Leeds Post Cup Collapse
Following Leeds perfect performance at Wembley Leeds have gone to pieces. Playing St Helens the Friday after the cup final was a big ask and an understandable loss. Saving their worst performance for the always tricky journey to Perpignan for the Catalan Dragons was embarrassing but just two teams have won there all season and tonight Leeds lost to Castleford. A good try disallowed for Leeds and a definite no try for Cas alongside Sinfield going off injured shortly after half time. Having lost Paul Aiton has been a massive blow, Burrow out too cut our options. One injury away from capitulation. Should Sinfields dead leg prove a longer term injury I can't see a grand final appearance. But now league leaders shield is out of our hands. Should Saints beat Wigan tomorrow and Leeds win away at Huddersfield it is possible. We are guaranteed to be in the semis. We may not get the dreamed of treble. But league leaders is the smallest of the three and should Leeds make the Grand Final I wouldn't back against them. Previous seasons saw Leeds cup final failures inspire grand final wins. Now two time consecutive cup winners we see it from the other side. To regather after such emotion to grind on is a tough call. Every team has a poor period during a season. Leeds had managed to ensure they got their poor performances out of the way early in the season so as to hit the play offs at peak form. As such they managed something previously regarded as impossible, to win the title from fifth. This season with the new system of splitting in to the three eights so soon after the cup final will require some serious turn around if Leeds are to win another trophy. There is also the untimely friendly against the kiwis to muddle things. Still, three straight wins is not beyond Leeds. A saints win against Wigan tonight would be a gift from God.
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