Friday, October 2, 2009

Leeds v Catalans (Fri)

ENGAGE SUPER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL
Venue: Headingley Date: Friday 2 October Kick-off:2000 BST
Coverage: Full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra (subject to England v Australia cricket finishing in time); Full match commentary on BBC Radio Leeds FM, DAB & online; Live scores and full report on BBC Sport website

Advertisement

Dragons will be tough to beat - Webb

Leeds have no selection worries ahead of their Super League play-off semi-final against the Catalans Dragons.

Coach Brian McLennan names the squad who accounted for Hull KR last time out with a place in the final up for grabs.

Prop Luke Burgess was named in the squad for that game but missed the match because of a foot injury, but has recovered and should be fit to play.

Catalans also stick with a winning formula, naming the squad who beat Huddersfield 16-6 last time out.

Catalans coach Kevin Walters is pondering bringing second-rower Jamal Fakir, who has been out for seven weeks with a leg injury, back to the fray.

Action from Leeds v Catalans Dragons
The Dragons are one of the most physical sides in Super League

Although the Perpignan-based side had the lowest league finish (eighth) of the teams left in the competition, they travel to Headingley buoyed by three successive away wins, at St Helens, Wakefield and Huddersfield.

Catalans forward Olivier Elima said his side's remarkable turnaround in form was partly attributable to an ear-bashing from club president Bernard Guasch, in which he told the players that tehy were all free to leave, after an earlier defeat by Wakefield.

"That game probably changed everything," he said. "There were a few upsets in the board and the president let us know about it in the changing room afterwards.

"He used some harsh words when he spoke to the team. We looked each other in the eye. We weren't happy with him and he wasn't happy with us.

"We went to St Helens just to prove a point, not to the board or the supporters, but to ourselves, that we had a good squad.

606: DEBATE
hunsletwhite

"We played for each other and it worked out pretty good. We kept on going, we had the motivation and, now we're only 80 minutes from the final, anything can happen.

"We don't want to be watching Leeds playing St Helens or Wigan in the final. We want to be there. We're not finished yet."

The Dragons beat Leeds 32-30 at home in June, but Leeds won 36-16 in another meeting in France this season and also when the teams met at the Murrayfield weekend.

Rhinos winger Ryan Hall will be eager to play in the hope of keeping up his remarkable run of scoring every time he has played against the Dragons, with seven tries in four games.

We can motivate ourselves as we have done for the last three weeks, we don't need this 'ClubCall' choice to add to that

Catalans forward Olivier Elima

Leeds chose the Dragons as their opponents at this stage as part of the controversial 'ClubCall' procedure.

"We're not really surprised," added Elima.

"We thought if Hull KR had won, they would probably pick them because they won against them the other week.

"But when they lost we thought they would pick us because we've never won over there and Leeds won pretty easily at Headingley and in Edinburgh this year.

"I don't really think it will add to the motivation. At the end of the day, they had to pick one team.

"We can motivate ourselves as we have done for the last three weeks, we don't need this choice to add to that."

The match will be preceded by a minute's silence in memory of former Leeds and Great Britain stand-off John Holmes, who lost his battle with cancer at the age of 57.

Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McClennan told BBC Radio Leeds:

"The players are in a really good mindset at the moment. They're very confident in their ability and we're very motivated for the right reasons.

"We've got a real tough one against Catalans. We know they're playing well and we hope our fans turn up and get behind us.

"When you get to this stage of the semi-finals then everyone has the ability to beat any of the other three teams."

Leeds skipper Kevin Sinfield added:

"We're at home and our fans will get behind us and make it a special night I'm sure. But we need to come up with a performance.

"We've obviously got some confidence of how we're going at the minute but we certainly won't write Catalans off.

"They beat us in our last game - they're a big, strong outfit with some very smart and talented players."

Leeds (from): Webb, Donald, Smith, Senior, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Lauitiiti, Sinfield, Diskin, Bailey, Kirke, Ablett, Burgess, Worrall, Watkins.

Catalans Dragons (from): Baile, Bird, Bosc, Carlaw, Casty, Duport, Elima, Fakir, Ferriol, Gossard, Greenshields, Guisset, Martins, McGuire, Mogg, Pelo, Raguin, Ryles, Touxagas.

ะพ 4:07 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)