The Morning After: Leeds solid, Castleford heart & young Saints shine
The Morning After looks at three talking points from the latest Super League action.
Leeds solid
Leeds claimed a 28-24 win over rivals Castleford in a thriller at Emerald Headingley on Monday night.
READ: Leeds 28-24 Castleford: Rhinos edge past Tigers in thriller
It wasn’t the best performance we will see from Richard Agar’s side this year but it was solid and they got the job done. It’s a sign of a good side when you are winning games without playing your best rugby.
The Rhinos made some uncharacteristic errors in the game but they managed to hang on for the two points, and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.
Luke Gale has a big influence on the Rhinos and he has been a huge signing for the club. There’s no doubt he is a big reason why they’ve already enjoyed Challenge Cup success this year and why they are targeting the Grand Final.
Castleford heart
Castleford didn’t get the result they were hoping for against Leeds, but Daryl Powell’s side played with a lot of heart and every player put 100% effort in.
💬 "The spirit is unbroken and that was a massively positive sign."
Daryl Powell was proud of his Tigers' efforts in the match against Leeds Rhinos on Monday night.#ReadyToRoar | #COYF
📺 Watch in full on Tigers TV 👇 pic.twitter.com/fEotocvNb3
— Castleford Tigers (@CTRLFC) October 27, 2020
The half-back pairing of Danny Richardson and Jake Trueman was impressive and they could be one of the best partnerships in Super League for years to come.
Oliver Holmes was sent off for the Tigers on the half hour mark, so for Castleford to play 50 minutes with 12 men and push Leeds right to the end was something they can be proud of.
Young Saints shine
St Helens coach Kristian Woolf handed debuts to five academy products for Monday’s match against Salford – Tom Nisbet, Ben Davies, Nico Rizzelli, Matty Foster and Jake Wingfield.
The future is bright….🌞
1️⃣2️⃣5️⃣4️⃣ – Tom Nisbet
1️⃣2️⃣5️⃣5️⃣ – Ben Davies
1️⃣2️⃣5️⃣6️⃣ – Nico Rizzelli
1️⃣2️⃣5️⃣7️⃣ – Matty Foster
1️⃣2️⃣5️⃣8️⃣ – Jake Wingfield#saintsandproud pic.twitter.com/Pi0VrCWCe5— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) October 27, 2020
A late try from Krisnan Inu sealed a 12-10 victory for Salford – but Saints supporters can be very proud of their youthful side.
Saints’ young half-back Lewis Dodd has only made a handful of first-team appearances as well but he has a massive future in the game. He is a silky playmaker with plenty of skills in his locker.
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