For the first 50 minutes are so we were functional. The pack were fantastic, both with and without the ball. The game plan was obviously to keep it tight and make Saints work hard in defence. The half time stats showed Saints completion rate was down in the low 60%'s, ours was nearly 90%, 15/18 sets completed. Saints had made over 130 tackles, we had made less than 80. If anybody should have been blowing in the second stanza it was them. We were dominating the game without really looking dangerous.

However, this all seemed to go out of the window when Saints scored. We had 2 second row forwards playing at centre opposing each other, and Gilmour skinned Johnson with embarrasing ease. That's one positive, we know Johnson's got to be played in the pack in future. After Saints scored, the game plan seemed to go out of the window. Ill-discipline both in attack and defence lost us the game. We were very strong down the middle, however our fringe defence was poor in the second half and that's where we were found out.

Positives -

Riley - Superb effort again from the kid.

Penny - He runs the ball out well, his defence has greatly improved and his effort is no less than Riley's. The one player we have capable of scoring from distance (proven) and he never gets a pass. Unfortunately, he is Lowe's scapegoat. Disgrace to take him off and put Johnson on in his place at the end. These young kids should be the future of our club. Will blossom when Lowes leaves and we have a coach in situ who understands different people need to be handled in different ways.

Morley, Carvell, Wood, Rauhihi - If we can keep these four fit, the best set of props in the league. Great effort.

Higham - Quality signing

Westwood - Most improved player in SL over the past couple of seasons. Don't forget, he played right wing in the last game at Wilderspool

Harrison - Some big hits from the young lad and plenty of effort again

Negatives -

Half backs - Got to sort this out quickly. Total lack of cohesion and creativity. Created no go forward, this was all on the back of a great forward effort. As for the kicking game................. what kicking game?

Johnson - Back to the pack

Hicks - Gave the young Saints kid an easy debut. First time he got the ball he should have run straight at him - welcome to the big time kid! Instead, turned inside every time.

King - I'm still hoping he's settled in now and going to prove his worth. This is the first game of the season, but little seemed to have changed. Got to shape up or ship out. On a value for money basis, our worst performer.

The rest went OK.

I thought Saints would win by 14 so am not surprised we lost. I am disappointed we lost a 14-0 lead and conceded 6 tries in the last 30 odd minutes. The next 2 weeks will say more about our aspirations than today. Let's face it, on recent seasons form Catalans and Wakefield are more our level than Saints.

Positives - Riley was assured under pressure and had the confience to join the attacking line.

- Briers kicking game in the first half was good (he has no support whatsoever in this department)

- Westwood, non-stop work and a handful for the Saints defence all night.

- Rau made a fantastic impact when introduced.

- new signings went well.

Negatives - Monas - I want to believe he's going to come good but not I can't remember a scrum half having such a quiet game.

- King - get him on the wing with Bridge as his centre, it can't be any worse than the King-Penny partnership we've got at present.

- Johnson isn't a centre anymore - but a lack of gas isn't his fault, he's just getting on a bit and has had too many injuries. He'll do a great job for us in the back row.


We just couldn't maintain our intensity after going 14-0 up and Saints turned on the style big time - doesn't look like the ultra-quick play-the-balls are going to be phased out.

Now's not the time to be writing anyone off for the season. Hopefully we'll get a big response from the players next week.[/u]

I am not too dissapointed about last night. I expected a defeat and for most of the game we dominated. Its a shame we could not do it for the whole game but they really turned it on once they got sniff.

Postives for me were.

Riley - been said all over this board but he looked good all game.

Higham - posed a real threat but tired later

Carvell - great go forward

Blythe - got through loads of work

Negatives

Monas - did he play?
King - what does he offer?

All in all was not a bad performance.

You also forgot to mention that we were playing against a team that are notorious slow starters and have been beaten quite a few times on the opening day of SL against average opposition, saints will only get better but how much better will we get as that backline apart from Riley looked toothless last night and our half backs were virtually non existent.

I dont know, Before Rah's try early in the second, the set of six Saints had that we kept them right down at their goal line was pretty impressive. Seeing as I havent seen a Wire team do that for some years (from memory) and the fact that it pretty much lead to a score was great.

To be honest I didnt think we would kick on in the second half. In a way I felt the half time hooter came at the wrong time for us and the ideal time for Saints. They got 15 mins or so to regroup and rethink their gameplan. We probably used that time to have a group orgasm about how well we had played. I just wanted us to come out that 2nd half as if the game was 0-0 and for the first 20mins or so, i thought that we did that superbly. Then we just seemed to make one mistake, then another and unlike we had done to Saints throughout the first period, got punished for them.

Its a shame because I had high hopes for that game, but its only the first game of the season and the more games we play the fitter the players will get and the longer they will last. I know they should have been able to last a full 80 from 2 weeks ago but at least they lasted as long as they did.

I think we should look at it as being a game where we gave Saints a hell of a fright for 60 odd minutes. When was the last time we made a team look like they weren't goign to score?

Still pretty gutted about the result but thought I would throw in my positives from the game:

Effort - Don't think there was really a lack of it last night. Defence slowed in the last 20, as people have said we need to keep up the intensity for 80 minutes!

Riley - You could tell from his Guardian interview that he was going into this game confident and hungry for a result, and he showed us exactly that in the game. Proud to wear the shirt and improves season upon season. Think he's got a bright future, hope its in the Primrose and Blue!

Higham - Didn't get to see him in the friendlies but was impressed with him in the WC and impressed again last night. Looking forward to seeing him used off the bench when Clarkey is back.

The forwards - massive effort and were constantly stepping up to make the hard yards. Impressed by Carvell - like Higham I didn't see him in the friendlies. Mozza played well. Need I say anything about Westwood - gives 100% week in week out and did it once again last night.

and finally....

The Crowd! Proud and loud, didn't hear a single comment from our fans against our lads last night. Even when the hooter went, everyone was gutted and yes a contingent walked out in silence but the majority applauded the team. I can only hope this carries over to our home games this season.

Give over - there's no way Clarke should start over Higham. If he does, then we truly are doomed

Exactly right, we played Saints away in the first game of the season, it doesn't mean much really. How many times have Leeds lost away to Saints over the last cople of years???

We were methodical and settled for the majority of the game. rather than trying to blow them off the pitch with every play. i'm hoping that this kind of game will mean that we do not suffer for the next few weeks as we have previously.

Next week will tell us much more about our season than last night will.

Yeah, despite me being really neagtive about Lowes so far, I don't think he is a stupid man, and hopefully he will have seen the shortcomings last night, and it shouldn't take too much to get a better balance with ball in hand.

It was possibly better to lose in that way last night, than a last second drop goal again.

I can see what you're saying but can I just stop you right there - this guy has a worse injury record than Paul Sculthorpe over the past few seasons, we've barely seen anything of him - as far as I'm concerned calling him one of our best young players, and that his absence is significant, is stretching the truth somewhat. He can only be talked of in those terms when he's put in a good string of consistently excellent performances. Until that time though, his absence is hardly noteworthy IMO.



I've not seen anything overly knee-jerk like in response to be honest. All I've seen is criticism of the performance (in some instances warranted, in others not).



I saw enough signs in tonight's game that we ought to at least be mid-table.. and that I'm going to be very, very bored.