Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 10:11 am  

St pete wrote:

I'm going to be totally honest with this.

Royce is a top guy, he's honest, has time for all the fans and is great to listen tO at the fans forums. He's done a good job with all the problems he's had in his first season. He had the eastmond and Graham saga, he's had terrible injuries to deal with but IMO the hardest of all he lost his dad while being half way around the world from his family, that must have been tough!

IMHO I don't think he's a great coach and his use of the bench is baffling. He's basically flogged sia, roby and jammer this year while a back has sat on the bench. I also think if we had a tactically minded coach we might have won a few of the tight games.

All in all, he's done ok, great bloke but IMO falls short as a coach for a side like saints.

Completely agree on all counts. Royce = top bloke probably great to be around.

However he is not a Grade A coach. It was suggested on BBC Merseyside a couple of weeks ago that we are seriously considering Purtill succeeding him when he goes.

We need a TOP coach to do what TOP coaches do like I have been prattling on about all season.

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 10:19 am  

We should get Daniel Anderson back.

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 10:22 am  

Saint from Prestwich wrote:

In answer to the question-no.Don't renew his contract when it expires

Wow. That is a surprise. From others, I'd have expected it. But you? Not you. You're a little ray of sunshine on these boards. What has turned that smile upside down?

FWIW, he's done a good job for me, but not seeing them week in week out, I cannot comment in as much depth as you guys. I'll say this though; if, when Simmons goes, Tony Smith is available, I'd be more than happy to see him as coach.

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:17 am  

I think Royce has done very well this season. The lack of a results again Wire and the Pies is a concern but I feel that is down to the experience of our playmakers more than anything else.

His dealing of the Kyle Eastmond saga was spot on. He has given youth a chance in both the backs and the forwards. Moving Meli to centre was something that looked a good idea previously but Royce actually had a bottle to go with it and stick with it.

As for the back on the bench, the redvee posters just seem to bag it when it doesn't work. There have been plenty of games were we have had injuries to backs and the back on the bench has worked a treat, but alas no redvee thread to acknowledge this. Examples of it working would include Jamie Foster early in the season, Tom Makinson away at Wigan and Nathan Ashe at Hull.

Good work for the first season regardless of what happens in the playoffs. I would say that getting results against Wire and Wigan next year should be the first goal.

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:53 am  

Noel Cleal wrote:

I think Royce has done very well this season. The lack of a results again Wire and the Pies is a concern but I feel that is down to the experience of our playmakers more than anything else.

His dealing of the Kyle Eastmond saga was spot on. He has given youth a chance in both the backs and the forwards. Moving Meli to centre was something that looked a good idea previously but Royce actually had a bottle to go with it and stick with it.

As for the back on the bench, the redvee posters just seem to bag it when it doesn't work. There have been plenty of games were we have had injuries to backs and the back on the bench has worked a treat, but alas no redvee thread to acknowledge this. Examples of it working would include Jamie Foster early in the season, Tom Makinson away at Wigan and Nathan Ashe at Hull.

Good work for the first season regardless of what happens in the playoffs. I would say that getting results against Wire and Wigan next year should be the first goal.

Great post.

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:07 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Great post.

Cheers, except for the fact that I am posting on rlfans and I said redvee. Has anyone seem my pills

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:37 pm  

I'm not convinced yet but will reserve judgment till his contract is up and judge fully then.

Positives:

- He's had an injury plagued squad to work with, alot of inexperienced players coming in, the move to Widnes and has got us to 3rd in the table and a Challenge Cup Semi. We were pretty close in that Semi Final and unfortunately we lacked killer instinct with the ball.
- I like how he plays players in their correct positions in the main, more in the starting 13 than the bench.
- Francis Meli moving to Centre and Foster to the wing has been a great move
- Jonny Lomax coming in at 7 has been another positive move, although not 100% that will be his permanent position. He's certainly worthy of a spot in the 17 now that's for sure, whereas before I wasn't sure where he'd fit in.
- Our discipline in the main is good, although I'll talk about the negative side of this shortly.

Negatives:

- Our brand of rugby isn't any better than it was under Potter, who got alot of stick.
- We're very one sided in attack, focussing primarily down the left side. I think we're predictable
- Defensively I don't feel confident watching us defend especially on our own line. Considering Royce focussed on it in pre-season we haven't seen major results from it. We're no better off than last season.
- He doesn't seem to have a specialist area. Tony Smith is clearly an offensive coach, Michael Maguire is clearly a defensive coach... what is Royce Simmons? Judging on evidence this year we're neither.
- The discipline area; whilst we've improved in this area, I think we're very naive in defence and don't dominate the tackle like we are capable of doing. We don't hold down and look to punish the attacking player. I can guarantee Daniel Anderson would have us more ruthless than we have been in this area.
- The subs; I just can't get my head round the back on the bench idea. Some of you like it, I hate it. Now I know some will pick up on positive above of playing the players in the right positions, but I'm a personal believer of picking our best 17 whatever the circumstance and not just picking a back player to cover. We have plenty of players who can cover other positions e.g. Flannery, Roby, Moore, Wilkin etc should we need during the course of a game. I'd pick the strongest bench we have available and if that means 4 forwards, then so be it, not just a random back like Armstrong when we have Dixon available who is a better player.
- Our record against the big sides is terrible - is he too nice a coach and doesn't have that killer instinct that top coaches have?

There are just some positives and negatives for me, but so far I'd say he's done a reasonable job, but not a great one. I don't think we're better off than we were last year and the calibre of coaching since Anderson has left has dipped considerably.

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 7:05 pm  

I agree with most of that blobby

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:23 pm  

Blobbynator wrote:

I'm not convinced yet but will reserve judgment till his contract is up and judge fully then.

Positives:

- He's had an injury plagued squad to work with, alot of inexperienced players coming in, the move to Widnes and has got us to 3rd in the table and a Challenge Cup Semi. We were pretty close in that Semi Final and unfortunately we lacked killer instinct with the ball.
- I like how he plays players in their correct positions in the main, more in the starting 13 than the bench.
- Francis Meli moving to Centre and Foster to the wing has been a great move
- Jonny Lomax coming in at 7 has been another positive move, although not 100% that will be his permanent position. He's certainly worthy of a spot in the 17 now that's for sure, whereas before I wasn't sure where he'd fit in.
- Our discipline in the main is good, although I'll talk about the negative side of this shortly.

Negatives:

- Our brand of rugby isn't any better than it was under Potter, who got alot of stick.
- We're very one sided in attack, focussing primarily down the left side. I think we're predictable
- Defensively I don't feel confident watching us defend especially on our own line. Considering Royce focussed on it in pre-season we haven't seen major results from it. We're no better off than last season.
- He doesn't seem to have a specialist area. Tony Smith is clearly an offensive coach, Michael Maguire is clearly a defensive coach... what is Royce Simmons? Judging on evidence this year we're neither.
- The discipline area; whilst we've improved in this area, I think we're very naive in defence and don't dominate the tackle like we are capable of doing. We don't hold down and look to punish the attacking player. I can guarantee Daniel Anderson would have us more ruthless than we have been in this area.
- The subs; I just can't get my head round the back on the bench idea. Some of you like it, I hate it. Now I know some will pick up on positive above of playing the players in the right positions, but I'm a personal believer of picking our best 17 whatever the circumstance and not just picking a back player to cover. We have plenty of players who can cover other positions e.g. Flannery, Roby, Moore, Wilkin etc should we need during the course of a game. I'd pick the strongest bench we have available and if that means 4 forwards, then so be it, not just a random back like Armstrong when we have Dixon available who is a better player.
- Our record against the big sides is terrible - is he too nice a coach and doesn't have that killer instinct that top coaches have?

There are just some positives and negatives for me, but so far I'd say he's done a reasonable job, but not a great one. I don't think we're better off than we were last year and the calibre of coaching since Anderson has left has dipped considerably.

A pretty good summary blobbo.
However, we ARE better off than last year; look at poor bradford - its clear the players aren't interested in playing for MP. I'm pretty sure sizzler wouldn't put up with that.

Re: Royston Simmons - Any good? : Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:56 pm  

saint at wire wrote:

A pretty good summary blobbo.
However, we ARE better off than last year; look at poor bradford - its clear the players aren't interested in playing for MP. I'm pretty sure sizzler wouldn't put up with that.

I don't really care what he's doing at Bradford, he has a really poor side to work with and that's been proven for a number of years.

I'd prefer to compare what he did for us and what Simmons has done for us. The fact is last season we scored ALOT more points than we have this season, whilst our defence is comparable to what it was last year which suggests we've not improved and the fact of it says we've got worse - the league table doesn't lie.

Now if Royce wins us the Grand Final, all is forgiven.