Those sentiments were echoed by Curbishley who said: 'All the top sides have to have that in their locker - they all have a physical edge which is why they are up there.
'You don't win things if you don't have a nasty streak. Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have all had it in the past.'
But Curbishley took his collective lumps on behalf of his team, adding: 'It was a tough old game but I'm not moaning. I'm more pleased that we stood up to it, even though we did lose. We didn't deserve to.'
Leeds gave Charlton the earliest of wakeup calls with Viduka's 19th goal of the season before the rough stuff started, beginning with the big Australian's booking for an aerial challenge on Parker, referee Clive Wilkes indicating an elbow.
Yet, Viduka insisted: 'I disagree, it was an aerial challenge but I caught him with my hand. It was a very rough game and to be honest I didn't enjoy playing in it.'
Charlton's Parker, at the centre of most of the aggravation, was booked himself when Olivier Dacourt got away with retaliation and was then chopped down by Mills, who escaped with a yellow card.
Again, indicating the old Leeds tactic of intimidating the danger men, David Batty - certainly a player in the Hunter mould - said: 'We were aware of young Parker's talent. It was important he didn't have his own way in midfield. But he stood up to it well. He's an outstanding prospect.
'I really enjoyed it - but then it was one of my games!'
Though Charlton equalised when Leeds goalkeeper Nigel Martyn presented Shaun Bartlett with a free header, they were undone again in the first minute of the second half by Alan Smith's low shot that Sasa Ilic should have saved inside his left post.
Mills, villain of the peace in Charlton fans' eyes, said: 'I don't think the referee had one of his better games. He lost control, booking people for silly things, and I thought someone might get sent off. I didn't think it should have been me.
'I did a late tackle on Scott and I was a bit bemused when I got booked but the referee still gave a drop ball.'
The old Leeds regime would have been proud of that explanation, just like they used to feign surprise at why they were disliked so much.
But this Leeds team, though they could not complain about five first-half bookings, are showing no effect of tired-ness from Champions League campaigning - it just makes them stronger and more determined to move up from fifth to clinch the third place which would guarantee qualification for next season.
