Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Mon May 11, 2015 9:18 am  

[quote="Offside Monkey"We did a lot to hinder ourselves against Catalans. We were often rushing up so quick that the line was breaking and individuals were getting stepped easily. We also seem unable to get our tails up in defence without giving away a penalty. We also gave Percival's side practically no ball, fair enough when Turner was having so much success, but once he's gone off?[/quote]

The frustrating thing was the lack of discipline, and lack of brains. Childs was obviously in one of his penalise everything moods, so we should just have taken the foot off the gas in defence rather than rushing up quickly and giving him the opportunity to penalise us. We should and could have still won with a bit more composure and clear thinking.

There were certainly signs in the first half of the attack clicking a bit. McDonnell's try was well worked, and shows what we can do with a 1,6 and 7 working in harmony.

As an aside, I think it was the 2nd week in a row where we haven't been awarded a penalty for the opposition defence being offside.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Mon May 11, 2015 1:39 pm  

It's worth making the point also that because a lot of teams this season are playing "bump and offload" (in many cases without even attempting to maximise the yardage gained) with the backs too taking greater risks - instead of playing the more traditional, call it conservative if you will, style of play of three/.four drives - pass and or kick, the number of missed tackles will naturally begin to climb.

This isn't an excuse - but I do think we need to keep this fact in mind whenever we start talking about number of tackles "missed". I certainly don't think all missed tackles can be judged equally.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Mon May 11, 2015 5:32 pm  

Saints were beaten around the ruck most of the game.There were times when cats were getting quick play the ball off held calls and other times saints could not even provide a marker. It was a very poor showing from saints stemming from a very weak defence and indiscipline.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Mon May 11, 2015 8:35 pm  

I think a lot of what has been said above is massively unfair.

We are third (3 points off the mighty Leeds who everyone is saying are untouchable) and have played most of the season with a lot of injuries. We are only now starting to see a settled squad (Walsh aside who is gone again).

We have played a forward's slug fest recently because we simply had to as that was/is our strength. The outside backs bar makinson have struggled.

I think we still need time yet before a full assessment can be made of Cunningham, Long and Lolesi.

The only criticism I think the coaches and players can fairly receive is the discipline which has been disgraceful.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Tue May 12, 2015 12:05 pm  

I would not agree with bashing players in open. But apart from that we are 2 games off the top spot.

It seems we have caught the bug going around the rest of the leagues fans.

We all want a close competition, but then start panicing frantically when we get it as a run of results causes huge swings up and down the league.

The shame is, that if we were under the old system then fans would be spouting nonsense about it not mattering till the business end of the year.

The one thing you can say about the new system is that it has got people interested in the week to week results, even if that causes over reactions in both directions.

For me it's no time to panic yet.

Looking at the losses, Leeds and Wigan were predictable.
Catalan in France are a tough prospect and when did a good Saints side not lose to Hull KR??

The Hull FC at home loss was disappointing, but chin up it's not all bad at the moment.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Tue May 12, 2015 12:28 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

The shame is, that if we were under the old system then fans would be spouting nonsense about it not mattering till the business end of the year.

I don't see how it's that much different. We've nibbled away at the edges of this problem - but unless Saints, Wigan & Leeds (at the very least) suffer a catastrophic number of injuries all three know they will be there at the end of the season.

We can fiddle about with the structure of the competition all we like - until we address the root cause of the problem (the top teams' clear leverage in money and resources) not much is likely to change.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Wed May 13, 2015 1:38 pm  

Mugwump wrote:

I don't see how it's that much different. We've nibbled away at the edges of this problem - but unless Saints, Wigan & Leeds (at the very least) suffer a catastrophic number of injuries all three know they will be there at the end of the season.

We can fiddle about with the structure of the competition all we like - until we address the root cause of the problem (the top teams' clear leverage in money and resources) not much is likely to change.

Whilst I agree that the usual suspects are very likely to be there or thereabouts as per usual, each game does matter more now. Leeds, for example, can't afford to finish the season 5th as they have done in the past. The less points you gain now leaves you a harder time come the Super 8 (Is it still called that?) stage when you don't have the luxury of playing cellar dwellers to gain easier points come the back end of the year, and the further back you are then, the less likely it is that you'll be getting that top 4 spot.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Wed May 13, 2015 2:06 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

Whilst I agree that the usual suspects are very likely to be there or thereabouts as per usual, each game does matter more now. Leeds, for example, can't afford to finish the season 5th as they have done in the past. The less points you gain now leaves you a harder time come the Super 8 (Is it still called that?) stage when you don't have the luxury of playing cellar dwellers to gain easier points come the back end of the year, and the further back you are then, the less likely it is that you'll be getting that top 4 spot.

It's an improvement. Although I can't say I was all that bothered about Leeds winning it from fifth. Since SL has made practically no effort whatsoever to enhance the title of "League Winners" should anyone be all that concerned?

Personally I wish we'd go down the NRL route (which it lifted directly from US sports) and really make a big fuss over winning the league competition. It's something to be proud of - not a twisted joke which the "hub cap" has assumed.

Either way - the problem is insignificant next to the gulf in advantages which the top teams not just enjoy but protect fiercely. This is why I'm so against guys like Koukash who don't want to do any of the hard work setting up the complex structures and staffing for a productive junior grade and would rather cheat the system by buying whatever talent he likes.

I mean, in SL it's always one step forward, one in reverse. We make small concessions on the structure of the league yielding making it (marginally) more competitive - and then we toss it all away with "Marquee Allowances".

It's not necessarily "money" which is the problem, but the inevitable imbalances of such which always function as a destabilising influence on the sport.

Sometimes I wonder whether it might be better to transfer all gate receipts to SL for equal re-distribution. There'd be a ton of complications that would need to be worked out (such as running costs, investor rights, existing arrangements with landlords, tenants etc.) But nothing's impossible. And it would undoubtedly be a more equitable situation than the current fiasco.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Thu May 14, 2015 4:18 am  

The NRL doesn't big up being top of the table at all. Nobody cares as soon as the Finals Start. What is more important is getting to the Finals in the first place - probably because the league as a whole is more competitive, particularly round the middle of the table.

Re: Cunningham's Excuse this week : Thu May 14, 2015 7:03 am  

Can't help but think of we grab that late try rather than Catalans everyone is congratulating the side on a good win in tough conditions. The views on here are so polarised by the scoreboard.

We're not far off. Injuries played a part again with an on fire Turner leaving the field (Jordan haters notably ignoring his performance) and Walsh a passenger.

Still think we'll win the GF.