I HAVE to say our performance against Leeds Tykes on Satur-day was a breath of fresh air to the display against Orrell.

Many people believe they will be our main challengers for the National League Division One title this season and I was delighted with some of our play in the 40-13 victory.

Not that it stopped me from putting the squad through their paces on Monday morning in a tough training session though.

The players know we haven't achieved anything yet and if they think they are superstars after two games then they will come down to earth pretty quickly.

The good thing about our situation at present is that I know there is plenty more to come from the squad -- you ain't seen nothing yet!

We saw glimpses of what they could do against Leeds, but give the players a few more games and people will start seeing real quality.

We brought in a number of new players in the summer and it takes a while for them to gel. The great thing is that we have won our first two games and the players' understanding of one another's games is only just beginning.

Excellent

It was nice to see Sateki Tuipulotu impress against his old side. I was proud of him because he scored 23 points and his general pay was also excellent.

He struggled in our first match at Orrell but has come back well.

I want mentally tough players at Sixways and Teki showed me he had put the Orell game out of his head. You cannot let what has happened in the past dictate what you will do in the future and he showed me all I needed to know about his attitude against Leeds.

I was also pleased with our defence on Saturday because we really shut the visitors out. Leeds had the ball for spells in the game but they ran out of ideas because they never really got through us.

Our discipline was also very good which is always vital in tight games. Defence won Australia the World Cup -- they only had one try scored against them in the tournament. That is very much my ethos -- defend first and the rest will come.

Leeds were a quality side and have, against most teams, the skills to dominate. However, they never looked likely to do that against us and I think that is a major plus point for us because we will need solid defensive qualities in what will be a long, hard season.

The season takes us to Manchester on Saturday, a club who beat Birmingham & Solihull at the weekend. Birmingham gave Leeds a tough test in their opening match so Manchester will be a test in more ways than one.

The players will be tested in their approach to the game more than anything. It is often said that the so-called bigger teams find it more difficult against the so-called smaller sides. Some players will find it easier to motivate themselves in the big games rather than travelling to Manchester. If they approach any game like that with me around then they will know about it!

What I want to make sure of is that I have the leadership on the pitch which will enhance what I say off it. We have injury problems to key players at present and one of those is skipper Alistair Murdoch who is a great leader on the pitch.

It is always possible to lower your standards to the opposition's level and that is something we must guard against on Saturday.

Finally, I'd like to thank the fans for their support against Leeds. Not only was it a great game it was a great occasion with your help.