Unable to field kicks : Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:56 pm  

Our inability to field kicks is costing us dearly and is quite frankly embarrassing, Wigan scored most of their tries today from them, and Bradford scored both from high kicks last week as well. The fact is, even if we stunk in general in both games, we would have had a chance of winning them if we had sorted those kicks.

Professionals should be doing better at such a basic skill, Simmons needs to get the whip out.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Fri Jun 17, 2011 10:16 pm  

I agree today's game was much closer than people think. They scored two tries that were totally farcical from a defensive point of view. The Richards try was superb execution but Mackinsons effort was just stupid. He's never going to beat him to it he should just stand his ground and take him when he lands. You are even allowed to smash him in the air that close to the line.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Sat Jun 18, 2011 8:19 am  

Saddened! wrote:

I agree today's game was much closer than people think. They scored two tries that were totally farcical from a defensive point of view. The Richards try was superb execution but Mackinsons effort was just stupid. He's never going to beat him to it he should just stand his ground and take him when he lands. You are even allowed to smash him in the air that close to the line.

Were we both watching the same game? Lets face it you were never in the game from the first minute until the last one.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:47 am  

hatty wrote:

Were we both watching the same game? Lets face it you were never in the game from the first minute until the last one.

I know you are trolling but the latter two tries in the first half for real face-palmers and the number of chances that Sts created and then fluffed was equally, if not more, embarrassing.

Wigan were made to look really good (and to be fair; they executed the basics really well) but the game could easily have been much closer with less of the obvious mistakes you wouldn't expect of a professional rugby league player.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:50 pm  

jdrocket wrote:

Wigan were made to look really good

They were really good. The sad bit is that most Saints fans just can't/won't see that and instead insist on looking for excuses. We got beat all ends up, in every single facet of the game last night.

I ain't got no problemo with that.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:57 pm  

Allez wrote:

They were really good. The sad bit is that most Saints fans just can't/won't see that and instead insist on looking for excuses. We got beat all ends up, in every single facet of the game last night.

I ain't got no problemo with that.

They were no better than at the DW. But at the DW we were a ton better. That is why 'Saints fans just can't/won't see that'. Because although Wigan are a well coach team with some talent in it, we CAN be just as good as them, as shown at Magic and at the DW. But last night our forwards decided they didn't want to be bothered fighting for the game and most of our players couldn't hold on to a ball. That was the MASSIVE difference between us last night and us on the two occasions we have met Wigan already this season.

I'm personally not concerned about whether Wigan are good or not. I want us to be good, as good as we can be, which is a whole lot better than we were last night.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:14 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Allez wrote:

They were really good. The sad bit is that most Saints fans just can't/won't see that and instead insist on looking for excuses. We got beat all ends up, in every single facet of the game last night.

I ain't got no problemo with that.

They were no better than at the DW. But at the DW we were a ton better. That is why 'Saints fans just can't/won't see that'. Because although Wigan are a well coach team with some talent in it, we CAN be just as good as them, as shown at Magic and at the DW. But last night our forwards decided they didn't want to be bothered fighting for the game and most of our players couldn't hold on to a ball. That was the MASSIVE difference between us last night and us on the two occasions we have met Wigan already this season.

I'm personally not concerned about whether Wigan are good or not. I want us to be good, as good as we can be, which is a whole lot better than we were last night.

Got to agree with the majority of this.

I personally find it difficult to judge just how good Wigan were. They were good, but I feel it was not super human. I think Hudds, Wire and probably usually Sts could have beaten them.

The reason I say Wigan were made to look good and why it is hard to judge the team is because Sts were so poor. Were Roby and Graham even playing? Lomax had a storming 20 mins. Wilkin was superb throughout. Tony P was trying as hard as ever. But IMO Gaskell should be no where near the team (though I don't watch every week). Soliola is the biggest horse I have ever seen (One big hit does not a forward make.) Wellens was not doing anything and as I have said previously Sts didn't play as a team. The ease with which Carmont (hardly the most elusive centre) dissected Shenton was embarrassing.

Sts didn't deserve to win and Wigan did but there was no masterclass from Wigan. This poor showing from Sts was able to score two tries and maybe could have got a lot closer with some more composure with the ball. not the greatest display of a rugby match.

Don't fear though the season is really open. Wigan have a lot of tough matches left and I still believe the top spot will be decided on the final weekend.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:14 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

They were no better than at the DW. But at the DW we were a ton better. That is why 'Saints fans just can't/won't see that'. Because although Wigan are a well coach team with some talent in it, we CAN be just as good as them, as shown at Magic and at the DW. But last night our forwards decided they didn't want to be bothered fighting for the game and most of our players couldn't hold on to a ball. That was the MASSIVE difference between us last night and us on the two occasions we have met Wigan already this season.

I'm personally not concerned about whether Wigan are good or not. I want us to be good, as good as we can be, which is a whole lot better than we were last night.

Agreed, Wigan where good, but we can't change that we can only do what we can do and do it better. We have played alot better and will do again this season. But saying it was close, is not the case. Part of us playing bad was fluffing those chances. If we did not fluff the chances then we would not be playing badly and so yes it would have been closer. But that's just a truism.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:28 pm  

I think you are discrediting what's a pretty good outfit and confusing facts with emotion. At Cardiff we were awful and got back into the game by the grace of God or by their switching off. At DW we were excellent but it's not won in 79 minutes - they played 80 we didn't. Last night we were atrocious but they were excellent and would have beaten anyone. Even with a 20% improvement last night we would not have been allowed to get close, such was their dominance. Not nice to have to admit but it's true.

3 outings this year. 2 defeats and one draw. Whether you go by stats or perception we ain't close to them.

Re: Unable to field kicks : Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:33 pm  

you can say that bad handling cost several tries, but the number of times the error was forced by hits/pressure i think mitigates that excuse