- 01/07/2025
James O’Brien assesses the silverware hopes of Leeds Rhinos ahead of their biggest test of the year so far at Hull KR PLUS the play-off chances of Hull FC and Wakefield Trinity ...
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00:00Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Yorkshire Post Rugby League podcast.
00:13Once again, we're going to be joined in a short while by James O'Brien,
00:17the Yorkshire Post Rugby League correspondent.
00:19It's been another busy weekend for James and our Yorkshire Rugby League teams,
00:25particularly in the Super League,
00:26we're going to concentrate on over the course of the next 15 or 20 minutes.
00:31We're going to start off by having a quick look at Leeds Rhinos.
00:35Had a big win on Friday, going 48-30 against Lee Leopards,
00:41took them back up to third.
00:42Good timing, scored plenty of tries,
00:45perhaps not like what most Leeds Rhinos performances have been full of this season,
00:51as Brad Arthur sort of alluded to after the game on Friday.
00:55They've got the biggest test of the season coming up yet, though,
00:58so far, probably on Sunday, James, when they take on Hull KR.
01:02It's a mammoth job for anyone at the best of times,
01:05but at the moment, particularly so, given how well Hull KR are doing.
01:11Yeah, and I can say that Hull KR are due a dip,
01:13and Leeds will be hoping it is this weekend.
01:16Surely they can't keep going as they are.
01:19This is officially their best of a start to a season in their entire history,
01:22going back to the 1800s,
01:23so that just shows how well they're doing at the moment.
01:26But like I say, Rhinos, they've nailed that attacking part,
01:29and then the defence drops off a bit,
01:30so it just shows in Rugby League that you do need that defence as your foundation,
01:34although they didn't the other night,
01:35because they scored more than Lee,
01:37which is what it's all about,
01:38and they scored 48 points,
01:40which is really welcome for Leeds,
01:41but you're going to need both facets of the game
01:45to be on point on Sunday
01:47to leave Craven Park with the two points.
01:50They're not going to be able to ship 30 points at Craven Park
01:53and win the game.
01:54I think we're safe to say that.
01:57So, yeah, it's encouraging on the England squad to come out,
02:00although it's not a squad that's going to be training
02:03or doing anything in that respect.
02:06It's just an off-feet session, as they called it,
02:08which is basically just a meeting and a get-together,
02:11a mid-season get-together,
02:12because they're not England at playing a test,
02:13but no Jake Connor in that squad.
02:16It's not a surprise,
02:17because he's not Sean Wayne's cup of tea,
02:18but he's absolutely running the show for Leeds at the moment.
02:21He's top of the man of steel leaderboard.
02:24A lot of people think it's a bit of a sham anyway,
02:27because the best teams in this...
02:29Yeah, one of the better teams this year are the Leeds,
02:31but if you shine in a team like Leeds,
02:35then you're going to get most of the points out of you.
02:37And Mike Lewis, same last year.
02:39But yeah, just going back to your original point,
02:40it is a huge set for Leeds,
02:41but they are, as we said, I think a week or two ago,
02:46that once the field's got drier,
02:48they'll be in a better place attacking-wise,
02:50and they're starting to show that now.
02:51But like I said,
02:52they do need to nail the defensive side of the game,
02:54because they need to keep OKR's points down,
02:57because they're not going to concede many of themselves.
02:59Brad O'Offa, the talk and the speculation
03:03about whether he's sticking around beyond this season or not
03:06seems to have sort of gone away over the last two or three weeks.
03:09Do you think that's perhaps had any effect
03:12on the performances of the team in any way?
03:14Was it affecting the performances of the team in any way,
03:17do you think?
03:17I don't think it was,
03:19because they went on that longish run, didn't they?
03:20I think it was five wins in a row
03:22before coming on to St. Helens,
03:24and every team has an off day.
03:27And they showed it was an off day last week against the league.
03:31I don't think it has had an effect on them,
03:33but if he comes out and says he's leaving,
03:37that could have an effect on them.
03:38So maybe that's why he's...
03:40I think we mentioned this recently as well,
03:42he's just maybe holding back,
03:44because he's perhaps going home.
03:46I don't know.
03:48I've been in touch with Ian Bleeds.
03:50I've got a chat sorted with him.
03:51So when this podcast comes out or later in the week,
03:54it might become a bit clearer once I've asked him
03:56and tried to get something out of him,
03:58because he's been very quiet on it.
03:59So we may know more,
04:01but if he is leaving it,
04:02that could have a big effect on Leeds, I think.
04:06Fingers crossed he does stay,
04:07because he's doing a cracking job at Adenley.
04:08And yeah, I think I mentioned last week
04:11that they look like serious contenders
04:13for the first time since the last won it.
04:17Because even in 2022 under Rowan Smith,
04:19they kind of just rode the wave of momentum back then
04:22and they weren't...
04:23As they showed the following year,
04:24they didn't have real substance.
04:26They've got that under Brad Arthur now.
04:28So they'll be back to square one,
04:30essentially, won't they, if he left?
04:33Yeah.
04:33They've got solid foundation,
04:35but you don't know the next coach
04:36might come in and rip it all up
04:38and do it his way.
04:38So fingers crossed he does stick about.
04:42Well, then it begs the question, I suppose,
04:43well, has it then been a waste of 18 months?
04:48Yeah, it's a good question.
04:49When you could have appointed somebody else
04:51who had the sort of vision
04:55to be there for a lot longer than, say, Brad Arthur.
04:56It's not criticism of Brad Arthur.
04:58He can't help the world.
04:59He really feels about being back home, et cetera.
05:02And obviously, taking on the Leeds Rhinos job
05:05is a very sought-after position.
05:07So it would have been hard to do that.
05:09But I just wonder if, you know,
05:11if sports are maybes, I know,
05:12but whether it would have been better
05:14for him to go another direction
05:15in the first place.
05:16Yeah.
05:17Well, if you get someone like Steve McNamara
05:19who wasn't available at the time,
05:20then it might have worked out.
05:21He might have similar views
05:23and build on what Brad Arthur's done.
05:27So it could work.
05:28I mean, it's not ideal, is it?
05:30You get a coach who's done some great work
05:32and if he was from these shores,
05:35he can carry it on.
05:35But unfortunately, Australia's a very long way away
05:38and he's away from his lads,
05:41which I'm sure we could all empathise with him on that.
05:45So, yeah.
05:47I just think we'll see how it plays out.
05:48But like I say,
05:50it'd be far from ideal if he goes home
05:51and it'd be far from ideal if he reveals it
05:54in the next few weeks,
05:55going into a really important stage of the season.
05:57We'll talk a bit more about Wakey a bit later
06:02when we look at sort of like some of those
06:04sort of lower playoff positions.
06:05But just a quick word about what Leeds
06:08are going into on Sunday.
06:10Hull KR again passed another test.
06:13Wakey were a team banging for themselves,
06:15having beaten Wigan the day before,
06:17sorry, the week before.
06:18Yeah.
06:19But it was fairly sort of,
06:23I won't say simple win,
06:24but it was a very comfortable win for Hull KR once again,
06:26wasn't it?
06:27It was in the end.
06:28It was very difficult,
06:29at least for anyone to take them on at the minute.
06:32Yeah.
06:34And Wakey started well.
06:36In the first half,
06:37they put up a great fight,
06:38considering,
06:39I think we mentioned this last week,
06:40the number of players they've got out,
06:41they've got a full,
06:42pretty much a full starting pack out at the moment.
06:44And they had Hull KR where they wanted them for a period,
06:48although they probably just,
06:51yeah,
06:51they probably put Hull KR into a position
06:53where they had to come out fighting,
06:54and that's when they're at the best Hull KR.
06:56And they wore them down eventually,
06:58and it wouldn't help by the fact that
06:59Jake Truman went off at halftime for Wakefield,
07:02who was instrumental in that first half.
07:05Great assist for Tom Johnson's try with a superb pass,
07:08and that's what he's got in his locker.
07:09But unfortunately,
07:10he just can't stay fit.
07:12So that's a big problem for Wakefield.
07:13But just on your point about Hull KR,
07:15yeah,
07:16even when they're put under pressure like that,
07:17and it was great for Willie Peters,
07:18I think,
07:19because after the Challenge Cup final,
07:21they had a couple of easy wins,
07:22and it's been a bit too easy for them
07:24in Super League recently,
07:25even before the Challenge Cup final.
07:27So to be put under pressure like that
07:29in a situation where they're behind
07:30in front of the fans,
07:32who are very expectant now,
07:34going into halftime,
07:35and then they obviously took the lead into halftime
07:37and ran away with it in the second half.
07:38So it's another box ticked from their point of view,
07:41and it's just a question now of
07:43can they keep it going for another,
07:45I think,
07:4512 rounds we've got left,
07:47or maybe 11 rounds,
07:48sorry.
07:49Yeah.
07:49That's a big question.
07:50Then they could have done with,
07:52I know you're going to come on to this in a minute,
07:53but they could have done with another favour from Cass.
07:57Obviously,
07:59we could have beaten Wigan the week before.
08:00If Cass had beaten Wigan there,
08:02that's a six-point advantage.
08:04I wouldn't have been able to see Wigan overturn that,
08:08but as it is,
08:09it's four,
08:09and they've still got to go to Wigan.
08:11So it's very much on that league leader shield race.
08:14Yeah,
08:15definitely.
08:16Seeing as you brought up Cass v Wigan,
08:18we'll move on to that now,
08:19which was the plan anyway.
08:20It's not like we've sort of miraculously concocted this.
08:25But a big,
08:26big talking point came out from the game.
08:28Danny Maguire didn't put any punches afterwards.
08:30Obviously,
08:30I think Cass were winning,
08:32and then it was a bit of a topsy-turbo game.
08:34It was a controversial call,
08:36but then Cass got themselves back ahead again,
08:38and then Wigan won it late on.
08:40But Danny Maguire was pretty ramped up afterwards,
08:45wasn't he?
08:45Yes, he was.
08:46He's normally fairly sort of,
08:48you know,
08:49pretty measured.
08:50Yeah.
08:51Post-match thoughts generally,
08:52but he didn't hold back this time,
08:54did he?
08:55Do you just want to sort of like talk about what it was that got his heckles up so much?
08:59Yeah,
09:00I mean,
09:00in the end,
09:01you could say it didn't really mean too much because Cass wrestled back the initiative,
09:06didn't they?
09:07And they had that lead going into the final few minutes.
09:09So you're probably looking at what Cass did in those final few minutes rather than that incident where Harry Smith took back Josh Sim.
09:16Although Cass could have gone from the penalty and scored again and opened up a bigger leader,
09:20you could say that.
09:21But I think it's quite clever.
09:23I don't think he meant to do it,
09:25but he's definitely got the Cass fans on side who is taking some convincing that he is of Cass allegiance now
09:33and not Leeds as he has been for so,
09:35or he was for so long before he went to the whole KR.
09:39But yeah,
09:39he's got them on side.
09:41They're loving the fact that he's got stuck into the refs.
09:43Because he took it as an opportunity,
09:46didn't he,
09:47to sort of highlight general or wider concerns that he has about some of the officiating in Super League.
09:55There was this,
09:56obviously,
09:56there was this one particular incident that particularly irked him on the night,
10:01on Saturday.
10:01But he did then sort of like widen the sort of discussion as to generally,
10:06as to the standard of officiating,
10:08sorry,
10:10generally in Super League.
10:12Yeah,
10:12it's the same in football,
10:14isn't it?
10:14When you play at home,
10:15you expect to get more decisions.
10:16It's just,
10:17I mean,
10:19refs don't go out there to do it,
10:20but when you're under pressure from the crowd and stuff,
10:22it just seems to happen that way.
10:24But with Cass and other sides near the bottom,
10:26it doesn't seem to happen.
10:28They don't get many six against,
10:30they don't get many penalties at home.
10:31So I think it's just a culmination of all that weeks and weeks of not getting decisions
10:35and then having an obvious one go against you.
10:38It's going to annoy you,
10:38isn't it?
10:39And I think it's quite clever as well in the fact that we're playing at home against,
10:43again on Thursday against Huddersfield.
10:45So whoever's reffing that,
10:46that's going to be in the back of their mind.
10:48So you won't be surprised to turn up at Weldon Road on Thursday
10:50and see Cass get the bulk of decisions in that respect.
10:53I think it's pretty clever.
10:54And like I say,
10:54he's got the fans on side now.
10:56And it could galvanise them good,
10:58isn't it?
10:59It's a bit of a siege mentality created now.
11:01And it could be a good thing for Cass in the long run,
11:04the fact that this has happened.
11:06And they ran Wigan so close as well.
11:08I think that might be a breakthrough moment.
11:10They've won a few games at home this season,
11:12but against the Leicester sides,
11:13but pushing Wigan so close,
11:15they might be able to harness that and come together
11:17as we haven't been together.
11:19I don't think the team and the fans,
11:20but now all that,
11:23all what happened on Saturday could be the making of this
11:26cast side,
11:26hopefully.
11:27Yeah.
11:28But on Monday,
11:29he got,
11:29not that it may soothe his anger a bit,
11:33I don't know,
11:33but he got an apology,
11:35at least,
11:35off the RFL for the decision,
11:37for the decision that had irked him so much on Saturday.
11:40But like you say,
11:42playing against Huddersfield Thursday at home again
11:45is probably a good opportunity to sort of bounce back
11:48and get the win that he probably thought that he deserved on Saturday,
11:51particularly against the Huddersfield team who kind of,
11:53who kind of threw,
11:55I wouldn't say threw the towel in,
11:56but didn't show up when he went to Catalans,
11:58as Lou Robinson testified after.
12:00Yeah.
12:01And that's,
12:01it's a big ask for Huddersfield as well.
12:04They've been in Perpignan where it was mid thirties,
12:05late thirties.
12:07They got the backside handed to them somewhat over there in France.
12:11And then you've got to pick yourself up,
12:13find the energy from somewhere to go to cast who are,
12:16who are pretty frustrated themselves,
12:17like you say,
12:18after,
12:18after being robbed against Wigan,
12:20some fans may say.
12:22So,
12:23yeah,
12:24it's,
12:24it's not a big game at the bottom because no,
12:27automatic relegation,
12:29relegation these days,
12:30but clubs are always playing for something.
12:32And those clubs need strong ends to the season to go into next year and have something to build on.
12:39And as we've said in previous podcasts,
12:41that both coaches need strong ends,
12:44don't they?
12:44Because if you're finishing with a handful of points,
12:47if you look at Robinson,
12:48for instance,
12:48it's going to be that you're not putting forward a strong case to be given a second season.
12:53True.
12:53True.
12:54Just looking at something where there is plenty at stake,
12:57obviously going into this weekend,
12:59is for that sort of,
13:01well,
13:02fifth and sixth sort of playoff spots,
13:04I guess.
13:04I guess we're probably looking more,
13:06more so at that sixth spot where there are probably three teams now,
13:10given the whole,
13:11whole FC's defeat against Warrington that weekend,
13:13sort of give,
13:14has given Warrington an opportunity to,
13:16to close that gap.
13:17It is very tight.
13:18I mean,
13:18you know,
13:19you would probably say that the top four are nailed on,
13:22I guess,
13:23given form and,
13:24and where they are in terms of points,
13:26but then Saints,
13:27are Saints vulnerable in fifth,
13:28or are we just talking about sort of the one spot that's,
13:31that's going to be between Hull FC,
13:33Wakefield and Warrington?
13:35I think,
13:35I think Lee are vulnerable as well.
13:39I remember back in the day when Huddersfield Town got promoted in the,
13:42from the championship and they had a minus points difference.
13:46They went into the playoffs and didn't score a goal,
13:48did they?
13:49Yeah.
13:49And I think they were probably in a false position that,
13:51that year,
13:52although they went up and stayed up the following year,
13:54but you look at Lee's points difference now,
13:56they're plus 11.
13:57Does that say that they are occupying a false position?
14:01And that's not for me to make that call,
14:02but,
14:02but on the,
14:05on the flip side,
14:05you've got St.
14:06Ellen's there.
14:06They've got 272 plus 272,
14:09but that's been very much been beefed up by playing Salford three times.
14:14And I think those loop fixtures are going to be crucial at the end of the
14:16season.
14:17And St.
14:17Ellen's are just,
14:18they're having a real dip.
14:19There were questions about Paul Wellens and then they play Salford twice in
14:22three weeks,
14:23which is just outrageous.
14:25I don't know how the fixture schedules are on that.
14:27And now look at them,
14:28they're pretty comfortable,
14:29aren't they?
14:29So that's come at a really good time for them.
14:31They obviously beat Leeds in between,
14:33which is a great win for them.
14:34But yeah,
14:35I think Lee are vulnerable just based on that.
14:38You look at points conceded,
14:39they've conceded 324 points,
14:41which is a lot of points.
14:43It goes without saying,
14:44when you look at Leeds who are ahead of them,
14:46we've conceded 211.
14:47St.
14:47Ellen's have conceded 192.
14:49So that's a big question mark for Lee.
14:51I mean,
14:51come off that,
14:52you know,
14:52conceded half a century at Headland last week.
14:55So they need to shore up defensively to secure that place.
14:59They've got a buffer at the moment.
15:00I don't know if they think it's five points,
15:01but that could be well done quite quickly.
15:04Wakefield have got a lot of favourable fixtures to come.
15:08And I like the look of Wakefield.
15:10Like I said,
15:11I've seen them a lot this season.
15:13And I do think they've got a playoff team in there.
15:15It's just whether they can hang in there
15:17until they get their injured troops back
15:19and not suffer any more major injuries.
15:22Like I said,
15:22Jake Truman went off.
15:23I think it's a minor one,
15:24but you can't rely on him.
15:26And then for Hull,
15:27they've got a lot of home games to come.
15:29They've had a long run on the road,
15:31but they can't win at home
15:32or they haven't won at home for a very long time.
15:34So they've got a question to answer there.
15:36And they play at St.
15:36Helens this week.
15:37So huge game for both those sides
15:40and a good opportunity for Wakefield,
15:42you'd say as well,
15:43because one of those sides has got to drop points this weekend,
15:46if not both,
15:47obviously if it goes to Golden Point,
15:49it ends in a draw.
15:50But in Wakefield,
15:51we've got Catalan at home.
15:52So that's a big opportunity for them.
15:54So it's going to be an interesting race.
15:56Leeds,
15:57they look like they're well in there.
16:00They might be secure in there,
16:02but they've got some real tough games to come as well.
16:04So starting this weekend,
16:06as we say,
16:06I'm really looking forward to that game
16:08because I think we'll know a lot more
16:10about Leeds' title chances after that
16:13because if it goes the way it is going,
16:15Wigan finishing the top two,
16:17they get home semifinals.
16:18Leeds are going to have to,
16:20if they get through the first playoff game,
16:21they're going to have to go to Wigan and Wigan
16:23and Wigan and Wigan and win,
16:25which is going to be no mean feat for anyone.
16:27So if they're going to beat Wigan now this weekend,
16:31then maybe it puts a bit of doubt in Wigan's mind
16:34if they have a rematch in September,
16:36October, September.
16:38One of those at the end of the season.
16:39I think just taking it down even further,
16:43like you say,
16:44Cass,
16:44Huddersfield and Salford are,
16:47I'm not saying the rest of their season is meaningless,
16:49but they're obviously out of the playoff picture
16:51and have been for some time.
16:52Would you say Catalan,
16:53I mean,
16:54Catalans are,
16:55I mean,
16:55they're still just about in touching distance,
16:58aren't they?
16:58With Warrington,
16:59I guess,
16:59and you are only talking about a four-point gap
17:02between Catalan's and,
17:04well,
17:05sorry,
17:05a five-point gap between Catalan's and Hull FC.
17:07I mean,
17:08you mentioned a five-point gap,
17:09I think,
17:09higher up the table between Lee and Wakefield.
17:13It's the same for Catalan's,
17:15but given the way they perform this season,
17:17the fact that Steve McNamara has moved on,
17:19it is kind of,
17:21I don't know,
17:21it seems a bit more of a transitional season
17:24for Catalan's this year.
17:25And maybe the,
17:26yeah,
17:26whereas in the last three or four years,
17:28they've sort of been there or thereabouts
17:30and a couple of grand finals,
17:31wasn't it,
17:31or something or whatever.
17:33But they just seem to be off the pace this season,
17:35generally.
17:36Yeah,
17:37I think we can discount Catalan
17:38to beat Huddersfield,
17:40but obviously Huddersfield are struggling,
17:42as we've mentioned.
17:44The conditions were against them,
17:46they probably caught up with them the previous weeks,
17:48having played Wigan
17:50and then beaten Warrington as well on the road.
17:54So,
17:54yeah,
17:55just in terms of Warrington,
17:56that was a massive win for them.
17:57I think we mentioned last week
17:58that they'd have been out of it.
17:59If they'd lost,
18:00that would have been seven points
18:01with 11 games,
18:02yeah,
18:0211 games to play,
18:03sorry.
18:04So,
18:04they'd have been done.
18:05But as it is now,
18:06the three points behind Hull
18:07and they've got a favourable run of fixtures as well.
18:11So,
18:11if they get it together,
18:12Warrington,
18:13they're as good as any side around that area of the table.
18:16So,
18:17I think Hull,
18:18Wakefield,
18:19they'll be looking over the shoulder nervously,
18:20but
18:21still in their hands.
18:22And like I say,
18:22I like the look of,
18:23if I had to pick the table now,
18:25I'd have Wakey in that top six.
18:27I'd sound like a Wakey fan at this point,
18:29but I just do like the look of them
18:30and Daryl Powell.
18:31I think they've got a real team there
18:32and a real squad.
18:34Hull,
18:35got questions to answer around the home form,
18:37as I've mentioned,
18:38and they've got key players out at the moment.
18:40And like Wakefield,
18:41they've just got to hang in there
18:42until they get Alexa John Essie out
18:43and Will Price back.
18:44And if they do that,
18:46and they're still in the six
18:47with a few games to go,
18:48then they've got to fancy the chances.
18:49But as it is now,
18:52yeah,
18:52it's going to be an interesting race.
18:54I'm back in Wakefield
18:55and I don't know about Lee.
18:57So,
18:57it could be Hull and Wakefield in,
18:59Lee out.
19:00Shall I make that bowl call at this point?
19:02I was going to ask you,
19:03I was going to ask you,
19:04I wasn't going to ask you for your top six,
19:06but I was going to,
19:06I was certainly going to ask you,
19:07you think we'll get that sixth spot.
19:09But then if you're talking about Lee
19:10faltering somewhat,
19:13then it does open up the possibility
19:15to have,
19:16what are we,
19:17what would we then be?
19:18Four Yorkshire teams.
19:19Four Yorkshire teams.
19:20Four Yorkshire teams.
19:21Which is,
19:21it's been a very long time.
19:23Yeah,
19:23very much so.
19:24I think we've had Hull and Wakefield
19:25flying the flag out
19:25in the last couple of years
19:26as the sole representative,
19:28which makes it difficult for me
19:30when I'm on my trip to Old Trafford,
19:32but they got there last year.
19:33But if we had four in there,
19:34that'd be unbelievable,
19:35wouldn't it?
19:37Yeah.
19:37I think if Hull and Wakefield
19:38get through,
19:39you're guaranteed
19:39an all Yorkshire,
19:41maybe,
19:42yeah,
19:43it would be guaranteed
19:44an all Yorkshire semi as well.
19:45Hull and Wakefield
19:45Leeds or Hull
19:47or Wakefield.
19:49It'd be nice.
19:49I'd love that.
19:51And I'm quite hopeful.
19:52I think,
19:53yeah,
19:53I'm going to say
19:54we're going to have
19:55four playoff teams
19:56right now
19:57with 11 rounds to go.
19:59Okay.
19:59That's June the 30th,
20:012025,
20:03James O'Brien's
20:04bold declaration.
20:05Thank you very much, James.
20:07You're very welcome.
20:08It's going to happen.
20:08YorkshirePost.co.uk