Leeds Rhinos fans hail new hero, predict headaches for Brad Arthur after win v 'poor' Castleford Tigers

Rhinos led 38-6 with 17 minutes left, after impressive displays from several players, including two off-season signings who are fans becoming crowd favourites. Leeds will face a tough challenge at Catalans Dragons on Saturday, but supporters will travel in confident mood.

BECKY OXLEY

I eagerly anticipate local derbies and the second one of this season, at home against Castleford, was no exception, especially with Danny McGuire, a legendary figure in the sport, gracing his former stomping ground. The match commenced at 3pm on a Sunday, transporting me back to my childhood in the 1990s. It evoked fond memories of those cherished winter afternoons spent at Headingley.

We dominated the first half, securing a commanding half-time advantage. The second half was somewhat slower, with the last 15 minutes marked by a noticeable decline in our performance. Jake Connor and James Bentley played exceptionally well in this match. Once perceived as reckless players, they have matured and demonstrated exceptional skill and class in rugby. It is gratifying to witness their growth and development, as they have effectively disproved the initial concerns raised about their abilities.

I commend Brad Arthur and the entire team for acknowledging the need for improvement and acknowledging their mistakes post-match. They are not living in a fantasy and are not content with complacency. Arthur’s unwavering honesty and public acknowledgment of the team’s shortcomings are a refreshing departure from the tendency to ignore or downplay shortcomings. This approach is essential in the wake of recent challenges and is a positive step forward.

Catalans away next and another challenging match. Catalans have yet to secure a victory, but are a formidable opponent and will undoubtedly provide us with a competitive game.

DAVID MUHL

Castleford weren’t the best opposition we will play this season and the 38-24 scoreline flattered them after Leeds went into free fall in the last 20 minutes. Without several first-choice players through injury, we had an unusual half-back partnership and a prop named at loose-forward. However, for 60 minutes they produced a good performance and were well in control. The mystery is what happened in the final quarter.

Not for the first time, Jake Connor was the outstanding player on the field. He has fitted in so well and Brad Arthur will have a real decision to make when Lachie Miller is back to full fitness. Jake was run close for my man of the match by James Bentley, who worked tirelessly.

Ash Handley and Ryan Hall also made great contributions, Ryan producing the kick of the game for our fourth try. I’m quickly becoming a big fan of Keenan Palasia, he’s a no-nonsense prop who does the unglamorous stuff well and gives us plenty of go-forward. One of the most pleasing things was that 10 of the players had come through our academy. All the great teams I have seen over my 60-odd years have been made up of talented local lads and, with Brad Arthur at the helm, I can see no reason why this group cannot go on to join the great teams of the past.

They are far from the finished article, but I can see green shoots everywhere and I think we will win more games than we lose this year. Catalans up next and trips to France are always tricky, but we should have our half-backs available. After that, it’s the Challenge Cup and then the big one, Wigan at home. We will really see where we are then. Hopefully a big crowd will get behind the Rhinos and cheer them on to victory.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

Sunday against Castleford was a perfect example of Brad Arthur's frustrations with Leeds as we ended up limping to victory after dominating the game. He consistently said throughout pre-season we need to be an 80-minute side, but it looks like there is still work to be done on that front.

We were the clear favourites heading into the game and for the most part, we showed why. For a makeshift team, we looked threatening going forward while being resilient in defence, even if it was against a poor Tigers side.

There were a number of standout performances throughout the squad, including new recruit Keenan Palasia. He looks to be the forward we have been crying out for since Jamie Peacock retired and he has certainly hit the ground running.

Jack Sinfield had a good game and will provide another headache for Arthur once Matt Frawley is fit again. He was a constant thorn in Castleford's side and did well to recover after a rocky start. His try was arguably the best of the afternoon and he could probably have scored again, with a bit more luck.

The main concern is obviously the last 20 minutes. There is no excuse for dropping off and letting them back into the game. Castleford were very poor on the day and 24 points flatters them. I appreciate there were a few youngsters playing, but there were enough experienced players on the pitch to see the game out and it was disappointing to collapse like that. Against better opposition, we would have been punished and we need to fix this with big games fast approaching.

Looking ahead to Catalans, I hope that the travelling fans get to see some points scored after being nilled on our previous trips. Brad Arthur will want the squad to respond to the last 20 minutes against Castleford and, given the Dragons’ poor start to the season, I can see those braving the trip being rewarded with a win.

IAIN SHARP

Better known on the other side of Headingley Stadium, last weekend saw the rare spectacle of a rugby league declaration, with Leeds having done more than enough in an hour to defeat Castleford Tigers in Sunday’s big Super League clash. Without a recognised one, six, seven and 13 (that’s not my PIN number, by the way) it could have been a tricky clash against a Cas side that will battle Salford for the unenviable title as worst team in the league this season.

Morgan Gannon and Jack Sinfield in the halves pulled sufficient strings to get Leeds moving, behind a forward pack that looked far more motivated than two weeks previously. Keenan Palaisa, playing at loose-forward and Jake Connor, who is growing in confidence week-on-week, did their job magnificently.

Just one gripe. This season has seen the positive move of introducing the captain’s challenge. However, on Sunday - with two successful challenges - it wasn’t immediately clear why the game had been stopped and what the basis for the challenge was. Recently introduced in the Premier League and around in American sports for years, is the ability of the official to announce directly to the crowd. Can we have some clearer

indication of what is going on, please?

The faithful have dusted off their passports and probably already checked in on their flight, for the annual Loiner invasion of Europe down to Perpignan this weekend, against the locals who are reeling on the ropes so far this year. Safe journey, if you’re going.

GAVIN MILLER

I was in the rugby league heartland of Greenwich, London, over the weekend, working hard to earn a living, so I missed our game with Castleford on Sunday. I asked my mate JG to send me an appraisal and this is what he had to say.

“We were physically more athletic and powerful for the first 60. It was nice to see us dominate a side that way, which we haven’t done for years. Then we went to sleep a bit and leaked a load of points.

“We did well without our six, seven and 13; there are some green shoots, but I don’t think Matt Peet is rushing home in fear to watch game tape and find holes in our game; our pack is not completely terrible now - and that’s nice; Riley Lumb is a real talent; Harry Newman is okay, he has turned into Dave Creaser; Jake Connor is class; Ryan Hall is just a machine; Ash Handley was class against Cas. So nothing to be negative about really.”

Sounds all right to me! Our biggest test of the season is coming up next week and a trip to Catalan Dragons. Three wins from four would be a half-decent start to the season.