Agree we might need to temper our expectations based on last pre season's results, but, there were a lot of positives yesterday all over the park particularly for me Sandow, Gidley, Evans, and Currie. Clark played well and for his 65 or so minutes and we looked more inventive than last season admittedly against a Leigh team looked more interested in niggle than RL as the game progressed.



I know that we are all getting a year older and I'm stood next to Charlie Winslade but this squad look decidedly fresh faced with game time if we keep them fit, healthy, interested and together this team has a chance (that's the mockers well and truly put on it)

Surprised no-one has mentioned Penny who didn't put a foot wrong at fullback. His positioning was excellent.



Jordan Cox could be a sharp bit of business as well.

Cox is quick for his position, has that same running style Fozzard had.

I have a few pies on my Facebook and one of them mentioned how we nilled them pre-season in 2013, too. I can't recall it though.

Well I thought that was a really good match to watch - apart from the last 15-20 minutes. Lots of hard running and tackling and definitely not a friendly. And it looks to me as though the starting 13 were picked with a view to the Leeds match, barring one or two changes due to injury etc. Russell was due to play FB but he must have picked up an injury or illness as he was replaced by Penny. Gidley and Sandow were leagues better than what we have seen for some time, and Gidley looked a standard above most of the team, despite his age. He has put on a bit of speed since Widnes and carved up the defence a couple of times, not to mention his distribution and kicking, both of which were immaculate.



As already mentioned, Rhys Evans and Ben Currie were very good value. Evans has put on a lot of speed, in fact I don't think I have seen him run as fast as this for a long time. Gone are last seasons plaster strips up the side of his legs, and he looked hungry and aggressive in defence as well. Currie was all 'rugby brain', picking clever angles to run and timing his passes to draw the defender. He also produced one brutally fast run down the left flank for a well earned try. In contrast Jack Hughes looked as solid as a rock in defence and seems to have put on a fair bit of muscle from last season. I have not seen him make many breaks as yet but hopefully that will come.



The bloke next to me said he thought it was a very young team, but that was before the youngsters managed to finally get onto the pitch - King, Philbin, Dwyer, Jullien. They defended well but didn't have too much time to impress. From what little we saw however, Dwyer failed to make one of his characteristic scoots and was swallowed up by the big leigh pack several times. Julien's defence is very, very good. As for the old lags, I thought Hill was still a couple of weeks away from game speed and fitness, Ben Westwood perhaps also, or was he showing his age ? Atkins was Atkins with some wishy washy defence, although he did take the ball up a fair bit.



Finally, Westerman made an appearance. He is my pick (guess) for the 'best buy of the year award' ( after Gidley). I just feel he is at an age where a player thinks he has mucked around for too long and decides he is going to fulfil his potential - I don't have anything else to go on. Anyway, he looked big and strong both with the ball in hand and in defence, in the short time he was on the field, but he still has a fair bit of fitness work to get through following his pre-season op.

Westerman looks bigger than ever, is that muscle or pre seaon weight gain?

That hit he put on in the 2nd half was unbelievable, i think it was Hock or Pattison running full tilt at him and he didn't move a millimetre backwards, literally ran into a wall of Westerman.



We have plenty of goal kicking options through the side.

Gidley, Ratchford, Sandow, Westerman all decent goal kickers even Bennie.



The main thing with me though is the attitude looks better, they look fresh, they look happy, the look together as a unit.

I've got admit that on last season's showing I thought we'd made a bad move in buying Sandow. However having now seen what he can really deliver I'm both relieved and excited about the coming season.If yesterday's performance is anything to go by then we're in for a cracker.

Where did Westy play? 13 or 2nd row?



Last season at Hull we used him as a ball-handling 13, and I don't think it really worked, we looked a lot more fluid at the weekend without him there. I always thought he played his best rugby for us as a 2nd rower out wide. Defensively he's decent and get's through a ton of work.



Looking forward to seeing Gidley - see you at Easter.

Westerman came on to replace Westwood at Loose Forward, and did a lot better in that position than Westwood. I think Ben looked at bit lost, and confused at 13.



I think Westerman put on a good pass that led to a break and try. He's got all the potential to get back to his best form.