Over to you Eamonn... : Fri Mar 03, 2017 11:56 pm  

Congratulations to Wakefield, thoroughly deserved to win tonight. However they've played that well at our place for years and rarely won. We were just as bad as we could get tonight. The conditions did have something to do with it and the video referee decision that won it for them was charitable to say the least, but if the club accepts that performance, we may as well fold.

Cunningham is a joke, a complete farce in a role he wasn't qualified for. He's now well into his third year with us and after two years blaming the players for the lack of success, he went into this season claiming it to be his team finally. Yet we've witnessed three of the most flaccid, turgid performances from a Saints side ever. Tonight was put into such sharp focus by the comparison to Castleford last night. In similar conditions they were going the length of the field, offloading at will, being creative, never accepting mediocrity and putting everything into both attack and defense. We just rinse and repeat the same failed sets, with the few moments of off the cuff rugby being scrubbed out by laughably poor execution.

Sure the players need to accept responsibility as well, but the mentality and approach a team has is down to the coach. We just don't have any character as a side, we're not aggressive in defense, we're not creative and there is no urgency. What is it he's telling them to do?

Serious question, if Cunningham stays, will we have a similar season to Leeds last year? Skirting with relegation and eventually finishing bottom 4?

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 12:41 am  

Saddened! wrote:

Congratulations to Wakefield, thoroughly deserved to win tonight. However they've played that well at our place for years and rarely won. We were just as bad as we could get tonight. The conditions did have something to do with it and the video referee decision that won it for them was charitable to say the least, but if the club accepts that performance, we may as well fold.

Cunningham is a joke, a complete farce in a role he wasn't qualified for. He's now well into his third year with us and after two years blaming the players for the lack of success, he went into this season claiming it to be his team finally. Yet we've witnessed three of the most flaccid, turgid performances from a Saints side ever. Tonight was put into such sharp focus by the comparison to Castleford last night. In similar conditions they were going the length of the field, offloading at will, being creative, never accepting mediocrity and putting everything into both attack and defense. We just rinse and repeat the same failed sets, with the few moments of off the cuff rugby being scrubbed out by laughably poor execution.

Sure the players need to accept responsibility as well, but the mentality and approach a team has is down to the coach. We just don't have any character as a side, we're not aggressive in defense, we're not creative and there is no urgency. What is it he's telling them to do?

Serious question, if Cunningham stays, will we have a similar season to Leeds last year? Skirting with relegation and eventually finishing bottom 4?

One thing you forgot to say was Leeds were rubbish.

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:51 am  

Sweaty Betty's wrote:

One thing you forgot to say was Leeds were rubbish.

So were Saints, Wakey should have won by at least 20. Yes, I'm a Cas fan through and through, but I've been watching Rugby League now for 35 years and I don't think I can ever think of a St Helens side that looked so boring to watch. KC has transformed you from 'the entertainers' to bang average. Forget the result, I'm thinking about the style that you are now playing. I think of Saints as a side that, win or lose, give value for money on entertainment value, a side that you want to watch on TV because they can make anything happen, no matter how long is left on the clock. This stye that you are playing at the moment is just plain boring. Couple this with the fact that nobody looks like they know where they should be and it's painful viewing. I'm an outsider looking in and its painful for me, so how you guys must feel I can only imagine.

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 6:35 am  

Was at our game tonight, but watched the Cunningham interview. Have yet to see a post match interview where he hasnt complained about the ref ( saying that wasn't a penalty try) or mentioned injuries ( missed matty smith at half back)

Needs to take some responsibility!

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:09 am  

Saddened! wrote:

Serious question, if Cunningham stays, will we have a similar season to Leeds last year? Skirting with relegation and eventually finishing bottom 4?

It certainly looks like we'll be struggling to avoid the middle eights.

Looking through the fixtures, on current form, it's difficult to see any away wins and only 3 or 4 hone wins.

As the pressure grows players get more desperate and it can easily become a downward spiral.

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:57 am  

Saddened! wrote:

Congratulations to Wakefield, thoroughly deserved to win tonight. However they've played that well at our place for years and rarely won. We were just as bad as we could get tonight. The conditions did have something to do with it and the video referee decision that won it for them was charitable to say the least, but if the club accepts that performance, we may as well fold.

Cunningham is a joke, a complete farce in a role he wasn't qualified for. He's now well into his third year with us and after two years blaming the players for the lack of success, he went into this season claiming it to be his team finally. Yet we've witnessed three of the most flaccid, turgid performances from a Saints side ever. Tonight was put into such sharp focus by the comparison to Castleford last night. In similar conditions they were going the length of the field, offloading at will, being creative, never accepting mediocrity and putting everything into both attack and defense. We just rinse and repeat the same failed sets, with the few moments of off the cuff rugby being scrubbed out by laughably poor execution.

Sure the players need to accept responsibility as well, but the mentality and approach a team has is down to the coach. We just don't have any character as a side, we're not aggressive in defense, we're not creative and there is no urgency. What is it he's telling them to do?

Serious question, if Cunningham stays, will we have a similar season to Leeds last year? Skirting with relegation and eventually finishing bottom 4?

I don't think the club will do anything until Matty Smith comes back on board despite the problem of our forwards being a load of garbage, Fages and Richardson will be having nightmares now trying to play behind that lot. KC looks completely lost and devoid of how he can turn things around, it looks as though the players are very unprofessional and are not interested no matter how bad the tactical plan.

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:58 am  

NSW wrote:

Was at our game tonight, but watched the Cunningham interview. Have yet to see a post match interview where he hasnt complained about the ref ( saying that wasn't a penalty try) or mentioned injuries ( missed matty smith at half back)

Needs to take some responsibility!

The whole playing staff need to take responsibility and not just KC. Without be disrespectful to Wakey but that Saints team should beat them even without a coach.

I couldn't go the game last night (thank god) and didn't see it on sky either but it's totally unacceptable. We are not starting well at all but when I see the starting 13 I didn't expect us to either.

Amor is a starting prop for sure. LMS should start at second row as peyroux isn't good enough for the 19 never mind the 13.

For me, Jon Wilkin has to play 7 until Smith is back. Nothing against young Richardson but he's not experienced enough to lead us around the park and fages is a individual player and not a organising halfback. If Smith was playing with Richardson then we'd need better as Smith would still lead us around the park but Richardson isn't ready to do thst yet and Fages can't.

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:03 am  

The thing is, it's not a one-off. We've seen for three seasons now that Saints have no attack worth the name. Our game plan is solely to grind out tedious rugby in the middle, try to get a set in the opponents' twenty, and then fall over the line from close range, or scramble a kick.

Players who we know can be great with the ball, like Percival, are almost never used offensively. The offload game is almost never used. On the vanishingly rare instances a Saints player makes a break, there's usually no support, because everyone was just setting up for the next drive.

And Cunningham's recruitment is designed to support this tedious structure. While other clubs' big spends or stars are creative or speedy players in the backs, the bulk of our salary cap goes on grunt in the forwards. Which would at least be ok if our forwards won the forward battles, but their predictability and lack of aggression means they often get dominated by less high profile, but more aggressive opponents.

It's boring, unimaginative, and it's not going to win us any trophies. He's had his chance now, imo. Three years is long enough. We need new ideas before we go the way of Leeds.

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:08 am  

Doubt Eamon will do anything, neither will the so called CEO, add to that KC, three of the weakest links, but no one at the club will admit there are problems! yes the players have to take blame, but it is down to bad recruitment, and players who are not good enough or up to the standard the club had for so long.

Leeds have gone through it, other clubs have in the past but it needs someone now in control who will take the action needed, not sure it is there.

Re: Over to you Eamonn... : Sat Mar 04, 2017 12:33 pm  

jaybs wrote:

Doubt Eamon will do anything, neither will the so called CEO, add to that KC, three of the weakest links, but no one at the club will admit there are problems! yes the players have to take blame, but it is down to bad recruitment, and players who are not good enough or up to the standard the club had for so long.

Leeds have gone through it, other clubs have in the past but it needs someone now in control who will take the action needed, not sure it is there.

Good recruitment or not, do you not think the players on the field was good enough to beat that Wakey?