Why the game needs Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves to shape up – Peter Smith

It’s called ‘Rhino or Wolf?’ and what you do is, log on to the social media accounts of Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves, choose a fan’s comment and then challenge a friend or family member to guess which of the two clubs’ feed it comes from.

For example: ‘Don’t deserve to wear the shirt most of that lot. Worst [?] team I’ve ever seen.’ Is that from Leeds’ Twitter, or Warrington’s?

Or: ‘Think all fans should get a refund who went, glad I did not go.’

Or: ‘Shocking rugby again. No passion from anyone on the field. On paper a great squad...On grass just awful at best!!!! We all keep saying big changes needed and it starts with attitude.’

Or: ‘Another ***** performance. No belief or idea what to do. Lack of discipline and full of unforced errors yet again. Too small and get bullied. Play-the-ball too slow, we just go sideways, no fight or desire in that side. [Half-backs] look lost.’

The first two were replies to Rhinos’ Twitter account following last Saturday’s Betfred Challenge Cup defeat by Castleford Tigers.

The others were messages to Warrington’s feed after they lost to Wakefield Trinity in the same competition a day later.

But both are interchangable.

It is one of the peculiarities of Betfred Super League that what’s happening at the bottom of the table often attracts far more attention than goings on at the top.

St Helens’ remarkable consistency over the past fours years, Catalans Dragons’ resurgence under coach Steve McNamnara and the improvement shown by Wigan Warriors since Matt Peat took over as team boss in the off-season should be grabbing the headlines.

There’s good things also happening in Hull, Huddersfield Giants and Wakefield, but the story of the season so far is ‘what on earth is occuring at Leeds and Warrington?’