Re: So the backs are up agenst the wall : Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:11 pm  

No1 Saint wrote:

He doesnt need to make things up, people with eyes and the right subscription can see the difference in quality. I'm quoting Mossop re the James Graham comment btw and I doubt he would give a friend looking for advice a bum steer.

I've spoken to Aussie players and coaches and I've been to fan forums at saints where this has been discussed and most of them say the same , we have some quality players here and some quality teams but we just dont have the overall quality to sustain the same intensity levels week on week that the NRL provides. Throw in SOO which then goes up a level in quality again.

The way the talent drain is taking shape here is going to lower the quality of the top teams too, as is already the case with Saints. Wigan are going that way , Leeds for all Hetherington's bluster will feel the pain soon enough when players want to chase the $ and more importantly want to prove themselves against the best, will he force players to stay (then they walk away for free) or take the Pollard route?

i apologise; I didn't realise that Graham and Mossop were friends.

Other than that, we seem to agree.

Re: So the backs are up agenst the wall : Wed May 01, 2013 7:34 am  

No1 Saint wrote:

I've spoken to Aussie players and coaches and I've been to fan forums at saints where this has been discussed and most of them say the same , we have some quality players here and some quality teams but we just dont have the overall quality to sustain the same intensity levels week on week that the NRL provides. Throw in SOO which then goes up a level in quality again.

look at Saints over the last few weeks. Our modest opposition teams have had a sniff of blood because of our bad form and produced rugby good enough to beat us. If all teams have that extra bit of faith/confidence that they can win, then it means if a team turns up and has an off day, or don't prepare properly, they won't get away with it.

Re: So the backs are up agenst the wall : Wed May 01, 2013 11:26 am  

Offside Monkey wrote:

look at Saints over the last few weeks. Our modest opposition teams have had a sniff of blood because of our bad form and produced rugby good enough to beat us. If all teams have that extra bit of faith/confidence that they can win, then it means if a team turns up and has an off day, or don't prepare properly, they won't get away with it.

I see where your going but it sounds like a race to the bottom to me. Intensity should be created by teams adding quality not having it taken away

Re: So the backs are up agenst the wall : Wed May 01, 2013 11:40 am  

No1 Saint wrote:

I see where your going but it sounds like a race to the bottom to me. Intensity should be created by teams adding quality not having it taken away

What I short f mean is that once a team gains a bit of extra confidence, anything can happen. Its happened to us because teams have seen we're weaker/crapper than usual. In the NRL, its perhaps happened over a more gradual time and because of different reasons (a fuller player pool), but I think it only takes a small shift in this to up the intensity level.

Re: So the backs are up agenst the wall : Thu May 02, 2013 11:01 am  

Offside Monkey wrote: look at Saints over the last few weeks. Our modest opposition teams have had a sniff of blood because of our bad form and produced rugby good enough to beat us. If all teams have that extra bit of faith/confidence that they can win, then it means if a team turns up and has an off day, or don't prepare properly, they won't get away with it. Listen from 15 mins sums up what they think of the majority of SL I shouldnt laugh but the comments on Widnes and Hock are amusing https://soundcloud.com/sportalcomau/nrl ... 13-round-8

Offside Monkey wrote: look at Saints over the last few weeks. Our modest opposition teams have had a sniff of blood because of our bad form and produced rugby good enough to beat us. If all teams have that extra bit of faith/confidence that they can win, then it means if a team turns up and has an off day, or don't prepare properly, they won't get away with it. Listen from 15 mins sums up what they think of the majority of SL I shouldnt laugh but the comments on Widnes and Hock are amusing https://soundcloud.com/sportalcomau/nrl ... 13-round-8