Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:07 pm  

All the doom and gloom from taking 5 points from a possible 6 is beyond me! Paul Wellens is probably the best full back that super league has ever seen. Perhaps, just perhaps that Saints fans do not give credit to Hull Kingston Rovers? A fantastic game of rugby league with the result a very fair result in the end. St Helens fans are very unbiased as a whole and appriciate good rugby, take todays point as a point won and give credit to the players who put their bodies on the line for the shirt they love, both the players and the supporters of both clubs are a credit to rugby league!

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:19 pm  

Saint Simon wrote:

I'm not worried about the backs or half backs (bar wello) they're good enough to compete at the top of superleague. Its not our backrow either, with Flanaghan, wilkin and Sia and others we're fine. Its certainly not our 9. Its the props. apart from Tony P i cant see a top class one at all

I knew we'd struggle at prop when jammer went and we didn't replace him with a quality prop. It's pretty clear we couldn't find a prop as good as jammer but we should have tried to get the best available instead of sticking a guy that's played 2nd row for past 12 years and expect him to slot in as a top class prop.

I think we have a problem in the halves l if Gaskell don't play or if Gaskell don't get involved when he's playing. Lomax ain't a out and out halfback and seems to want to step inside and run when it should be moved out wide and same goes for hohaia as he's not a out and out halfback either.

I think the strange recruitment of not replacing players with players that play in that postion we come back to bite us on the booty.

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:53 pm  

Tony Stark wrote:

I'd rather hear from those that have been to the game today for a real judgement on our performance in today's game too.

I went to the match.

To be brutally frank, we were poor in attack as well as defence (the scoreline speaks to the latter). We were way too lateral again and very predictable. Our props were soft again with only Soliola taking the ball forward. However, he blotted his copybook in the second half by giving away two penalties, one of which a few tackles later was a try by them. Wello shouldn't have been on the field even though he scored (thanks to some nifty footwork by Hohaia). He dropped one across the line, dropped a bomb which led to a try and was all over the place. There were some seriously stupid passes going on, including from Robes, and one went into touch.

From my own POV our performance today looked like one of attitude, much as the one we put out against Quins at home last year was. We missed Gaskell and we missed Makinson. We could do with two props because clearly neither TP nor Perry want to do the job they are paid to do.

The only two players who stood out for me this time were Soliola (until the penalties) and Wheeler (who wasn't on all that long as he was the back on the bench but he looked fantastic when he was on and it was a real shame he wasn't brought on for the second half - in the halves).

I'm not doom and gloom though because we were even worse last year. Whether we will improve as we did last year remains to be seen but regardless of that with the players we had in the team we should have won by a comfortable margin and let in fewer than half the points we shipped.

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:05 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

I went to the match.

To be brutally frank, we were poor in attack as well as defence (the scoreline speaks to the latter). We were way too lateral again and very predictable. Our props were soft again with only Soliola taking the ball forward. However, he blotted his copybook in the second half by giving away two penalties, one of which a few tackles later was a try by them. Wello shouldn't have been on the field even though he scored (thanks to some nifty footwork by Hohaia). He dropped one across the line, dropped a bomb which led to a try and was all over the place. There were some seriously stupid passes going on, including from Robes, and one went into touch.

From my own POV our performance today looked like one of attitude, much as the one we put out against Quins at home last year was. We missed Gaskell and we missed Makinson. We could do with two props because clearly neither TP nor Perry want to do the job they are paid to do.

The only two players who stood out for me this time were Soliola (until the penalties) and Wheeler (who wasn't on all that long as he was the back on the bench but he looked fantastic when he was on and it was a real shame he wasn't brought on for the second half - in the halves).

I'm not doom and gloom though because we were even worse last year. Whether we will improve as we did last year remains to be seen but regardless of that with the players we had in the team we should have won by a comfortable margin and let in fewer than half the points we shipped.

Good honest post without making excuses for saints and I totally agree!

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:35 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

I went to the match.

To be brutally frank, we were poor in attack as well as defence (the scoreline speaks to the latter). We were way too lateral again and very predictable. Our props were soft again with only Soliola taking the ball forward. However, he blotted his copybook in the second half by giving away two penalties, one of which a few tackles later was a try by them. Wello shouldn't have been on the field even though he scored (thanks to some nifty footwork by Hohaia). He dropped one across the line, dropped a bomb which led to a try and was all over the place. There were some seriously stupid passes going on, including from Robes, and one went into touch.

From my own POV our performance today looked like one of attitude, much as the one we put out against Quins at home last year was. We missed Gaskell and we missed Makinson. We could do with two props because clearly neither TP nor Perry want to do the job they are paid to do.

The only two players who stood out for me this time were Soliola (until the penalties) and Wheeler (who wasn't on all that long as he was the back on the bench but he looked fantastic when he was on and it was a real shame he wasn't brought on for the second half - in the halves).

I'm not doom and gloom though because we were even worse last year. Whether we will improve as we did last year remains to be seen but regardless of that with the players we had in the team we should have won by a comfortable margin and let in fewer than half the points we shipped.

Well done for going; I'm ashamed to admit I could only listen to it on the radio and even with mersysided bias we sounded just as you described.

A lot of peole on here are saying the pack was the weak link; the commentary didn't back that up - it was mistakes at centre and the wings e.g grubber kicks and high balls (as well as a few howlers from wello) where there tries cam; not through the middle.

I'm glad Wheeler did well in his short stint - although many don't agree with me on here (tony s etc), I still believe he is our long term SO and has never had a poor game there.

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:57 pm  

Just watched the highlights on Super League Fulltime and I have to say it showed Wellens in a very poor light. One KR try in particular showed just how slow he is now, it looked like he was running through treacle. He was also arriving late to 2 other tries, which had he been in the correct position may not have been scored. His Achilles injury seems to have taken even more pace away from him, which he couldn't afford.

The sentimentality with Wellens has gone too far now, he's past it. He was a great Full Back in his prime but sadly he isn't up to the job anymore, I'll stick my neck out and say (judging only by the highlights) that had Makinson been playing FB today we would have won. I'm not saying Wellens cost us the game, but he certainly cost us a couple of tries with his slow slow running.

I thought it was disgraceful that Flannery started over Dixon and a travesty that Wheeler was on the bench, arguably our two best players last week. Just because a player takes up a quota spot shouldn't automatically guarantee his selection in the team. Both Wheeler and Dixon should have started today, the reports are that Wheeler looked very good in his short spell and a real threat, again could he have made the difference? Gaskell will be back from injury next week so it will be interesting what happens there.

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:10 pm  

So you say if it wasnt for Wellens today you would have won??? Dont be silly, maybe Hull KR were pretty good in attack? How you can blame Wellens for a draw today is quite frankly rediculous! You didnt lose!!!!!!!!! Your forwards were the reason you did not win today, out played by the KR pack, god help you if Hull KR had Dobson, Green and Galea playing, you would have hung Wellens from the nearest lampost! You were not playing Swinton today, maybe Hull Kingston Rovers are quite a good team, up there in the top 6!

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:12 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

Just watched the highlights on Super League Fulltime and I have to say it showed Wellens in a very poor light. One KR try in particular showed just how slow he is now, it looked like he was running through treacle. He was also arriving late to 2 other tries, which had he been in the correct position may not have been scored. His Achilles injury seems to have taken even more pace away from him, which he couldn't afford.

The sentimentality with Wellens has gone too far now, he's past it. He was a great Full Back in his prime but sadly he isn't up to the job anymore, I'll stick my neck out and say (judging only by the highlights) that had Makinson been playing FB today we would have won. I'm not saying Wellens cost us the game, but he certainly cost us a couple of tries with his slow slow running.

I thought it was disgraceful that Flannery started over Dixon and a travesty that Wheeler was on the bench, arguably our two best players last week. Just because a player takes up a quota spot shouldn't automatically guarantee his selection in the team. Both Wheeler and Dixon should have started today, the reports are that Wheeler looked very good in his short spell and a real threat, again could he have made the difference? Gaskell will be back from injury next week so it will be interesting what happens there.

Is Gaskell definitely back next week and what was he out with?

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:20 pm  

david483 wrote:

Your forwards were the reason you did not win today,

That was half the reason. The other half was our defence.

And while your pack was outstanding, we did give away a 14 point lead, and very quickly after we had achieved it. That is poor by anyone's books and is irrelevant of whether your pack was good or whether you'll make the top six or anything else for that matter. Our defence was abysmal, as was yours. No coach will be happy with shipping 36 points and few fans will be either, whether it's round three or round twenty three.

Re: Hull KR Match Thread : Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:25 pm  

david483 wrote:

So you say if it wasnt for Wellens today you would have won???

Clearly didn't read my post properly so I won't bother reading the rest of yours.