Leeds Rhinos Jury: It's time to stop mollycoddling around and find some leaders

Catalans Dragons' Benjamin Garcia scores against Leeds Rhinos.

Our YEP Jury have their say on Leeds Rhinos' defeat at Catalans Dragons and ahead to tomorrow's Challenge Cup quarter-final clash with Leigh Centurions.

GRAHAM POULTER

Every week I write my thoughts on Leeds Rhinos games and it is a case of deja vu: slow starts to games, playing in fits and starts, allowing the opposition to just do as they please without us laying a glove on them; us not being aggressive or ruthless enough and when we do eventually get ourselves back into a game we cannot keep our foot on the gas and cut off the oxygen of the opposition.

Another problem is the bad habit of giving away penalties, basically us giving the opposition endless open invitations to score at will against our soft defence.

Catalans Dragons celebrate a try against Leeds Rhinos.

Earlier in the season we raved about how good our defence was. A couple of weeks ago I said that we aren’t that hot in attack or defence – when you look at the top six in the for and against column we’re poor on both fronts. I personally don’t believe that this group of players have it in them to take us forward, they give in far too easily for my liking. There isn’t one leader amongst them that can grab the bull by the horns and shake them into life. Harsh words but true, time to stop mollycoddling them and face up to reality!

MATT FOWLER

Lucky for Leeds Rhinos the Super League is a play-off system and has been for 20 years. There is little doubt Leeds know how to play this system better than any other team so it was no real surprise that a very weakened team turned out against Catalans.

I have no issue with it, you play to the rules you are given at the start of the season. If this was a first past the post league then Leeds would approach games differently including pre-season.

The aim is to finish in the top four after 30 games, that is still possible, but it looks like it will be another rollercoaster season and a tough ask if we don’t turn the corner soon.

I can, however, understand fans wanting consistency. We are only consistent at slow starts this season.

This week it is sudden death in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.

I expect players to return and Leeds to find a way past Leigh Centurions to be only 80 minutes from another Wembley final.

It’s never dull supporting Leeds.

CHRISTINE KIDD

Saturday’s defeat at Catalan Dragons was not a surprise for most supporters. I think the surprise would have been a Leeds Rhinos win!