Credits to the club.. : Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:35 pm  

Are making me sick to be honest.

Won't get a better chance than that to reach another grand final. Game was win and once again saints come up with a brain fart.

Brain farts in this side have been apparent for years now more so than other clubs imo the reasoning is we have no true leader out there. Leaders cut individual mistakes and brain farts imo. I honestly believe that.

Holbrook and the club now have a decision to make do they want silverware next year ? If yes then changes are needed as Holbrook clearly doesent trust Theo, Smith or Richardson. If he doesent trust them now he never will that means people need to be moved on. Trent Hodgkinson is available from the NRL.

Goal kicking ties in with the point above. Percys goal kicking has cost us a few times this year his percentage for the year is poor. A top scrum who can kick goals wins us games.

I'm obviously pointing out our faults for tonight but the same faults have been there all year. It needs to be addressed if we want silverware.

To cone that close is gutting it's not heroic and it's not brilliant it's gutting and nothing more. We have lost and that is that. We could win every game next year and get thumped in the semi, won't get a better chance than tonight and they blew it.

Re: Credits to the club.. : Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:50 pm  

Your clearly hurting pal , but the truth is Saints were comfortably the best team tonight , if anyone is to blame it's Holbrook . Anyone could see after 2 attempts that Percival was not up to the job , the coach should have handed the tee to Smith , a tried and tested kicker , let's face it he wasn't busy doing much else !

Re: Credits to the club.. : Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:57 pm  

LFC Saint wrote:

We could win every game next year and get thumped in the semi, won't get a better chance than tonight and they blew it.

Well you don't always get what you deserve, but I think considering the entire season you were lucky to get the opportunity, mebbe you just used all your mulligans to get into the 4 in the first place.
Its tough I know but in the cold light of day, Saints can't really have too many complaints at finishing 4th.

Re: Credits to the club.. : Thu Sep 28, 2017 10:36 pm  

You're talking to a fan of a team that have won 3 league leaders shields and won nothing! I know the system and how it works.

It seems all this new talk about teams not warranting winning the grand final because they never finished first is because a new team is on the block . Every club and every player knows the score when the season kicks off. Take Wigan for example absolutely decimated by injury for the majority of the season, had they finished 4th and won the league it would show with there strongest 17 they was the best.

Sick to death of listening to people going on about how Cas deserved win Saints before a ball was kicked.

Re: Credits to the club.. : Thu Sep 28, 2017 11:40 pm  

I have said before this season wasnt about winning things its about the coach seeing what works and what doesnt so can plan for the future and recruit in the weak areas.

I also want to see how Saints go with a full off season for Holbrook to work on the players skillset. They have improved tremendously from a very low level.

I am very confident about next season.

The defence we know is good, best in the league.

Were we have been weak is in our ability to create trys.

Ben Barba who isnt even running at full tilt has in the last few games given us a glimpse of his absolute class as a rugby player.

We have seen the emergence of Regan Grace and Richardson into the first team. Richardson put in some accomplished displays this year and has shown a lot of promise. I think his time will come. I expect him to kick on greatly next season.

Re: Credits to the club.. : Thu Sep 28, 2017 11:48 pm  

A couple of quality forwards and another centre and Saints will be back to up there again. Bin smith off and give Fages and Richardson the 6 and 7 gig.

Re: Credits to the club.. : Thu Sep 28, 2017 11:54 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

I have said before this season wasnt about winning things its about the coach seeing what works and what doesnt so can plan for the future and recruit in the weak areas.

I also want to see how Saints go with a full off season for Holbrook to work on the players skillset. They have improved tremendously from a very low level.

I am very confident about next season.

The defence we know is good, best in the league.

Were we have been weak is in our ability to create trys.

Ben Barba who isnt even running at full tilt has in the last few games given us a glimpse of his absolute class as a rugby player.

We have seen the emergence of Regan Grace and Richardson into the first team. Richardson put in some accomplished displays this year and has shown a lot of promise. I think his time will come. I expect him to kick on greatly next season.

I actually think differently. We might win more games next year but in these big games its having a knock on effect now. Were turning into the bridesmaids 3 semi finals on the bounce. I believe this loss will have further damaged the players mentality for the big occasion.

Re: Credits to the club.. : Fri Sep 29, 2017 4:17 am  

LFC Saint wrote:

I actually think differently. We might win more games next year but in these big games its having a knock on effect now. Were turning into the bridesmaids 3 semi finals on the bounce. I believe this loss will have further damaged the players mentality for the big occasion.

By that logic we'd of never recovered from the 5 GF losses but we did. We're hurting, but the fans are giving credit because 6 months ago it was inconceivable that we'd even be in that game let alone being arguably robbed.

The players will learn from it. The coach will learn from it. Everyone will benefit from an offseason together. If we can have the recruitment round we want that sees a few of the old guard moved on and we can add more competition to the forwards and let's see how we go next year. We're looking at next year with optimism and hope which is a first in a few years.

Re: Credits to the club.. : Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:11 am  

Take a bow Mr Holbrook!..... A few months ago many of us including myself were wondering if we would make the top 8 and even had worries of how we would get on in the middle 8s and the prospect of the million pound play off game if it came to that on an opponents home ground. But the Saints spirit is now back in the team along with the supporters enthusiasm for next season to start as soon as possible after the last two months. YES, we do have changes to make, personnel to go and better to come in. YES, we can improve our skills level, our running lines, more players in motion in attack etc. YES, still lots to improve on all over the park....BUT what an end of season we have had compared to how we were thinking in the first few months of the season. The club need to build on our reignited enthusiasm now and get the supporters even closer to the club. Justin Holbrook imo is key to this and has been a breath of fresh air into the club. Hes a good communicator, really down to earth, nice person, includes the reserves, Academy and scholars (not all coaches have previously been interested in the future.....), tells it as it is, can make decisions (more to come in the close season) and importantly DOES look to be a good coach and a good fit with our club. So Mr Rush, get Justin meeting more of the fans and galvanising the supporters and the town behind the team, I think we have a real gem here whom we can use more of.

Great game last night and so very close to making it to the GF, the spirit of "NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS" is back!

BIG THANK YOU to all the coaches etc at the club for helping to turn around the season. BIG THANK YOU also to all the players for helping turn the season around of this great club. To wear the red V should ALWAYS be seen as a privilege and to cross that white line with a shirt on takes guts.

Where do I sign for next seasons season ticket!....Onwards and upwards

COYS!!

Re: Credits to the club.. : Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:13 am  

LFC Saint wrote:

Are making me sick to be honest.

Won't get a better chance than that to reach another grand final. Game was win and once again saints come up with a brain fart.

Brain farts in this side have been apparent for years now more so than other clubs imo the reasoning is we have no true leader out there. Leaders cut individual mistakes and brain farts imo. I honestly believe that.

Holbrook and the club now have a decision to make do they want silverware next year ? If yes then changes are needed as Holbrook clearly doesent trust Theo, Smith or Richardson. If he doesent trust them now he never will that means people need to be moved on. Trent Hodgkinson is available from the NRL.

Goal kicking ties in with the point above. Percys goal kicking has cost us a few times this year his percentage for the year is poor. A top scrum who can kick goals wins us games.

I'm obviously pointing out our faults for tonight but the same faults have been there all year. It needs to be addressed if we want silverware.

To cone that close is gutting it's not heroic and it's not brilliant it's gutting and nothing more. We have lost and that is that. We could win every game next year and get thumped in the semi, won't get a better chance than tonight and they blew it.

To many stupid mistakes in key parts of the game. Yes we can blame Percy for not kicking the goals but the was other factors.

For me the key moments -

1 ) It's criminal to lose the ball off the kick off and be 6-0 down after 52secs, you can't do that in big games.

2) Losing the ball in the last min of the game to give cas the opportunity to score. If we take that kick then we win the game.

3) The Ryan Morgan penalty in the last min of the game. The dumbest bit of play I've seen all year. It was 100% the correct call by James child and I honestly can't believe he did that.

4) No direction in golden point. We was all over the place. We lost all composure and I blame Smith. He said he's here for his game management, then he needs to look at Luke Gale. He was directing everyone for that drop goal and look at the room he had on both attempts compared to our scruffy rushed attempt. The difference in golden point was they had a proper number 7 and we have probably the worst 7 in super league.

We got to credit the players effort, attitude and heart but mistakes like that are killers in big games