Leeds will not curb attacking mentality – Senior

They face Tony Smith’s side on Saturday evening for the first time since losing at Wembley last August and following an abject home defeat versus new Super League leaders Harlequins.

Leeds’s cavalier approach under new coach Brian McDermott came unstuck against the Londoners when their willingness to try unorthodox plays backfired seeing them concede needless tries to steer Friday’s contest towards the visitors.

An adventurous pass from Ben Jones-Bishop on his own line and Kevin Sinfield’s short drop-out both resulted in first-half Harlequins scores as they emerged 36-26 victors and the Yorkshiremen lost their 100 per cent record.

However, Senior insists they will not change their attitude.

“Sometimes you might take chances and it can be one of those points that totally turns a game,” he said.

“It can come off or kick you up the backside. There have been times during previous games those plays have come off and we’ve got to take heart from that; you can’t stop playing.

“We’ve got it in our armoury and have some quality players but sometimes it happens.

“We need to be a little bit more positive and I don’t think it was attack that really let us down. Our defence was not up to what we expected of ourselves. We were a little soft.”

Leeds’s defence was alarmingly poor at times and the ex-Great Britain international, one of only three players to have featured in every season of Super League, realises such deficiencies will be ruthlessly exploited at Warrington.

“We know the qualities of that Warrington side,” added Senior.

“We need to be 100 per cent defensively and on the ball as, with Lee Briers marshalling them about, throwing the ball around, they can play an expansive wide game and punish teams.

“We’ve got a longer turn around than normal so we can prepare a bit better but we’ve got to concentrate on ourselves and put some things right.

“The disappointing aspect of Quins was we’d done video work on them and knew what was coming – tight dummy-half sets, quick play the balls – but we just weren’t good enough to combat it on the night.”

Leeds also lost prop Kylie Leuluai to a shoulder problem adding to their injury concerns with Jamie Peacock, Danny McGuire, Carl Ablett, Ryan Bailey and Brett Delaney already out although Brent Webb should return at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.