Leeds Rhinos fans split over win v Huddersfield Giants: 'boring attack' or 'best play all season'

Kallum Watkins’ try-scoring return was a highlight and Lachie Miller also impressed, but opinion was split over Rhinos’ style of play, one describing it as “boring” while another felt it was the best this season. There were also differing views on the merits of Leeds’ number seven, though our panel agree Friday’s visit of Hull KR should be a cracker.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

In another underwhelming performance, Leeds managed to see off a poor Huddersfield side, but the same questions remain about this Rhinos team. I also think calling it the Rival Round is a bit strong; I have very little feeling towards Huddersfield, like most Rhinos fans.

I feel like I’m repeating myself from last week, but we just look so boring and uninspiring in attack. A team of Leeds’ quality should be hammering poor sides with ease. If the likes of Matt Frawley cannot perform against struggling sides, they shouldn’t be in the team. Hopefully when Brodie Croft and Cameron Smith are back we find some attacking rhythm, because at the moment, it’s dull.

It seems Morgan Gannon is off to the NRL after rejecting a significant offer from the Rhinos to stay. I appreciate rugby careers are short, but after the support and patience we’ve given him after multiple injuries, it’d be disappointing to see him jump ship at the first opportunity. If it is true, I don’t want to see him in the first team this season. Let him play in the reserves. We need committed players, not someone who leaves at the first opportunity he gets.

Looking ahead to Hull KR at home on Friday, it should be an entertaining fixture. Our defence has been top-quality, but needs to be at its best to keep a quality side like Hull KR out. We’ll need a performance similar to the one against Wigan and I back the boys to see it through.

GAVIN MILLER

The coach said he was pleased with 70 minutes of the performance on Friday evening, being disappointed with only the last 10 where Leeds allowed Huddersfield to score their lone points. Up until that stage, Leeds had been workman-like and - certainly in the second half - a little more clinical in attack and all in, it turned pretty routine against, let’s face it, a very average Huddersfield team. I mean, any team that has Ashton Golding playing at hooker has to have issues which need resolving. There’s nothing at all redeeming in that Huddersfield team, even their Burgess looked old, unfit and out of his depth.

I had watched some rugby league earlier in the day and saw a red card and a yellow card which sums up for me where the game has gone. Both carded players hit opponents who were on their way down and in the split second they had to react, they couldn’t avoid making high contact against a player basically on their knees. We have gone so far down this route of apparent player protection and the apparent fear of being sued, we are turning the game into touch and pass. It will be virtually no contact in years to come and rugby league as we know it will be dead and buried.

BECKY OXLEY

I thoroughly enjoy the Easter weekend, especially the traditional Good Friday game. Fans attending the family day were welcomed by a vibrant scene featuring princesses, Star Wars characters, bubbles, snakes and even a cat. It was fantastic to see AMT Headingley alive with energy before the match and that excitement continued until the final whistle.

The first half mirrored last week’s performance, but in the second half, we truly showcased our potential. Our attack was both dangerous and precise, displaying some of the best play I’ve witnessed all season. Seeing Kallum Watkins back in a Leeds shirt was something I never expected, but his second debut, exactly 17 years after his first, was remarkable. He made an immediate impact, scoring a fantastic try just 12 minutes after coming on, thanks to some excellent build-up play.

This has left me eager to see how he and the rest of the team will perform as the season progresses. Ending the weekend in the top-six marks a significant improvement compared to recent seasons and Brad Arthur has certainly tightened our defense, conceding just six points in the past two games. Facing Hull KR next will be a challenge as they currently sit at the top of the league and will fight hard to maintain that position. However, I’m optimistic about a Rhinos victory. My belief in our capability and teamwork is strong. As always, we just need to keep the faith.

DAVID MUHL

We saw another solid performance at HQ on Friday and have conceded only one try in 160 minutes. Okay, the opposition wasn’t the highest quality, but as the saying goes, you can only play what’s in front of you. Brad Arthur has certainly improved our defence beyond recognition from last season and I think that, rightly, has been the number one priority. Attack will come and there were glimpses of it on Friday in the second half.

Huddersfield came out fired up as most teams do when they visit Headingley and it must have been a bit of a culture shock to them playing in front of a crowd! We dealt well with Huddersfield’s usual tactics of slowing and messing about at the ruck and didn’t allow them to gain the upper hand, which has not always been the case. The penalty count ended 6-4 to Huddersfield and I felt three of the penalties awarded against us were harsh, but this still shows a vast improvement in our discipline this season. Lachie Miller had an outstanding game, both in defence and attack, always causing the opposition problems with his brilliant footwork. Jake Connor had another strong game, setting up Ash Handley’s try with a brilliant kick and scoring one himself. Matt Frawley is getting a lot of stick from a section of the crowd, but I thought he had a solid game linking well with the pack. I do think he needs to improve his kicking game though. Leeds announced some good news prior to kick off, Riley Lumb putting pen to paper on a long-term deal. I don’t know whether this affected him, but he had a poor game and didn’t deal with the kicks very well at all.

The club had put on excellent entertainment pre-kick off on what was described as a family day. I’m no kid, but thoroughly enjoyed posing for photos with Chewbacca. Leeds do these things really well and praise must be given to Sian Jones and the customer engagement team. Getting a crowd of over 14,000 on a Good Friday was excellent, especially as families have so many other things to do, Leeds United were also playing in an important match and Huddersfield aren’t known for having a big away following.

IAIN SHARP

When the team with a zero and seven record comes to town, Leeds fans live in fear of the customary slip up. Like Salford last week, Huddersfield are Super League’s answer to the appendix or wisdom teeth - something you could have removed and not really notice their absence. Their travelling support clearly hasn’t discovered the value in a West Yorkshire day saver bus ticket and it would have quicker announcing their fans to the players, rather than the other way around.

Even given how poor Huddersfield are, those teams aren’t going to collapse straight away and there is a certain amount of softening up that has to go on, but there were signs that Leeds could have been well clear by half-time if a few things had stuck. In the second half, Leeds did manage to cut loose to win by a healthy margin. Kallum Watkins returned with his contractually-obliged ‘second debut’ try and Sam Lisone came up with the hit of the season so far - hard, fair and leaving the officials scrambling around to award something against it, so out came the random decisions box file to justify giving a penalty.

Stand out was Lachie Miller, with some of the best open-field running since the days of Brent Webb from full-back. The only downside was conceding a try when the game was gone, thus denying the second successive nilling. Two successive wins and onwards to the big test of Hull KR at home on Friday night.