'I'm feeling much happier' or 'we are miles off': Leeds Rhinos fans split after win v London Broncos

Opinion was split on the 46-8 win against London Broncos, with a couple of our supporters being encouraged, two more unimpressed and one undecided. The victory, Rhinos’ second inside six days against a bottom-two team, has taken some of the pressure off Smith and his team, but a much tougher challenge awaits at Catalans Dragons on Saturday.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

For the second week in a row Leeds have defeated a team they should be beating, but it has not filled many people with optimism for the future. I will give Rohan Smith some credit where it is due; the decision to drop Matt Frawley for young Jack Sinfield is one many of us fans have been crying out for and I believe we were all proved right as he put in a solid performance.

It is the right time in his career for him to be given a chance in the first team and gain vital experience that will help him develop into a quality player like his father. He has the potential to be our next homegrown star, he just needs the game time to perform.

It is pleasing Leeds got the win, but we made a Championship side in London look a lot better than we should have. To let them score twice is a massive disappointment and - similar to the Hull game - if we were playing anyone else, we would have lost.

After the money spent in the off-season, anything less than top four is disappointing. However, we look miles off being at that level now, even if we are only two points behind on the table. There are signs of that lack of effort and passion we saw last season creeping into our game and all the good work has been undone in just a few matches.

I am embarking on my first trip to the south of France this week knowing full well the game will be the worst part of my time there. Catalans have started the season solidly and with the injuries currently in the Leeds squad, I’m fully expecting them to pile the misery on.

DAVID MUHL

It was nice to get back to winning ways at HQ on Friday night, but it’s doubtful we will come up against weaker opposition. London were dogged, but lacking skill in both attack and defence.

It could have been a banana skin, but Leeds showed some sparkle and scored some good tries, Ash Handley getting back to form crossing the line following a brilliant break from his own line by Lachie Miller. It was good to see some of our young talent given a run; Jack Sinfield played well as did Alfie Edgell, Luis Roberts and Leon Ruan. My standout player and personal man of the match was Andy Ackers who gave us real go forward and set up a brilliant try for Sinfield.

We’re 10 games in now and sitting just two points off the top of the table, a position I am more than happy with. It is one of the tightest competitions for several years with every team - other than London, Hull and Cas - able to beat any other, so a top six finish is more than possible this season, but with away games against Catalans and Saints coming up we will have to continue to improve in all departments.

There has been a lot of negativity on the terraces, but I think this is now the time to get behind the team and let’s see them push on. There were a couple of injury scares to Brodie Croft and Riley Lumb, who lasted just a couple of minutes. Let’s hope neither is serious; Croft particularly would be a major loss if he joins our growing injury list. And let’s also hope the likes of Harry Newman, Tom Holroyd and Morgan Gannon are back on the team sheet soon. I personally am a lot happier than a couple of weeks ago and hopefully we can use the past two confidence-building wins to kick on.

BECKY OXLEY

I was laid on my sofa watching this match as I’d had surgery hours before and wasn’t feeling up to taking my place on the East Terrace. Things felt different within the team, there was more attractive attacking rugby and some really good defence.

People say it’s only London, they are bottom of the table and we should be beating them, but we have to play these teams and on the day anyone can get the two points. It feels at the minute like no matter what the team does, supporters are always on their back and the players can’t do right for doing wrong.

One player I thought played well was Justin Sangare. He was carrying the ball up and defending really well. He has had some criticism this season and I think he showed some real determination.

Yet again we came away with injuries, to Brodie Croft and last week’s debutant Riley Lumb. We aren’t having a lot of luck this season with injuries and this goes against us as we can’t get consistency in the team.

Next up we have Catalans away. It would be good to see the fans get behind the team, either over in France or on social media. The table is tight and we are up there. As we always sing before every game, ‘we've been through it all together’.

IAIN SHARP

American President Abraham Lincoln is reputed to be the source of the quote ‘you can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time’. Such a thought must have been rattling around Rohan Smith’s head for most of last week, given the rough ride he got from the travelling faithful at Hull. In response, he dropped the underperforming Matt Frawley and brought in Jack Sinfield for Friday night’s visit of London.

The club’s PR machine has also been in overdrive, with the ‘owe it to the fans’ chestnut being trotted out. Perhaps it should be pointed out they’ve owed it to the fans since week one.

This is a massive club, perhaps the biggest in the northern hemisphere and not some lay-by on the M62 or ex-pit village. With that prestige comes certain responsibilities (and rewards). The suggestion ‘we’ll be a better team once the clocks change and the grounds firm up’ might have to be dusted off when season ticket renewals are posted out and perhaps fans should demand a sizeable discount if the team during the opening seven rounds are going to be about as effective as a Ford Capri in the wet.

I have a modicum of sympathy with London who are on a hiding to nothing this season. Promoted last September, well after the contractual horse trading of out-of-contract players in Super League had finished and anyone half-decent was signed up with a new club, London were left with mere scraps from which to form a competitive squad for the current season. Leeds handed out the contractually obligated stuffing, which fooled no one based on recent performances.

This week, the budding Steve Martins and John Candys in the fanbase take to their trains, planes and automobiles and head to southern France. At least there’s the duty frees these days to console themselves if things go badly wrong.

GAVIN MILLER

It was important Leeds got off to a strong start against rock bottom London to stop this turning into a tricky contest and, despite an early injury to new winger Riley Lumb, they did just that and in reality coasted to a victory against the part-timers. There is nothing much else to add to the conversation.

The coach showed some steel in dropping the out of sorts Matt Frawley and bringing in Jack Sinfield for his first start of the season, albeit in a game Leeds were always going to win. No one player was particularly inspiring in the victory, no one stood out, nothing really came out of the game to really give us any confidence things are going to be great this season, but I guess the victory will give the team a much needed boost for them to take forward into what will be undoubtedly tougher fixtures going forward.

That’s it, not much more to add. A pretty uninspiring performance against a team we should absolutely be beating by close on 40 points. Catalans away next, let’s see what this team is really made of.