Danny McGuire: Leeds Rhinos being written off against Wigan
Wednesday 18 May 2016 17:22, UK
Danny McGuire says victory over Wigan at Magic Weekend could be the shot in the arm Leeds need to turn their season around.
The Rhinos sit bottom of Super League after 11 defeats in 14 games and must quickly rediscover that winning feeling if they are to finish in the top eight.
Leeds have lost their last three Magic Weekend fixtures against Wigan, including a 27-12 defeat at St James' Park last year, and McGuire admits nobody is giving them much chance of picking up a vital victory.
"I don't think too many people will be expecting us to get a result," said the Rhinos skipper.
"We've had some good tussles with Wigan over the years, especially at Magic Weekends, and hopefully we'll have another good game on Saturday.
Live Super League Magic Weekend
"I really enjoyed the game last year in Newcastle. The concept of Magic Weekend is still really strong and all the players enjoy it.
"It'll be a tough few months for us going forward. We just need to find a little bit of form and consistency."
McGuire returned from a calf problem in Leeds' 52-12 defeat against Castleford at Headingley last Thursday but he says injuries are not the reason for their current slump.
We're just having a tough time at the minute, every team goes through that at some point. Ours is just going on a bit longer than expected.
"Individually I think a few players have struggled at times," said McGuire. "We've been really lucky over the last few years, being involved in winning teams. We created a decent culture at the club.
"We're just having a tough time at the minute, every team goes through that at some point. Ours is just going on a bit longer than expected.
"We've got great players within our team. We've had a few issues outside with injuries but the main reason why we're sitting at the bottom is we aren't playing well enough. It's as simple as that."
Hopes are high that Magic Weekend will break last year's attendance record of 67,788. A large turnout by Leeds fans is expected and McGuire says the players are thankful for their support during this tough period.
"A lot of fans stuck around and were singing at the end of the Castleford game when we had 50 points put past us," he said.
"We've always had great support, wherever we go we have a great travelling fanbase and I imagine it'll be the same this weekend.
"The players really appreciate their support and hopefully they stick with us for the rest of the year."
Watch Leeds v Wigan live on Sky Sports 1 HD on Saturday from 6.45pm. Catch the match for £6.99 with a NOW TV day pass
