The current Super League season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting yet, with the league table reflecting the unpredictability of the competition in 2024.
In the top half of the Super League table, there are a cluster of teams battling it out. Prior to this weekend, just four points separated 1st and 8th, with a monumental battle expected for the top six spots.
Among those teams are Catalans Dragons and Leeds Rhinos. The Dragons, who were beaten in last season’s Grand Final, have held their own this season despite losing Sam Tomkins and Mitchell Pearce at the conclusion of the last.
Leeds are just outside the playoff places, with new signings, such as Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers, still trying to settle in and make the Rhinos contenders again.
Despite being in the back of contenders, both teams have shown a lot of inconsistency this season. As they headed into their Super League clash on Saturday evening, it was expected to be an interesting game in hot and dry conditions.
However, it turned into a knock-on-a-thon in Perpignan, with both sides playing nowhere near the level they are capable of. Despite this, Catalans still had enough to win the game convincingly 26-0.
Leeds Rhinos and Catalans Dragons “can’t do anything this year” in Super League
If Leeds and Catalans wanted some leeway for their underperformance in the Perpignan heat, they didn’t get it from Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin who went in on both teams.
During his half-time analysis, Wilkin was frank in his assessment of both teams and stretched as far as it being evidence as to why neither team will be able to compete for silverware this season.
“When we get asked to talk about Leeds Rhinos and Catalans Dragons, we’re talking about them in the context of the playoffs, in the context of big games, and in the context of competing with the best teams in the competition. Quite simply, the opening 20 minutes of that game displayed to me exactly why neither of these teams can go and do anything this year. Because it was a joke,” said Wilkin.
He continued: “The start of that game was embarrassing. Errors and errors. A lack of efficiency in attack, a soft defensive mindset. All of the things we spoke about before the game.
“We could come up with theories about how the game’s going to go and I could never, ever have written down how badly both those teams started.”
Leeds have no spirit, says Wilkin
Wilkin went further in on Leeds, who failed to put any pressure on Catalans throughout the whole match due to constant errors and penalties.
One of those most guilty for the mistakes was full-back Lachie Miller who had his most difficult night in a Leeds Rhinos shirt so far.
Speaking on Miller’s display, Wilkin used it as an example to sum up Leeds. He said: “Bless him, he’ll want to forget that half of rugby because I don’t think I’ve seen a half of rugby where every single contribution made was an error. I’m not exaggerating.
“He’s a symptom of Leeds. The new signings, it’s not all on them. There’s a bigger story here at Leeds, it’s that through the middle of the field, they’re soft, they don’t compete at all defensively. They’ve got nobody who’s got a bit of dog in them and who’s going to go and hit somebody.
“Micky McIlorum does that for a living (for Catalans). Where is Leeds’ junkyard dog? I don’t see any spirit in there.”
Steve.
May 12, 2024 at 3:50 pm
John Wilking talks a load of rubbish he is so anti leeds it is frightening good job he is not a ref and by the way John you weren’t that good yourself.
Chris
May 12, 2024 at 7:39 pm
Exactly what I was gona say strve even before the game he was saying all the preasure was on leeds how does he come up with that leeds have 8 or 9 first team players out injured so am sure the preasure won’t of been on leeds
John
May 13, 2024 at 6:33 pm
He,s a total pain how he keeps that job