Achilles heel: there's just one question bothering Leeds Rhinos fans after win v Wigan Warriors

Rhinos produced an impressive response to their Betfred Challenge Cup exit the previous week, coming the closest they have this year to an 80-minute performance. Leeds’ pack, in particular, were outstanding and the only question troubling our panel is ‘can the team do it again at Warrington Wolves on Friday’?

BECKY OXLEY

What a win. The rain didn't dampen our spirits and what an incredible game it turned out to be, earning us two well-deserved points to celebrate Ryan Hall's 500th match. I can confidently say if anyone was destined to reach this milestone, it was him.

Having gone to school with Ryan, I know first hand how focused and intelligent he is. I have no doubt he will achieve his goal of playing 20 seasons with the Rhinos next year, if the coach agrees, of course.

You never know what surprises he might have in store, but I doubt he anticipated his head would play a crucial role in Jack Sinfield's pivotal try. Perhaps he should lend a hand - or head - at Elland Road to help them return to the Premier League.

With both teams eliminated from the Challenge Cup, this match was filled with competitive spirit. It was fast-paced, thrilling and a joy to watch. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, with fans fully supporting the Rhinos, making it the best ambiance of the season.

The entire team worked cohesively and I found myself anxiously watching the final 10 minutes, teeth clenched. We maintained our composure, focusing on the game rather than just chasing points and making careless errors. Next up is Warrington. Let’s keep the momentum going and I’m confident we’ll secure another two points.

DAVID MUHL

They say a week is a long time in politics and the same is true for rugby league. From the disappointment of being knocked out of the Challenge Cup, we went to the elation of beating the champions. Saturday proved if we play an 80-minute game, we have the players to do well in Super League.

The pack were awesome. Mik Oledzki won the Sky TV man of the match and had a great game, but for me James Bentley was the standout player. His work rate was fantastic. I don’t think there was a bad performance anywhere on the Leeds side and it was good to see a quality team effort.

Ryan Hall’s 500th match could not have gone better; he even provided the most bizarre assist of his career. Jake Connor continues to pleasantly surprise me. Switching to scrum-half, he produced another high-quality performance. I think he has become the star signing this year, not something I thought I’d be saying at the beginning of the year.

Another player who impressed me was Cooper Jenkins. His defence, especially, was ferocious, and Keenan Palasia continued his good run. I really like him, he’s an old-fashioned prop who does the hard, unglamorous work.

However, all that hard work and the good result will count for nothing unless we can back it up against Warrington this week. Hopefully this win will have put some confidence in the team and they will build on it and continue our move up the table.

Brad Arthur, in his press conference, said we are still miles away from where he wants to be and, to me, this shows his high standards. Let’s hope we meet them.

GAVIN MILLER

Wigan’s coach Matt Peet called out Harry Newman for ‘carrying on’ after the final whistle, saying players that win often don’t generally do that sort of thing. The implication being Harry is a loser who can’t control his emotions when he wins. Frankly, beating Wigan in an early league fixture while under a bit of pressure for under-performing is the right time to get excited. Newman was that pleased, he managed to get under the skin of ex-Rhino Sam Walters, who didn’t seem to be able to control his emotions, running in to shove Newman. What a loser!

Handbags aside, it was a decent game; everything Leeds lack in offensive cohesion - and believe me, that’s a lot - they more than make up for in defensive ability and focus. Against a team like Wigan you have to be spot on defensively and in the main Leeds were, thus deserving their win.

Leeds’ lack of offensive cohesion - or as my rugby league brother in arms JG says ‘not got an ounce of rugby in them this lot’ - showed in the winning try. I mean, it wasn’t a good kick by Jake Connor, but Ryan Hall managed to flick on with his head for the son of Sir Kev to collect and go over for the win. It was the best match I’ve seen this year and, as I said to JG at the final hooter, the season starts here.

IAIN SHARP

That’s more like it. After the somewhat patchy performances over the last couple of weeks, Leeds roared out of the traps and got stuck into the defending league champions, Wigan, in perhaps one of the best performances of the Brad Arthur era.

The key to beating any Wigan side is to get stuck in from the off and with the likes of Keenan Palasia, Cooper Jenkins and James Bentley, Leeds at last have the sort of pack that can go out and take them on toe to toe.

Jake Connor’s kicking game is sublime and I am struggling to remember a player in my time of watching the club who brought so much variation of ball on boot. Another notable improvement was the game management, especially in the last 10 minutes when holding a slender two-point lead. Even recently, Leeds would have found a way to cough up this advantage.

One last point, as rumours abound about Leeds being one the two Super League teams potentially playing in Las Vegas next year - after my Catalans adventure a couple of weeks ago, I am only interested if I can get there via Kyrgyzstan and Lesotho and costing no more than £20 - fans should consider the distinctly average form of both of this year’s participants upon their return to the UK. Last year’s all-conquering Wigan side have won three and lost two Super League games this season and have a record no better than Leeds. Maybe it is a case of being careful what you wish for?

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

In a tightly contested match, Leeds Rhinos proved many doubters wrong - myself included - by defeating the quadruple winners Wigan in a result that will hopefully kick start our season.

While we have shown signs of progression this season, we haven't really had any result to show for it. However, Saturday proved we can beat anyone on our day. What has impressed me the most this year is the quality of our defence. We have become a team that is tough to beat and this was the key to our win. Apart from a few crazy 10 minute periods where we have lost our heads, we have looked really solid in defence this season, which is a testament to how much we have improved.

Some fans have questioned if we have improved since Brad Arthur took over as head coach and I believe that performance is the perfect answer. The grit and determination on show to get over the line and keep them at bay is levels ahead from where we were this time last year.

We bullied Wigan at times which is always pleasing to see. It was always going to take time for things to click into place so hopefully this result is the start of a successful campaign for Leeds. Looking ahead to Warrington, we need to back up the Wigan win with another big performance. Consistency has been our Achilles heel for years and it's time for us to show we have actually turned a corner. We have the quality to beat anyone in this league, it's up to us to show we are contenders and last week wasn't a one-off performance.