Re: Poor Again : Sat Jun 11, 2016 11:01 pm  

saint at wire wrote:

I don't think so, Owens is just awful and he seems to be selected no matter how bad apparently.....family reasons.

That whole business is apparently a fabrication.

Re: Poor Again : Sat Jun 11, 2016 11:45 pm  

[quote="Twentyman"]Owens is a young lad who should be being looked after and urged along by a few older, experienced leaders..../quote]

Why? What would the point of that be? He's small (like the rest of our backs) and won't grow an bigger. He's also slow (did you see how quickly he fell behind the break down his wing?) and he won't get any faster. So he's small and slow. Even if he was taught to defend (which he can't currently do), or catch (which he's also a bit rubbish at), then he'll still be small and slow.

He is a complete waste of salary cap space. I'd rather have someone who was equally rubbish at defence but who at least had the physical frame or speed to offer some sort of possible future improvement. Owens offers nothing, and will never offer anything.

That's not actually his fault - he can't help his genes. It's Cunningham's fault for buying, and then playing, someone who simply does not have the physical ability (let alone the skill) to play professional rugby league.

Re: Poor Again : Sun Jun 12, 2016 1:29 am  

Because he's only a kid, who's confidence is clearly shot to pieces and he knows the Saints fans are not fond of him. Having proper leaders on the pitch raises performance levels. In our most successful seasons we had several leaders and any kid coming into the team would have an arm round them and a few words of encouragement (or a rollicking). Who does that now in this team?? Who's the leader??? You can't tell me that it wouldn't make any difference.

I know by your posts that you have an issue with the size of the young lads but I don't think that's the issue.

Lomax- Always injured, not a leader
Makinson- not a leader
Turner- not a leader, can't even tackle
Percival- a kid
Swift- a kid
Fages- a kid
Walsh- organiser but not a leader
Walmsley- workhorse but not a leader
Roby- leads by example
Amor- workhorse but not a leader
Vea- not a leader, injured lots.
Wilkin- a talker but gets bogged down
LMS- they don't take him seriously
Tasi- not a leader, does nowt.
Richards- plodder, not a leader
Savelio- is a kid and the coach won't even pick him
Thompson- works hard but is a kid
Peyroux- not a leader
Greenwood- a kid
Dawson- hahaha
Owens- a kid
McDonnell- not a leader
Knowles- a kid

It's late and I've had a drink so apologies for the sloppy post, but in all seriousness, this is a really young team and there's no real leaders!!! Leeds had leaders and lost them at the end of last season and look at the state of them now. It makes a huge difference.

Re: Poor Again : Sun Jun 12, 2016 7:24 am  

I thought we played better this week.

But it does not mean we have stopped being average.
I recall many games where other average sides would come.to Saints put in an effort. Then eventually get blown away in the final 30.

I think the players are trying but when the quality teams step it up a gear we have no higher gear to go to.

Re: Poor Again : Sun Jun 12, 2016 8:02 am  

Agreed we are an average side this year, we all know changes need to be made but there's not much we can do at this time of the season.
As long as the lads that are playing give 100% that's all we can ask
The forwards did ok last night Catalan are a big side, we got into them in the tackle .
In the first half we made a few chances but the backs couldn't finish them.

We've blooded some new young forwards this year, we've got a dozen games left so it maybe time to try a few youngsters in the backs. We tried one lad up at the Magic weekend, he made a couple of mistakes but he'll only learn from playing.

If Fages and Walsh are going to be out for a while I'd rather see a youngster tried at half-back than persist with Turner & Wilkinson.

Re: Poor Again : Sun Jun 12, 2016 8:51 am  

Hello Saints. I thought that you played very well in the first 20 minutes and could-probably should -have built up a substantial lead.The writing was on the wall when Yaha was allowed to score such a soft try. Thereafter your fitness levels let you down-although this may reflect your huge early efforts. Yes you are a team in transition, yes you need some leaders-Stewart is crucial to us in that respect-and yes you are no longer the entertainers.But a poor team with poor prospects you are most certainly not.

Re: Poor Again : Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:37 am  

May have played well for around 20 minutes, was good to see them throw the ball around, but that was when they pinned Catalan with drop out after drop out, but the game is 80 minutes. Sorry but the club have no real wingers, when you look around Super League there are so many good wingers but Saint's can't manage to find any?

Fitness seems to be a real problem, in the second half they looked dead on their feet, I could not believe it when it was announced they would travel to France and back the same day, why?

Don't know how I managed to watch all the game with "Ant & Dec" sorry Barry & Terry co-commentating, they are a complete joke, really make the sport flat cap! one comment was how great and fit Walmsley is, go on about a tread mill? (personally I feel this season he has been a flop) then a minute later say he is dead on his feel. Bill Arthur does not have it! feel bad saying it when I worked with him at City, be he was really lightweight then, even though a real nice guy.

It all has to go back to a weak owner, who felt that being a good player Guaranteed him being a top coach, he just does not have what it takes, he has no personality and there are some very weak players, who is in charge of recruitment? imports have been bad, but Owens takes the biscuit! Widnes did not even want him!

Re: Poor Again : Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:48 am  

I see assistant coach Jamahl Lolesi did the press conference after the match, blamed it on missing a few players and being down on confidence, when asked about Cunningham, his response is he was with Theo??

Re: Poor Again : Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:26 am  

catalanglais wrote:

Hello Saints. I thought that you played very well in the first 20 minutes and could-probably should -have built up a substantial lead.The writing was on the wall when Yaha was allowed to score such a soft try. Thereafter your fitness levels let you down-although this may reflect your huge early efforts. Yes you are a team in transition, yes you need some leaders-Stewart is crucial to us in that respect-and yes you are no longer the entertainers.But a poor team with poor prospects you are most certainly not.

Good to see a French fan on here. Top club are Catalans and well attended. Good luck for the rest of the season.

Re: Poor Again : Sun Jun 12, 2016 12:48 pm  

tigertot wrote:

Christ, that is young.