Interview: Matt Diskin

Saturday 28th June 2008

Leeds Rhinos 18-12 Castleford Tigers
Super League Round 19
Headingley Carnegie Stadium, Leeds

It was a good, battling victory today, with the team getting back to winning ways; how happy are you with the result, considering Leeds will still be top for another week?


We’ve lost a couple on the bounce and Saints are right behind us. It was a big one today because if we had slipped up today then the league is wide open especially with the tough fixtures we have coming up.
We’ve known our task all week; we’ve known that the England guys were going to be rested and they deserves that having represented the country so well.
It makes it more special, looking at the amount of players that were missing but the youngsters and especially the senior guys were outstanding today.


This will give to confidence going into the game against Wigan?

Absolutely. There were some opportunities in the first half which we didn’t take but we defended quite well.
You look at the players that have to come back in next week, it is a big plus for us and we can now kick on from here.


It was your first game in Super League as captain; it is something you’ll remember for a while now?

I have captained the team a couple of times but never from the start of a game.
It was special for me. To lead a group of players that were being put down with people preparing excuses for us as we had been losing, we knew we could do something special today and we have done.
I’m really proud of our efforts today.

Shamoon Hafez