Leeds don’t need much said about them other than they are destined for the drop....hmm, anyone told Neil Back? He might be a rookie coach and the odds might be against his side but here are a few reasons not to dismiss Leeds. They will not be good enough to run in an avalanche of tries but bet your last pound they will be incredibly well organised in defence and good defences can keep a team up.
It is not just a matter of Back. In Andy Key he has another shrewd former Leicester coach with the experience he currently lacks and he has signed Marco Wentzel as his captain, who was, of course, a Tiger last season. Back is going back to what he knows in an attempt to survive and what we know of Leicester is just how tough they are. Beating Leeds is not going to be a matter of turning up.
The loss of Tom Biggs is a worry for Tykes fans because he is a proven scorer at this level but the clever signing of Andy Gomarsall adds half back experience while Alfie Too’ ala will smash his way over a few gain lines. Keep an eye out for Garerth Hardy, an Australian prop who is dynamite around the field. In fact, keep a wary eye on Leeds if you are followers of one of the other eleven teams and assume Leeds will be fodder; they will not.
Prediction:11th