Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:19 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Our attack on Friday night was a shambles of dropped ball and mistiming.

That's been the case all season

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:29 pm  

St pete wrote:

I need someone to share room with. Are coming saintsfan?

Actually, I'll be going to the Stoop on Saturday. I've never been and so for some reason, when once again I will be facing the dole queue, I've decided to splash some cash on a trip to the big smoke.

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:30 pm  

Saint from Prestwich wrote:

That's been the case all season

Actually, the dropped ball problem only started halfway through the season. And we have looked very good in attack occasionally but not for some time it has to be said.

I think Leon Pryce is spoiling things for us at present. I'd rather have Gaskell because at least he wants to play for the team. I think Pryce has already put his cue on the rack in preparation for the beaches of southern France.

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:35 pm  

Our attack has been average all season, we're nowhere near as free flowing as previous seasons and we don't really play with much 2nd phase play either. Our offloads are over 100 down on last season. We're predictable and unless we play with more freedom in attack we've no chance of getting to Old Trafford. You can't afford to play so conservatively with the ball against Wigan or Warrington otherwise they'll shut you out. Both of those sides will certainly attack us when they get the chance.

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:45 pm  

Well, Blobby, we've secured third with our miserable attack, which has resulted in a miserable third best points for at 748 (as opposed to that marvellous attack by Wigan which has resulted in an astounding 810 points!). Our attack is bound to have suffered. We have had too many changes, we have had two rookie halfbacks (and now have a rookie plus an experienced half who can't be ahsed), we have had too many young players in the team at any one time meaning Simmons has had to keep it simple and then, when he should have been introducing more complex plays, has had to go back to keeping it simple because we have lost three players in one game.

Our attack, as well as our defence, has been the victim of our injuries and two players who have chosen to be less than professional in their approach to the end of their time with us. However, we still have the third best attack and the fourth best defence. So far we have lost seven games, which was less than one of the seasons with Anderson in charge, but we have drawn three - matches we should have won but for the thing which really has been a problem and that has been our ball retention. No excuse at all for that.

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:11 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Well, Blobby, we've secured third with our miserable attack, which has resulted in a miserable third best points for at 748 (as opposed to that marvellous attack by Wigan which has resulted in an astounding 810 points!).

We're 200 points down on last year, and you can keep banging on about injuries but our stats are down offensively in lots of areas not just because we have had two rookies in the halves for parts of the season. As alluded to, our offloads stats are shocking, especially when you consider we scoot alot. Experienced players aren't offloading the ball enough, experienced players aren't supporting the ball carrier enough and we're not playing with enough pace to beat our rivals, it's why we've lost the majority of games against them this season. I'd expect alot more 2nd phase play around the ruck area, but we haven't seen a great deal of it. Roby should have supporting runners with him all the time as should the likes of Graham, Pryce and Puletua who are known for offloading the ball. We're too predictable in attack at times and its only when we're down we open up a bit more and play more imaginative rugby e.g. Warrington away, Wigan at Millennium Magic. The Semi Final was crying out for more second phase play, we'd have killed Wigan with the territory we had. Put Warrington in that situation and they'd have rattled 30 or 40 on Wigan.

SaintsFan wrote:

However, we still have the third best attack and the fourth best defence.

All very well, but realistically those below us haven't got a prayer of winning SL because they're not good enough in either area on consistent basis and it's why I doubt we'll be lifting the trophy at Old Trafford either. We haven't shown enough signs this season of being good enough in either attack or defence.

I hope Saints prove me wrong, but we haven't been good enough so far this year. We haven't looked enterprising enough in attack and our defence has been shaky at times too.

We're a decent, solid side that lacks any real cutting edge IMO.

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:22 pm  

Blobby, everything you have just said reinforces my point. We have had to field too many young players in one go and had too many changes on too frequent a basis to implement all those things you suggest. Had we had a settled team like Wigan and Wire have enjoyed, regardless of our inexperience in the halves - which we would have had anyway given Pryce's injuries and Eastmond's attitude - we would have had a better attack and defence this year, and we would have had a style of play more enjoyable to watch. I sense that because we have had glimpses of it here and there throughout the season. But we have only been able to enjoy glimpses because the injuries have disrupted us so badly.

Had Wire and Wigan had the same level and frequency of injuries that we have had they wouldn't have achieved the for and against points they have this season. I'd stake a year's salary on that.

On top of that, of course, is the adjustment the team has had to make in losing a talisman leader on the field. As Simmons said at the outset, they have to work as a team now because they no longer have six internationals to sort them out. We are a better team than our league stats indicate but we are not the 2006 team. However, even so we have only been shamed by a team above us twice (Hudds away, when they were above us, and Wigan at home).

I think we have done bloody well this season given all the disruption and adaption we have had to endure and as a fan I have been bitterly disappointed in the fact that we have had to experience those disruptions and adaptions. I would rather have seen what Simmons could do with the Wigan or Warrington level of disruption. I think you would have been signing to a totally different tune if we'd enjoyed the stability those teams have enjoyed.

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:24 pm  

I agree blobby, we have no cutting edge and until this is rectified we won't be real contenders.

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:27 pm  

St pete wrote:

I agree blobby, we have no cutting edge and until this is rectified we won't be real contenders.

I feel sorry for you Pete. You must be living in a perpetual cloud of doom and gloom!

I won't suggest that Hohaia at seven will bring us some more cutting edge because I know you will just tell me that Hohaia is a fullback and a load of tosh.

Re: Team v's Quins on Saturday : Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:32 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

I feel sorry for you Pete. You must be living in a perpetual cloud of doom and gloom!

I won't suggest that Hohaia at seven will bring us some more cutting edge because I know you will just tell me that Hohaia is a fullback and a load of tosh.

Hohaia is a fullback and IMO will be great in attack for us as he's very fast off the mark and loves to attack.

My worry is with lomax and hohaia in the halves we will lack a ball player, direction and a good kicking game.