Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 12:02 pm  

Read somewhere that the head conditioner at Saints contacted RS whilst he was still in Oz (before he came) to ask about the type of conditioning he wanted for the Team, something on the line of your the conditioner you decide!!!! was the reply, well they are certainly fitter (2 good comebacks) and leaner (Wheelers Belly), so thats someone doing their job. Now coming to role RS is supposed to play, coaching, tactics and team developement, this area leaves a lot to be desired, it will be interesting to see what crowd we get at our next home game. (before you ask, no, I am not going)

Contrast this with whats happening at Piedrom, a first class Head Coach who knows what is required and more importantly gets it done.

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 12:23 pm  

Benidorm John wrote:

Contrast this with whats happening at Piedrom, a first class Head Coach who knows what is required and more importantly gets it done.

And exactly what did he have to do? Turn a side that was almost there into a side that was there! He did for Wigan what Daniel Anderson did for St Helens. But we aren't that team anymore. Those who went on about Potter overseeing a side in transition were talking rubbish because we still had enough of our former pivotal players in place to make the grade. All but Wello has left now and we have started the season with him injured, Leon injured, Kyle not with us mentally, Wheeler injured, Jammer injured and Perry injured. Simmons has lost his dad and there has been the Eastmond saga to deal with. No stability. Did you watch the team in full flow for the first half of the Widnes friendly? That was the only time we have had a full team out so far this year. They looked marvellous. If that is what Simmons can do with the players he has at his disposal - once he actually has them all on the park - then I am looking forward to the season.

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:25 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

That would be great but we don't have the back up to do that.

I know we haven't got another scrum half waiting in the wings but there are options, possibly Lomax or Wilkins to scrum half, I know its not ideal but I'd rather see 13 players on the pitch giving 100% han what I saw on Friday.

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:43 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

And exactly what did he have to do? Turn a side that was almost there into a side that was there! He did for Wigan what Daniel Anderson did for St Helens. But we aren't that team anymore. Those who went on about Potter overseeing a side in transition were talking rubbish because we still had enough of our former pivotal players in place to make the grade. All but Wello has left now and we have started the season with him injured, Leon injured, Kyle not with us mentally, Wheeler injured, Jammer injured and Perry injured. Simmons has lost his dad and there has been the Eastmond saga to deal with. No stability. Did you watch the team in full flow for the first half of the Widnes friendly? That was the only time we have had a full team out so far this year. They looked marvellous. If that is what Simmons can do with the players he has at his disposal - once he actually has them all on the park - then I am looking forward to the season.

He turned a team of also rans into the best team in Super League, (although it grieves me to say so). I hope that RS proves me wrong and comes up with a winning format, however I don't think he's the right man for Head Coach at any team.
I respect your opinion, but playing Widnes every week is not possible, plus all 3 sides we have played in SL have had their injury problems as well as Saints. playing 1 out rugby will not suffice for me I'm afraid, neither will the Head Coach criticising his own players, especially when he admitted he didn't see what happened.

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:53 pm  

Benidorm John wrote:

He turned a team of also rans into the best team in Super League,

They were in the playoffs for heaven's sake! We only kicked them out in 2009 because of a dodgy try saving tackle by Longy (ie it was 50:50 whether he had a second effort) and a slide in the rain over the tryline by Kyle. They were 80 minutes from the Grand Final. They were on the brink of reaching their peak, just as we were when Anderson came in and sorted out our defence. They were hardly also rans! They hadn't even made it yet! Royce Simmons has a far, far bigger job to do. He doesn't have pace in the backline or any squad depth and we have worse injuries than Wigan did this time last season. He's also got the Eastmond saga to deal with. I'm quite sure that isn't what he had in mind when he accepted the job!

I respect your opinion, but playing Widnes every week is not possible,

That wasn't my point. My point was that when we had the full team out - which we have yet to enjoy in a league game - it was possible to see what kind of attack he had in mind, and it was nothing like one up rugby.

neither will the Head Coach criticising his own players, especially when he admitted he didn't see what happened.

He didn't criticise him! I've just re-read the thing. He said he didn't see what happened but that kind of thing should be done as a team, which is absolutely right. And a formal apology has since been put out which suggests Kyle has been disciplined.

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:59 pm  

New coach new ideas

1st match draw against current champions but all teams are a little rusty so not a real indication of how the season will pan out

2nd match Salford, hmmmm they look pants

3rd game, NEUTRAL stadium let's be honest, against a contender with less injuries in key positions, finished stronger.

Don't see the problem, Wire fans love TS but he was in charge early on when we were humiliated by Quins at The Stoop ?

It's not as if he's Jimmy Lowes.

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 3:36 pm  

Benidorm John wrote:

Contrast this with whats happening at Piedrom, a first class Head Coach who knows what is required and more importantly gets it done.

So let me just get this straight, you're suggesting the assistant coach of Australia, with over 20 years of coaching experience doesn't know what is required to get things done?

Riiiiiiight.

He turned a team of also rans into the best team in Super League

Over the course of a season not over 3 games 2 of which were against two of the toughest teams in the league, and as has been stated they were hardly also rans.

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:01 pm  

Benidorm John wrote:

Read somewhere that the head conditioner at Saints contacted RS whilst he was still in Oz (before he came) to ask about the type of conditioning he wanted for the Team, something on the line of your the conditioner you decide!!!! was the reply, well they are certainly fitter (2 good comebacks) and leaner (Wheelers Belly), so thats someone doing their job. Now coming to role RS is supposed to play, coaching, tactics and team developement, this area leaves a lot to be desired, it will be interesting to see what crowd we get at our next home game. (before you ask, no, I am not going)

Contrast this with whats happening at Piedrom, a first class Head Coach who knows what is required and more importantly gets it done.

He's only had 3 games. Are you actually serious?

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:29 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

And exactly what did he have to do? Turn a side that was almost there into a side that was there! He did for Wigan what Daniel Anderson did for St Helens. But we aren't that team anymore. Those who went on about Potter overseeing a side in transition were talking rubbish because we still had enough of our former pivotal players in place to make the grade. All but Wello has left now and we have started the season with him injured, Leon injured, Kyle not with us mentally, Wheeler injured, Jammer injured and Perry injured. Simmons has lost his dad and there has been the Eastmond saga to deal with. No stability. Did you watch the team in full flow for the first half of the Widnes friendly? That was the only time we have had a full team out so far this year. They looked marvellous. If that is what Simmons can do with the players he has at his disposal - once he actually has them all on the park - then I am looking forward to the season.

Do you even know what transition means? We have now transitioned, the older players have gone and this is our squad for the next few years. Potter facilitated that transition over his two years. He made mistakes but he's gone now so we move on.

Simmons seems to know what he's doing but again some of his decisions are as strange as Potter's. Putting Foster on the bench and leaving him there for 75 minutes for example. I'll give him until the end of the season until I make any judgement on his ability to put us back where we should be.

Re: TAXI for Royce? : Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:23 pm  

TheOtherOne wrote:

Do you even know what transition means? We have now transitioned, the older players have gone and this is our squad for the next few years. Potter facilitated that transition over his two years. He made mistakes but he's gone now so we move on..

No it isn't. We still have Wello, Meli, Pryce and Gardner who are all older players. I'm not sure how old Wilkin is now either. TP is 32 I think. And Flannery mustn't be far off. But more important than the age is what needs fixing. We need to replace both our wingers with pacey players who can also defend. We need a reliable left centre. We need to start identifying a replacement for Wello as he is fast approaching the end of his career.