LEEDS RHINOS DEMOLISHED BY MANLY!

Almost everything about the World Club Challenge is set up to favour the reigning Super League champions. Home advantage, familiar playing conditions, 3 SL games played and match fitness already established, competing against out-of-season NRL champions who are always going to be undercooked and lacking in match fitness this time of the year, and who have to acclimatise from travelling from the other side of the globe.

However, Manly Warringah didn't stick to the usual WCC script this time around. They put in a considerable amount of preparation, arrived in the UK two weeks prior to the WCC with an almost full squad of first teamers (apart from Brent Kite), played half of a warm-up game against the Quins the week before and, in a nutshell, were more determined and taking it more seriously than some previous NRL champions. The indications were that Leeds could well be in for a tough night and so it proved to be.

Forget the scoreline of 20-28 which flattered Leeds. They were found to be hopelessly out of their depth in all areas last night. Outplayed, outclassed and outgunned by a superior NRL team who are still weeks away from hitting anywhere near top gear. Leeds were bamboozled as they were faced by superior ball-handling skills, crisp and slick handling, jinks, superior footwork, pace off the mark, tactics, nous, kicking ability, dummy runners running unfamiliar angles to what Super League players are accustomed to, runners running on to the ball at speed, proper tackles, hard tackles, effective tackles... all things Leeds rarely (if ever) have to encounter in a Super League fixture against mediocre opposition.

It was no surprise last night to be surrounded by feckwitted Leeds Rhinos supporters who booed at the referee at every opportunity. They have become so accustomed to the Super League style of teams being kept apart, quick PTB's and easy metres gained via tedious dummy half runs in wide open spaces that when faced with an opposition who actually plays real Rugby League with skill, accuracy and aplomb, they are as perplexed as the Rhinos players and end up whinging their guts out ad nauseam.

BOOOO! Bloody Aussies! Dominant tackle? What's all that about? Should be banned! GET OFF OUR PLAYERS! BOOOO! You touched Peacock, he's tackled, GERROF HIM! You tickled McGuire, brushed his hair, parted his hair, so he's tackled, GERROF HIM! Dirty Manly get that Matai fella, he just poked a finger in Lee Smith's direction, so he's tackled, and if not, it's gotta be a penalty to Leeds. GERROF HIM! Watmough just blew a kiss at Burrow, he's bloody tackled, OK? GERROF HIM! BOOOO! Hang on, that Watmough fella really did just tackle Burrow legally and smashed the poor little mite. What's all that about? So it must be illegal. BOOOO! SEND HIM OFF! GERRIM OFF! GERROF HIM! Let our players get up quickly, play the ball quickly and scoot 10 to 20 easy metres. Hardly any bloody skills on show from the Leeds players but who cares, eh? It's all about Super Duper League and free-flowing ENTERTAINMENT! ENTERTAINMENT! ENTERTAINMENT!

Thought I'd drop in to substandard.com (or is it feckwitts.com?) today to have a good laugh at the litany of excuses trotted out there for Leeds pummelling and I wasn't disappointed. The ref was a disgrace (obviously), Manly were offside all the time, Manly were allowed to lie on in the tackle, some feckwitt misplaced their lucky conker, ref didn't blow time-off near the end thus depriving Leeds of a window of opportunity to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat. How ironic that it was actually Lee Smith niggling away at Matt Orford after a jinking run which bamboozled several Leeds players, not allowing him a quick PTB which would have resulted in another Manly try, only for a fight to break out instead as Ryan Bailey attempted to king-hit a Manly player from behind before gutlessly retreating away to a safe distance as per usual. Peacock may have behaved like a prick earlier in the game, getting a deserved pummelling from Josh Perry, but at least he did front up to him.

Leeds got away with a creditable (yet flattering) scoreline last night because, to their credit, they played with pride and never gave in despite the huge gulf in class, even when the game was as good as over. Though you always felt that Manly always had the game won comfortably and had plenty in reserve to score more tries at will if need be.

For Manly, Anthony Watmough fully deserved his MoM award as his performance was immense all night. Brett Stewart and Matt Orford always looked dangerous and a class apart and I liked the look of Shane Rodney who caused us no end of problems when he came off the bench. All in all, the Manly forwards dominated ours (just like the Aussie and Kiwi forwards dominated England's in the RLWC) thus once again dispelling the popular, feckwitted, believist myth that our forwards can somehow match theirs and get the better of them. Yeah, right! For Leeds, Senior and Lauiti'iti were our best on the night, though even their performances were tempered by schoolboy errors in passing into touch and weak defence respectively.

Anyone who thinks it would be a really good idea to play the WCC at any other time than the current time and place slot, or heaven forbid over in Australia needs to think again. Leeds (or any other SL champion club) would lose by 40 or 50... at least.