So that's it then. : Fri Sep 12, 2014 9:24 pm
We nearly scraped it, and possibly would have if it hadn't been for an enormous clanger by Silverwood in the last 10 seconds. But let's be honest, if we had, it would have been against a rudderless Huddersfield side without their pack leader and halfbacks. When we come up against a proper team in the playoffs, it'll be bad. Hell, we may not even make it past the also-rans in round 1. A few thoughts :1. Walmsley's sending off was justified - the clumsy great bugger still can't play the bloody ball either
2. Hohaia's drop-goal was pretty symptomatic of Saints' error-strewn season - plenty of opportunity, but awful execution
3. Our pack proved embarrassingly incapable of getting out of our own 30 metres for 75 minutes of the game, with the honourable exception of LMS and Roby, who played Huddersfield on their own tonight.
4. Soliola's heart has already gone to Oz. A shame, but he is a shadow of his former self.
5. Manu - done, thanks.
6. Amor - need a big close-season and a return to form for the big guy, because the second half of the season has been very poor
7. Turner - just average. Some good kicks, some crap kicks, and I simply fail to see how he allowed himself not to score in the last ten minutes when he was stopped on the line. He just has no impact.
8. Wheeler - did he play ? I'd been waiting for years prior to this season to see the much-heralded star stand-off. Time for him to move on - he's had plenty of chances, but does nothing.
9. Wellens - I'm not a hater like some, but if we haven't got better now in the academy, then we should pack up the academy and go home.
10. Jones - just a blonder version of Clough IMO - average medium-sized second-row
11. Flanagan - at least he tried, I suppose. But when one of your dead-ball-tackling-machine 2nd rows is putting your grubbers in and throwing twenty metre hail mary passes, it says something about the complete lack of any organisational ability in the entire team.
12. Masoe - big man : it is not enough to do 10 energetic minutes in a game. Either shape up and do 30 minutes, or bugger off home
13. Roby - Nice to have the old James back again, but he's never looked more lonely out there in terms of class or ability.
14. Makinson and Percival - ok lads, you did your best, but you can't do much when the forwards are failing and there's no halves to give you decent ball. No blame there.
15. Line speed - awful
16. Chasing kicks - you all have to do it fellers, not just the nearest two
It's a sad end to the season. Injuries have royally screwed us this year. But there are deeper problems. Brown has the close-season to sort them out, or next year is another spell in the desert.