 19:43:07 +0000

We have to get back on track after the disappointment of Thursday but to do it we are going to have to be at our absolute best, this is a real intriguing contest and one that will be settled by the individual skills that we have a bit more of.

LEEDS RHINOS
Matt Diskin is back for us but I would continue with Millard and start Diskin on the bench. Mark O’Neill may also start but again I expect him to come on from the bench if he makes the 17 at all.

We are definitely without Chev Walker and Chris Feather, our most improved player this year. Nathan McAvoy is in the initial 20 but I cannot see him making the starting line up.
I expect Gareth Ellis to play at centre and Willie Poaching to play at loose forward; Ryan Bailey to start at 8 and JJB to come into the second row with Ali.

So from the initial 20, I expect to lose McAvoy, Ablett and Gibson.

SALFORD REDS
Salford look like they will be almost unchanged from the team that beat Warrington on Friday with just Andrew Brocklehurst missing out.

We have the injury problems but we have also had an extra day's rest and I think we have the men to break them down.

Therefore I predict: Salford 14 Rhinos 22

Come on Leeds!!!!!

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Leeds Rhinos 18 v Bradford Bulls 20

simon4643859 — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 19:30:47 +0000

Great game, crap result, but as soon as Danny McGuire naively threw out that dodgy pass with 2 minutes to go you knew exactly what was going to happen.

And it did with Brett Ferres falling over the line for the Bulls with the very last play of the game, absolutely sickening.
Bradford had the better of the game early on despite a strong wind against them and went in front after 15 minutes when Stanley Gene crossed, the conversion made it 0-6 Bulls.

It was end to end stuff but when Rob Burrow forced a goal line drop out the Bulls could keep us out no longer and Ellis went in after a brilliant pass from JJB.

HT: 6-6

Minutes into the second half and Rob Burrow made and scored a try out wide after running cross field and also added the 2 points, we lead 12-6 and were looking good to extend that lead, but that all changed when Lynch stole the ball one on one from Ryan Bailey.
Ironically, after what happened to Bailey the other week, 2 minutes later and the Welsh money grabber went over, 12-12.

Shortly after that, on 57, Paul Deacon kicked cross field and another ex-Rhino, Marcus Bai had little to do to score as Danny Williams was well out of position. 12-16 as the kick was missed.

At this point I thought we may lose it as the Bulls were getting on top, but Williams made amends for his bad positioning soon after, when McGuire sent up a bomb he did well to tap the ball back the Mathers who strode over, 16-16.

With just 6 minutes to go we were awarded a penalty 30 yards out in front of goal and unusually accepted the kick at goal, 18-16 Rhinos, with 5 minutes to go.

At that point I could only see us scoring again until with 2 minutes to go after just 3 tackles McGuire inexplicably sent out that pass.
FT: 18-20

If I do have one criticism of our team it is that we do not know when to kill a game off. That said, I'm sure it would not have happened had Sinny been on the field.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Super League Table

simon4643859 — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 03:56:55 +0000

Team	Pld	W	D	L	+	-	Diff.	Pts.
St Helens	8	8	0	0	233	76	157	16
Leeds	8	7	0	1	286	103	183	14
Salford	8	6	0	2	196	120	76	12
Bradford	8	5	1	2	208	138	70	11
Huddersfield	8	4	0	4	210	182	28	8
Warrington	8	4	0	4	176	171	5	8
Hull	8	3	0	5	178	206	-28	6
Catalan	8	3	0	5	195	256	-61	6
Castleford	8	3	0	5	182	305	-123	6
Wakefield	8	2	0	6	161	196	-35	4
Harlequins	8	1	1	6	90	264	-174	3
Wigan	8	1	0	7	148	246	-98	2

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Leeds Rhinos v Bradford Bulls

simon4643859 — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 02:09:50 +0000

Sold out over a week ago, the biggest game in Super League promises to be a belter, the game already had all the ingredients: A full house; JP captaining the Rhinos; Welsh money grabber captaining the Bulls; McKenna and Bai returning; the Rhinos injury problems and now we hear that Bradford have given Wigan permission to speak to Brian Noble.

Without Kevin Sinfield this is going to be a tough game for us but we do have cover and I expect Gareth Ellis to take over at loose forward and do a good job.
Having said, that we have nobody with Sinfield’s range of kicking skills and we use the long game a lot against Bradford particularly against the “Volcano”. McGuire and mainly Burrow are going to have to be at their best in that department.

Also out of the 17 are Smith, Diskin and O’Neill. Danny Williams and Shane Millard will replace the first two, O’Neill is not yet ready to start in a game such as this.

JJB comes back into the squad and should make the 17, Ashley Gibson will probably be the man to miss out. The Bulls are missing just Paul Johnson through injury.

This again looks likely to be a close game, with the Bulls coming off a poor display against Warrington last week, they are likely to be fired up but if we can cover Sinfield's kicking game we can win it.

The Bulls have 10 points start on the coupon which I would take. They will not win the game though, I take the Rhinos by 8 again to take the two points and temporary league leadership.

Prediction: Leeds 22 v Bulls 14

Come on Leeds!!!

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Hull FC 26 V Leeds Rhinos 34

simon4643859 — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 07:11:01 +0000

What a game!! 2 points for us and with them some sort of revenge for last years cup final defeat. Chev Walker was back in the starting 13 and Ian Kirke was the unlucky one missing the final 17.
Coachless Hull who had just been knocked back by Steve McNamara at least had Richard Swain returning started the stronger and went in front within 2 minutes, Gareth Raynor scoring a converted try.

After 8 minutes we were back in it but it came after a poor McGuire kick took a fortuitous bounce then went through 3 pairs of hands and back to McGuire who dived over, converted 6-6.
Five minutes later Hull took advantage of a Rhinos knock on and from the scrum the ball reached Yeaman who waltzed round Walker, 10-6. From the kick off Sinfield put the ball straight out on the full and then within minutes badly injured his leg and ankle, in the same play Lee Smith twisted his ankle, neither was to play any further part in this game.

On 20 minutes Sid Domic went in for a very debatable try, Chris Chester clearly knocked the ball forward but the video ref gave it, 16-6 after the conversion, it was not looking good, step forward Danny McGuire, JP flicked the ball out in the tackle and McGuire did the rest outpacing the defence to score, Burrow converted 16-12.
Hull kept going and before the break scored again through Raynor, unconverted.

HT 20-12
Our kicking had to improve in the second half and we needed a good start which we got courtesy of Ewan Dowes who dropped the ball near his own line, Burrow converted 20-18.

Ten minutes later Bailey was inexplicably penalized for stripping the ball when one on one, it could have been costly as within 2 minutes Horne had scored a converted try to make it 26-18.
We again kept in the game when after 55 Walker went over with 4 tacklers hanging from him, Burrow again converted 26-24, 10 minutes later we were in front for the first time in the game, Shane Millard reacted first to McGuire’s grubber kick and went in under the sticks, Burrow converted 26-30 but there were still 15 minutes left. Within 5 minutes it looked like we had sealed it when Ali strolled in, no conversion but we had an 8 point lead 26-34.

With 2 minutes to go McGuire capped a great performance by preventing Brough grounding the ball over the line and preventing a very tense finish, game over.
We only had one sub for the whole of the second half after Matt Diskin also went off injured but we finished the stronger.

FT 26-34
Bulls next up but how many men will we have standing?

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Hull FC V Leeds Rhinos

simon4643859 — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 06:21:30 +0000

Super League Round 8 – Friday 7th April 8.00pm KC Stadium

This for me is our biggest test of the season so far; these lot still cannot get over the fact that we are the biggest club in world rugby and always will be.The fact that they have no coach at the moment should make no difference, they will be up for the game and we have to hit them hard early on.

I say this is the biggest test of the season so far because most Rhinos I know had, due to the low key preparation pre-season, written off the two points from the Saints match before we played them, now we are in much better form.
We should see the return of Chev Walker, Shane Millard and Willie Poaching as all are named in the 18; Nick Scruton should be the one to miss the final cut giving Ian Kirke another opportunity to show what he can do.

Hull’s final 18 does not include King or Briscoe who have wimped out but Richard Swain is back in the squad and should start after recovering from injury, we should be targeting him.

The Rhinos are quite rightly favourites with the bookies but Hull are only given 8 start, I will be lumping on the Rhinos at that, I can only see one winner.

Prediction: Hull 12 Leeds 28

Come on Leeds!!!!!

Original post blogged on b2evolution.