Our thoughts turn to ......Rotherham!

After a one-week break we are back down to league action on Saturday when the lads visit Rotherham. This fixture always brings the best of of the South Yorkshire side and with Lee Blackett at the helm for the last time we can be sure of a red blooded derby with no quarter given.......

In the corresponding fixture last season the Titans came out on top and those who were there said that our pack were second best in every aspect of forward play. However we are starting to see the benefits of having a dedicated  forwards coach in Dave Baldwin and I would expect the pack to give a better account of themselves, particularly if Myerscough and Burrows are fit. Roth have Alex Rieder and Gareth Denman in their squad. Both have points to make to Diccon Edwards and will want to play a part in a home win.

Roth are below Leeds in the league but it should be noted that 3 out of their  4 wins have come at home plus a creditable draw against Bedford. They have also acquired the notable scalp of Nottingham at Meadow Lane.

 Behind the scrum Roth have a very able flyhalf in Gary Laws. Much will depend on the quality of ball that he receives. The Leeds pack has looked solid in it's last few outings. Rotherham is just the place to show that this is no fluke and provides the pack with an opportunity to set right the events of last season. Outside of Laws will be Lee Blackett. He could be playing opposite Josh Griffin so we can expect some tasty midfield action. Carnegie has a back 3 capable of scoring from anywhere on the park. Dave Doherty has shown that, given a sniff of the tryline, he can covert pressure into points. Oli Goss is being eased back into regular rugby, after a lengthy absence through injury, on the other wing. I think his best rugby is still to come.

The pitch at Clifton Lane always has a role to play in the result. Roth are experts at playing on a small pitch. The weather forecast is for rain most of the week. Will this suit Roth? Well of course it will!

The Leeds back division have looked very sharp this season, converting possession into points. We will need Joe Ford to have his best kicking boots on as I think that the opportunities for flowing rugby will be few and far between. The game will be won and lost up front with the respective kickers, Law and Ford, knocking over any penaltlies that come their way from Mr Gammage.

I have gone for a narrow win for Leeds although my heart still tells me that Lee Blackett might well put the mockers on that. We will soon know.