Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 7:39 pm  

Brown: "With four or five minutes to go, we were still in it, but the score probably reflected the game. Our start to the game is an issue. We have not started games well at all.
"Whether it's kick-off, bomb or anything - we start the game very poorly and we have to look at it. The guys had plenty of fight in them - 18-4 down and we fought our way back - but credit to Widnes.
"The thing with Easter is that everyone is in the same boat. We had 10 lads who didn't play today but we are playing Leeds this week and we have a lot of injuries and that's just the way it is, but we will get some benefit of them not playing."

I hope they do sort this current trend of poor starts. I'm glad he's acknowledging it.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:00 pm  

Shocking performance and result. LMS should be playing for Rochdale, give Savelio or Richards the jersey next week vs Leeds. As for Sia i'm totally shocked how highly he is rated by the majority of Saints fans. He can put a shift in defence but so can Flanagan, he is virtually non existent with the ball. Cant break wind, nevermind a tackle.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:14 pm  

St pete wrote:

A few saints fans are missing the point that you lot had players out today which included your scrum half mellor. The saints team today IMHO was good enough to beat Widnes today.

So credit to Widnes who deserved your win.

I disagree we had lots of round pegs in square holes today, most of our experienced players playing out of position trying to create an understanding, you can do it with a few players but not with the dissruption we had today.

We had Lance playing full back and hooker, Soliola and LMS playing centre, Wheeler on the wing.
Our pivotal players are Lomax, Walsh, Lance, Roby and Wilkin all of these where either not available or playing out of their optimum postion.

Put these players back in the team alongside Amor, Walmsley, Manu, Swift and Percival we would have thrashed Widnes, we had a 13 player abscence/adjustment to make, that does not include the young ones making there first appearance this season.

Widnes could be a promising top 8 side this season they more or less put there first choice team out, Saints put a patched up team based on Leeds next week, it was always going to be a banana skin game and we slipped up.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:31 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

I disagree we had lots of round pegs in square holes today, most of our experienced players playing out of position trying to create an understanding, you can do it with a few players but not with the dissruption we had today.

We had Lance playing full back and hooker, Soliola and LMS playing centre, Wheeler on the wing.
Our pivotal players are Lomax, Walsh, Lance, Roby and Wilkin all of these where either not available or playing out of their optimum postion.

Put these players back in the team alongside Amor, Walmsley, Manu, Swift and Percival we would have thrashed Widnes, we had a 13 player abscence/adjustment to make, that does not include the young ones making there first appearance this season.

Widnes could be a promising top 8 side this season they more or less put there first choice team out, Saints put a patched up team based on Leeds next week, it was always going to be a banana skin game and we slipped up.

I've no doubt we'd put a score on them at full strength but it's worth pointing out they also played Good Friday, also had players out, also had their 7 out and also play super league team in the CC next week.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:58 pm  

St pete wrote:

I've no doubt we'd put a score on them at full strength but it's worth pointing out they also played Good Friday, also had players out, also had their 7 out and also play super league team in the CC next week.

I,ve just checked the Widnes team for Good Friday they had 13 players on Good Friday playing in the same postions today Easter Monday.
We had 13 players missing or out of position today yet it was possible to win this game despite the handicap.

Our biggest problem regardless of which players we select is our completion rate. Our games with Wakefield, Huddersfield, Castleford, Wigan and now Widnes is around the 50% mark, we are not respecting the ball.
Wigan and Leeds are operating around 90% add the fact that they have a good structured defence then Saints have lots of improvement to make, can they respond at Leeds next week.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:02 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

I,ve just checked the Widnes team for Good Friday they had 13 players on Good Friday playing in the same postions today Easter Monday.
We had 13 players missing or out of position today yet it was possible to win this game despite the handicap.

Our biggest problem regardless of which players we select is our completion rate. Our games with Wakefield, Huddersfield, Castleford, Wigan and now Widnes is around the 50%, we are not respecting the ball.
Wigan and Leeds are operating around 90% add the fact that they have a good structured defence then Saints have lots of improvement to make, can they respond at Leeds next week.

Completion rate is very poor but we've also dropped off in every department since the Leeds game. Injuries are disrupting us but failure to start well, drop balls etc are just basic school boy rugby.


The likes of Amor, swift, Percy, and the lads rested today should feel fresh for next week so it's a fresh start and need to get back to playing how we was pre hudds.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:25 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

I,ve just checked the Widnes team for Good Friday they had 13 players on Good Friday playing in the same postions today Easter Monday.
We had 13 players missing or out of position today yet it was possible to win this game despite the handicap.

Our biggest problem regardless of which players we select is our completion rate. Our games with Wakefield, Huddersfield, Castleford, Wigan and now Widnes is around the 50% mark, we are not respecting the ball.
Wigan and Leeds are operating around 90% add the fact that they have a good structured defence then Saints have lots of improvement to make, can they respond at Leeds next week.

Difference is that Saints have a stronger depth than Widnes. If the same players are playing every week they will be tiring with no rotation. Playing on injuries too. Ah Van, Marsh, Mellor,Clough, Clarke, O Carroll and Craven missing. Anyway you will be a top 4 side and I be happy if made the playoffs.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:40 pm  

St pete wrote:

Completion rate is very poor but we've also dropped off in every department since the Leeds game. Injuries are disrupting us but failure to start well, drop balls etc are just basic school boy rugby.


The likes of Amor, swift, Percy, and the lads rested today should feel fresh for next week so it's a fresh start and need to get back to playing how we was pre hudds.

It,s hard to pin down why we are playing as we are. Is it an accumulation of injuries, form, apathy, rub of the green,pressure, improved opposition etc.
Last months game against Leeds should have set the standard for the rest of the season and not the beginning of a possible peaks and troughs scenario.
I think Brown needs to adopt a no nonsense approach instead of recognizing the problem, like you say a lot of it is school boy rugby stuff, maybe McManus needs to target the team collectively.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:46 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

I think Brown needs to adopt a no nonsense approach instead of recognizing the problem, like you say a lot of it is school boy rugby stuff, maybe McManus needs to target the team collectively.

I can't see Brown adopting a no-nonsense approach. He has said in the press that he's not at all bothered by today's loss and prior to Wigan game he said it was only two points and he wanted to take the emotion out of the game. Brown has also said that the team had to learn lessons from the Hudds game, which clearly they haven't done. He's casual and so is his team.

Re: Widnes Game thread : Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:03 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

I disagree we had lots of round pegs in square holes today, most of our experienced players playing out of position trying to create an understanding, you can do it with a few players but not with the dissruption we had today.

We had Lance playing full back and hooker, Soliola and LMS playing centre, Wheeler on the wing.
Our pivotal players are Lomax, Walsh, Lance, Roby and Wilkin all of these where either not available or playing out of their optimum postion.

Put these players back in the team alongside Amor, Walmsley, Manu, Swift and Percival we would have thrashed Widnes, we had a 13 player abscence/adjustment to make, that does not include the young ones making there first appearance this season.

Widnes could be a promising top 8 side this season they more or less put there first choice team out, Saints put a patched up team based on Leeds next week, it was always going to be a banana skin game and we slipped up.

marsh, ahvan, mellor, o'carroll, clarke, joseph, allen, were all missing from our first choice team.......get over it you lost ¬¬¬