As a fan from a rival club I am really suprised that KC is getting stick from some quarters.
Tonight was not a Saints performance.
The first 10 minutes it was a drop-a-thon. That's not something any coach would expect. Whether it's due to the players not getting their 'match heads' on or not, I'm not sure. Now that could be a coaching / management issue.
I rate KC, and actually after years of 'antics' Long seems to have settled down.
Things can turn around quickly.
This year has seen all sides have wobbles due to the nature of the comp.
I actually think there's 2 ways to look at this match.
1. Study in detail and show each player their pluses and minuses
or
2. Put it down to 'one of those things' and move on.
Both approaches have their merits - if you're not careful the negatives can become quite corrosive. That's the danger of 1.
In his time at Warrington, I believe Smith has used both approaches - albeit the 2nd one sparingly. I also think McDermott has done the same at Leeds.
Regarding the Cas match- it was nip and tuck and you have to credit Cas. I think they're starting to come into some really good form. (Hopefully Carney's defence doesn't mprove much !!).
To be honest we need a few of the top sides to slip up - it might allow us to stay in the top8 and sneak into the top 4 !
For the CC I think it'll be a fresh start and very close. This match will count for nothing - I still think you're more than capable of beating Leeds
