Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:33 pm  

newport dave wrote:

Rush made a comment in the interview about Ajax, Barcelona playing football their way, and that he wants Saints to play rugby their way.......

Mike Rush the Guardiola (or Rinus Michels) of St Helens !

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:46 pm  

I think there's been a combination of thing leading to our improvement over the last two games

i) As Robes said in his post match interview after Royce was sacked the lads had to take a good look in the mirror and admit they were desperately underperforming.
ii) The whole team have hit match fitness including Perry who, whilst still a few pounds over weight for me, has had a good two games.
iii) We've played two of the 'Big 3' and raised our game accordingly.
iv) We've had a largely settled squad/line up with no random chopping and changing for the sake of it.
v) Success and positivity breeds more of the same.

and the big one for me

vi) Urgency. We've not been the sluggish, slow and ruck dominated team we were for the first few weeks, we've been quick in the ruck in attack and defence and our line speed has been massively better than it was, our support running has been excellent too whereas in the opening games we had no options left or right when we broke tackles. Our 'lighter' more athletic pack have helped in this area too.

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:53 pm  

Tony Stark wrote:

vi) Urgency. We've not been the sluggish, slow and ruck dominated team we were for the first few weeks, we've been quick in the ruck in attack and defence and our line speed has been massively better than it was, our support running has been excellent too whereas in the opening games we had no options left or right when we broke tackles. Our 'lighter' more athletic pack have helped in this area too.

This! it's like a different team

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:55 pm  

Tony Stark wrote:

I think there's been a combination of thing leading to our improvement over the last two games

i) As Robes said in his post match interview after Royce was sacked the lads had to take a good look in the mirror and admit they were desperately underperforming.
ii) The whole team have hit match fitness including Perry who, whilst still a few pounds over weight for me, has had a good two games.
iii) We've played two of the 'Big 3' and raised our game accordingly.
iv) We've had a largely settled squad/line up with no random chopping and changing for the sake of it.
v) Success and positivity breeds more of the same.

and the big one for me

vi) Urgency. We've not been the sluggish, slow and ruck dominated team we were for the first few weeks, we've been quick in the ruck in attack and defence and our line speed has been massively better than it was, our support running has been excellent too whereas in the opening games we had no options left or right when we broke tackles. Our 'lighter' more athletic pack have helped in this area too.

I agree with all this. I think the latter point is part and parcel of revving up as the season gets underway.

Mike Appleton said on Twitter that wasn't it good to see Meli enjoying his rugby again on the wing. Well sure, that's great for Meli, but it is not the best place for him to play. Had Warrington been on their game tonight, or Leeds last weekend, we would have been peppered down that side and much joy would have been had, especially with the daft decision to debut a player on that side against Warrington. I think indulging the senior players will come back to bite us.

Also, we looked fragile at one point in the second half when Warrington actually brought the game to us. We began making mistakes and giving away penalties. So even with Meli happy on the wing we look a long way from the side people are claiming we look like.

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:56 pm  

I like rush and KC way of thinking. It's like the old school way of thought. They ain't trying to be to clever with stupid ideas and methods and it's working.

We took josh jones off at just the right time for him and the team.

We are using substitutions better with perry and laffranchci giving us a great starting platform.

They seem very old school and I like it.

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:57 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

I agree with all this. I think the latter point is part and parcel of revving up as the season gets underway.

Mike Appleton said on Twitter that wasn't it good to see Meli enjoying his rugby again on the wing. Well sure, that's great for Meli, but it is not the best place for him to play. Had Warrington been on their game tonight, or Leeds last weekend, we would have been peppered down that side and much joy would have been had, especially with the daft decision to debut a player on that side against Warrington. I think indulging the senior players will come back to bite us.

Also, we looked fragile at one point in the second half when Warrington actually brought the game to us. We began making mistakes and giving away penalties. So even with Meli happy on the wing we look a long way from the side people are claiming we look like.

It's good to see Meli and the rest of the lads enjoying playing rugby again tho.

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:07 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Also, we looked fragile at one point in the second half when Warrington actually brought the game to us. We began making mistakes and giving away penalties.

To be fair that was always going to happen with them playing on the friday and us on the Sunday. We did look fatigued at that point which could account for the errors, and after getting the slight rub of the green in the first half Thaler was always going to even it out in the second, piggy-backing them up the pitch.

I do agree though we are still a way off our potential best.

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:09 pm  

Tony Stark wrote:

To be fair that was always going to happen with them playing on the friday and us on the Sunday. We did look fatigued at that point which could account for the errors, and after getting the slight rub of the green in the first half Thaler was always going to even it out in the second, piggy-backing them up the pitch.

Maybe it was fatigue but it's been the same since the Grand Final.

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:13 pm  

St pete wrote:

It's good to see Meli and the rest of the lads enjoying playing rugby again tho.

We're assuming they are all enjoying their rugby or indeed that they didn't enjoy it previously. Roby looks just the same as he always looks, for example. But he is a true professional and gives it his all in every game. He is one of the few senior players I can still admire. Wello is another one, but he was outstanding for us last season too, as was Robes of course.

Enjoying your rugby isn't enough to win games. Sometimes it's just hard graft that is required, which isn't so enjoyable.

Re: Rush & the King ! : Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:17 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Maybe it was fatigue but it's been the same since the Grand Final.

are you actually on crack? the team that played tonight and last night is the same that played the previous 6 games???? It's like a complete transformation!