Leeds Rhinos Jury: Ref grumbles, card concerns and confidence for must-win Castleford Tigers clash

Our fans panel are confident Leeds can get the job done and secure a place in the play-offs, but agree it will take a big effort after Monday’s loss in France.

IAIN SHARP

Monday’s trip to France was perhaps the bridge too far for Leeds and brought to an end their six game winning run, with the squad running on empty due to injuries and suspensions.

The defeat sets up an intriguing winner takes all game against Castleford on Saturday.One of the huge bugbears this season has been the use of red cards, sin-bins and subsequent suspensions, which are not helped by certain match officials who’d look out of their depth in a bird bath.

One week an action is punished and a player dismissed, only for a very similarincident the following week to be waved away by the referee in charge.Throw in the fact the play-offs are just around the corner and there seems to be the impression that red and yellow cards are becoming an endangered species.

Antics like this can’t help sell the game to a new audience, with ever shifting applications of the rules and the idea that you can’t suspend someone because there’s a big game up ahead.Either way, if you’d have told me a month into this season Leeds would be contesting for a play-off place, I’d have bitten your hand off.

TOM RHODES

What a week - a week of two halves.

Firstly, the boys ground out a heck of a performance against Huddersfield Giants.

We were the far weaker side in that game. Getting pushed back in our half and constantly defending, it showed our guts and told the rest of the league we are no easy

side to score against now, compared to the start of the season.

But then came the game away at Catalans, with an under-strength side on show compared to the usual squad.

We looked very weak. Catalans had Mitchell Pearce kicking at his best, pinning us back beating us with constant goal line drop-outs.

Of course, there was no consistency from Robert Hicks, not one bit. On two occasions there should have been cards, like the ones given last week to Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer.

For example, the incident with Sam Kasiano and Brad Dwyer, who was taken out without the ball.

Looking ahead to the big fixture on Saturday, we need to be heading into the game with the right mindset and Rohan Smith needs to make sure the players get plenty of rest, as in that Catalans game we looked exhausted.

I’ll be touching every piece of wood and crossing fingers for a win.

KHYA GOTT

The last week has consisted of two big games that have built up for a huge tie for the end of the league season.

After trailing at half time against the Giants last Wednesday, everything was still to play for. A try shortly after the interval and Blake Austin’s touchdown just before full-time sealed the win and another comeback performance.

Again, there was a late fight back on Monday to try to rescue the points after falling behind in the first half against Catalans.

However, this time it wasn’t meant to be in Perpignan. Still, had Brad Dwyer not been taken off injured things might have been different. Who knows?

Anyway, of course it’ll come down to the wire against Castleford this weekend.

That final play-off place is up for grabs and the home crowd can push the Rhinos on for victory this Saturday.

With some of the team, including Liam Sutcliffe and Dwyer, leaving the club at the end of the season, let’s hope for a massive win at Headingley so we can go all the way to the Grand Final.

OLIVER LIMON

Headingley was rocking on a Wednesday evening.

It was 8-6 to Huddersfield at half-time and the game was a very stop-start affair, Austin’s sin-binning weakening the Leeds line.

In the second stanza Richie Myler gave Leeds the lead. Aidan Sezer saw yellow following Huddersfield’s equalising try and the Giants’ missed goal attempts kept the game alive.

When Huddersfield did finally land a penalty goal they took the lead at 14-12.

Chris Hill saw yellow for a disputed lift on Myler and Leeds marched up the field,

Blake Austin ran a perfect angle to crash over for the winning try. Cue delirium.

The unbeaten run finally came to an end in the south of France, where there was no comeback win this time despite wearing the lucky pink shirt.

Leeds put up a great battle in the second half with a side shorn of a number of first-teamers.

However, if we can get some of those missing players back for the Cas game, I still believe we will be good for the win and play-off qualification. Then who knows what could happen?

I am willing to dare to dream.

JOSH MORROW

It could be easy to be disappointed at not beating Catalans on Monday night, but it’s far easier to take the positives.

Going into the last game, it’s winner takes all against our local rivals to get into the play-offs. Count me in!

Where we were just a few months back, the play-offs were a pipe dream. To go on a winning run and be beating the likes of WIgan easily and backing it up with massive wins against Huddersfield and Warrington is a huge turnaround.

Deep down, most of us would have taken one win from the last two, especially against two very good sides in the Dragons and Giants.

We struggled in the first half in France, but if it turns out we face Catalans away in the play-offs, they are beatable.

Robert Hicks had some baffling decisions, the Sam Kasiano one springs to mind. Smashing a player high and off the ball has been a minimum a yellow all year, but it wasn’t even a penalty.

If that’s Bentley, he gets a red. I’m sure of it.

Let’s fill Headingley and send Cas off for an early holiday.

KENDLE HARDISTY

Prior to and across the bank holiday weekend, it has been busy for the Rhinos and - as many predicted - it’s going down to the last game of the league campaign to decide whether we play again this season.

The performance against Huddersfield was a very nervy one and a game again where our discipline let us down.

Yellow cards for both Austin and Sezer are not what you need in big games. Luckily, Austin managed to score in the last minute to secure an undeserved two points.

Catalans away, missing a load of bodies, is not an easy place to turn up to. Catalans absolutely battered the Rhinos in the first-half, but Leeds showed some fight in the second to give the fans some reassurance going into this last game.

Leeds versus Castleford, a Yorkshire derby and decider for the last play-off spot - what could go wrong?

Any fan will tell you this fixture is massive, but with the added stakes now, it just got a lot bigger.

On performance and form, the Rhinos should be feeling confident. The nerves are kicking in already!