General thoughts
We just failed to stop the flow. We started a little slow there. We went 6-0 down, fought back, got it six all, but then we just couldn't stop the middle unit guys pretty much getting a roll on. We've had a disrupted week of prep and short turnarounds. We were a little bit clumsy for most of the first half but I thought we fought enough to not let it get fully out of hand.
At 28-6 it doesn't look good but it's still in the balance somewhat. In a well-refereed game I thought, where he let the game be played there was a critical moment at six all, last tackle on the try line where McIlroum lies in the ruck. It's one of those, sometimes you need that to go your way and it didn't and we weren't good enough to respond to that and the better team certainly won.
We were pretty ordinary for a fair chunk. We probably played well for half that period today which isn't good enough against a top four team. We reset at half-time and went about our work in a bit of a better fashion. Ganno forced an error and put us on the front foot for a large part at 28-16. If we score next it's game on. It was a good hard battle most of that second half but we weren't too great in the first half.
Read more: Leeds Rhinos player ratings as Morgan Gannon impresses again in Catalans defeat
Getting rolled down the middle, is that an area that needs to be improved
There are periods in every game where teams and ourselves struggled down the middle. There were large periods where we made inroads in their middle during the second half. Two of their tries were poor team play against their shift play and a difficult kick to defuse and they put their hand on it. We certainly needed to be better against Kasiano, I thought when he came on the game changed.
Brad Dwyer
He passed his HIA. He went back.
The tackle from Kasiano that forced him off
In other games that was a penalty but I'm all for 13 on 13 and the best players being able to play each week. I'm an advocate of that while taking caution to protect our players. Players hit each other hard at times, that's the way the game should be played.
Any other injuries
We've had two five-day turnarounds so everyone is in the same bracket but I don't think there is anything significant. Nobody came off injured and Brad passed his HIA so he'll be OK. Nothing else comes to mind.
Castleford play-off decider
There's more in the outcome this week but the process isn't going to shift a lot. It's been week by week all the time. Now there's no point even looking at the table because everyone knows it's us and Cas, winner takes all. How good for the competition in general, we're excited to have that opportunity to do it. If you'd said four months ago we'd be playing for a play-off spot round 27 at home, you'd have jumped all over that.
It's another level up because you know it's your last chance to get the result but to a point we've been playing for weeks like that. We won six in a row before today so we've been playing on the edge for months so there's no need to crank it up too much. We'll go about trying to have a more polished performance on Saturday.
Read next
Wakefield Trinity chase Jamie Shaul deal as Michael Carter rues missed play-off opportunity
Halifax Panthers chase Whitehaven ace for 2023
Keighley Cougars chase Leigh Centurions prop and land former Warrington Wolves forward
Salford Red Devils forward set for Barrow Raiders switch
Castleford Tigers prop set for permanent exit to Championship club
