McGuire and Leeds Rhinos waiting for Castleford Tigers to stumble

AMID all the chatter about not just breakaway leaders Castleford Tigers but also Salford Red Devils and Wakefield Trinity making surprise bids for Super League's upper echelons, a more traditional name has quietly manoeuvred into joint-second.
Leeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match.  Picture Bruce RollinsonLeeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match.  Picture Bruce Rollinson
Leeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Leeds Rhinos have won more Grand Finals than anyone else during the summer era, captain Danny McGuire having featured in all seven successes since their maiden victory in 2004.

While none of the aforementioned trio have ever reached the Old Trafford showpiece, let alone won it, the West Yorkshire club have grown accustomed to October nights in Manchester.

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Granted, they actually diced closer with relegation than glory last term, but are clearly reformed now and – even if not operating with the same elan and guile of prolific Castleford – are nicely poised with just five more rounds before the Super 8s split.

Leeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match.  Picture Bruce RollinsonLeeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match.  Picture Bruce Rollinson
Leeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match. Picture Bruce Rollinson

“We’re in a really good position,” McGuire told The Yorkshire Post, as his side also began preparations for Friday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final against Featherstone Rovers.

“We’ve been really committed this year. Our performances have been very strong apart from the odd couple of blips, which is inevitable in a long season.

“We’re happy with where we’re at, but we realise if we’re going to end up lifting silverware or being involved in finals our game has to improve in quite a few areas.

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“I think at this point in the year you’d still want that improvement there; you wouldn’t want to be the finished article at this point. You’d still want to be tweaking and changing a few bits to finalise your formula.”

Leeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match.  Picture Bruce RollinsonLeeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match.  Picture Bruce Rollinson
Leeds Rhinos Captian Danny McGuire and Featherstone Rovers Captain Misi Taulapapa with the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Trophy ahead of Friday night's quarter-final match. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Leeds, of course, have a proven history of being able to do that and timing their run to perfection.

It will be intriguing to see if Castleford – six points clear at the top – will be able to peak at the right time, too, as they seek a first title in a 91-year history.

Veteran half-back McGuire conceded: “You can’t argue with how Cas are playing this season.

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“The stats and numbers say they are the best team in the comp’ at the minute and they are.

“They seem like they have a really good formula going and work ethic and they all seem to know what role they are playing within the team, which is pretty strong when you get into that mindset.

“They are playing really well and deserve a lot of praise and all the credit they are getting.

“I suppose the question is can they keep that intensity and maintain that level for another three or four months? That is the challenge for them.

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“They beat us easy early on in the season and we had a good tussle at Magic (Weekend). We’re looking forward to having another shot at them and seeing how far we can go and how much we’ve improved.”

Leeds have won three of their four games since that defeat in Newcastle, the last of which was Saturday’s hard-fought 18-16 victory at Wakefield that ended Trinity’s seven-game winning run, nudging them out of the top four.

With last season’s League Leaders Warrington down in tenth and champions Wigan Warriors without a win in their last seven league games, there could quite easily be at least one new face at Old Trafford this autumn.

Hull FC are also tucked in just behind Leeds and McGuire, 34, admitted: “The competition is interesting this year; there’s a lot of unpredictably and when you go into a weekend you’re unsure who’s going to pick up the points.

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“I think that is good for the competition. Years ago when we set out a Super League and salary cap and all that sort of thing you wanted that competition to be similar to how the NRL is – unpredictable.

“We are getting there in a way and it’s great to see. Cas have been brilliant and Wakey were tough on Saturday. They are a real hard team to beat – they impressed me – and Salford have been going really well, too, so it’s all good for the comp’.”

Leeds’s vast experience could be crucial, however, when it comes to the business end.

“That could potentially be a factor,” added McGuire.

“But now, with the potential closeness of sixth to first – obviously Cas are pulling away a little bit – there could be some interesting results in the Super 8s, too.

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“I think they will be more interesting this year. Last year there wasn’t that many great games; there was some teams not really playing for anything. But I can see some intensity in that competition again, which is something the structure is set out for.

“For us at Leeds, the expectations are always high and, with the squad we have and the facilities here and how well we get looked after, we need to be up there competing.

“So the standards we set ourselves are always high for players anyway at the Rhinos.

“But I suppose other people aren’t really speaking about us at the minute and we are quietly going about our business, which we’re pretty happy with.”