Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:44 am  

Nothus wrote:

I don't think the RFL can win in this situation. The only way to stop promising British players from leaving SL and heading to the NRL is by raising the cap to similar levels to which the NRL operates at. Even then, players will still leave because of the attraction of the climate and surroundings.
Clubs like Saints will always have a decent production line of academy prospects, but other clubs are not in the same position and they would undoubtedly use the extra cap space to bring ageing australian players over to SL and consequently prevent British players from getting a spot in the side.
This is before we even consider the clubs who simply cannot afford to spend to a higher cap. Combining a higher cap with the threat of relegation is simply a disaster waiting to happen.

The Aussies are just fitter athletes, it's their national sport over there (in some states), they have a much bigger player pool to produce talent from, and the sport is booming over there.

SL clubs are full time and are quite capable of matching fitness levels so that is clutching at straws. Wigan matched Brisbane's fitness levels. For me the issue is that SL clubs do not play at that intensity often enough. It didn't do Saints any favours playing Salford last week and winning so easy. SL needs high intensity week in week out as this develops the speed of thought and composure in that intensity.

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:51 am  

Tipster Ste wrote:

Yeah it would have finished Wigan 0 v 60 Souths

If that deluded thought helps you get over a bad night at the office then dream on. Wigan are not good enough to beat Souths but they would not have lost by that score!

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:58 am  

Magic Superbeetle wrote:

Lomax's positioning is what disappoints me more than anything. As Wellens proved, you can make up physical flaws by being in the right place at the right time and Lomax just hasn't been able to grasp that. The first try was very poor and the try after the clash of heads just had an ominous sense of foreboding about it. I've always worried he was too short to be effective at fullback ... But again is there a SL side out there who could exploit it, because I'm not sure ...

Wilkin wasn't great, but he allowed Burns to at least create some space (even if it was closed near enough immediately!) but a fully fit Walsh would of been incredibly useful I agree. Thing is, would matty smith or Richie Myler done any better than Wilkin tonight?

I was expecting more from Mose tonight, the eyes of the NRL and a chance to improve his next contract should of seen him trying to go blow for blow... But he didn't. When you compare him to George Rose's performance for example, you wonder how the Aussie conditioning teams are so far ahead of our own ... On the other hand, I don't think we need to worry about Savelio leaving for aus any time soon, he was out of his depth from the minute he stepped on the pitch.

I think we have potential world class players at the minute. But potential doesn't beat the real thing. We're as young a team as any, and providing they learn the lessons, will be better for it, as hard as it is to see right now. I also think there's 1 maybe 2 players in SL who are world class, so it's not a problem localised to Saints.

To be fair to lomax he's probably still a little rusty, he hasn't played rugby for long long time and that's only his 3rd competitive match since June last year. Look at kevin Locke last week!

For me, I'm not bothered mose going next year. He's easiky replaceable.

Just need to draw a line under this and get back to our league form.

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:17 am  

St pete wrote:

To be fair to lomax he's probably still a little rusty, he hasn't played rugby for long long time and that's only his 3rd competitive match since June last year. Look at kevin Locke last week!

For me, I'm not bothered mose going next year. He's easiky replaceable.

Just need to draw a line under this and get back to our league form.

I'm more than happy to give Lomax time, but I think it's the first time I feel his place in the team should be under threat.

Mose's main advantage of drawing players in and creating space on the edges was completely nullified yesterday, but after years of an undersized pack I'm not prepared to give up his size so easily! Wonder if Tom Burgess fancies a stint over in SL

Thing is, against SL opposition I reckon we'd of scored 6 tries if not more - we just can't let it affect our confidence...

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:32 am  

Having watched it back again, there are more than shades of Melbourne about Souths now. They are so utterly dominant in the NRL that it does become a little suspicious. They won the Grand Final 30-6 against Canterbury and beat us 39-0. No real shame there for us IMO, especially when there were a couple of tries that were just pure luck. Either they are in a completely unsustainable position of having a heap of players earning way less than their potential earnings could be and they will gradually weaken as their current contracts come up for renewal, or all the other clubs in the NRL are doing a terrible job.

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:46 am  

St pete wrote:

To be fair to lomax he's probably still a little rusty, he hasn't played rugby for long long time and that's only his 3rd competitive match since June last year. Look at kevin Locke last week!

For me, I'm not bothered mose going next year. He's easiky replaceable.

Just need to draw a line under this and get back to our league form.

I'd cut Lomax a bit of slack. He's having things tough at the moment.

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:06 am  

Saddened! wrote:

Having watched it back again, there are more than shades of Melbourne about Souths now. They are so utterly dominant in the NRL that it does become a little suspicious. They won the Grand Final 30-6 against Canterbury and beat us 39-0. No real shame there for us IMO, especially when there were a couple of tries that were just pure luck. Either they are in a completely unsustainable position of having a heap of players earning way less than their potential earnings could be and they will gradually weaken as their current contracts come up for renewal, or all the other clubs in the NRL are doing a terrible job.

To give balance, the top 3 teams (1-2-3) in superleague should be playing the bottom play off teams (6-7-8) in NRL. The top 3 teams in the NRL would probably beat an England International side.

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:14 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

I'd cut Lomax a bit of slack. He's having things tough at the moment.

I'm not bagging him as he's a good player but I think he's lost pace and obviously he's a little rusty with not playing for long time.

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:20 am  

Judder Man wrote:

To give balance, the top 3 teams (1-2-3) in superleague should be playing the bottom play off teams (6-7-8) in NRL. The top 3 teams in the NRL would probably beat an England International side.

NRL champions v a SL select team might be good fun, but I'm not ready to give up on the wcc yet - we lost by a similar score to the roosters but came back to win another wcc title.

Learn from it, move on. There was a time not so long ago people were advocating England not bothering playing Australia as there was no point in the constant hammerings.

Re: Reality check : Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:46 am  

Good lesson for our young team and a reality check for some aswell.

Souths were brilliant, I don't think we've played a team as strong as that in all my years of watching Saints. It's not that we were very bad, it's that Souths were that good.

The only disappointment is the nil scoreline against our name, but I think they'd have done that to anyone, they were that ruthless last night.