Re: Saints v Wolfs : Sat Jun 04, 2016 11:08 pm  

If we are using 10 year old tactics no wonder we get found out.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Sun Jun 05, 2016 7:02 am  

bewareshadows wrote:

If we are using 10 year old tactics no wonder we get found out.

Working down the middle in heavy traffic, the drop off pass and the kick on the 3rd tackle is the way to go, we just haven't perfected it yet. I wonder if because we have the smallest backline in super league has something to do with it.

For the Wolves, Tony Smith was always an admirer of the old Saints style of open play and somehow has managed to emulate it into the modern game. In fact the tables have turned we are looking like the old warrington side who use to get a couple of hammerings during the season with a few reasonable games to give the fans some hope.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:05 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

we are looking like the old warrington side who use to get a couple of hammerings during the season with a few reasonable games to give the fans some hope.

you wish...your not that good.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:15 pm  

Oxford Exile wrote:

you wish...your not that good.

I think we might be a bit better than Brian Johnsons team and the 80-0 which exterminated him. Then John Dorahy came along and took the team to the bottom end of super league.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:00 pm  

Fatbelly wrote:

The Hoodoo is now well and truly over and put to bed.

I fully admit that prior to the game I was concerned but after 5 minutes I could see you had nothing in attack and your defence was average. On twitter Saints fans had been saying to me how poor Saints were but its only after seeing you last night that I can agree. At the 50 minute mark the game was won and our players took their foot well off the gas and merely went through the motions. At the 65th minute we rested Gidley & Sandow. If we wanted to we could have put 40 plus points on the score board. That was the chasm between our 2 teams last night.

In KC's defence he didn't drop the ball and throw passes into touch. Nor did he make basic errors. On the walk back to the Chalon St car park listening to Saints fans you were both stunned and in despair. I think the top 4 is set now and it will take a monumental collapse by 1 of us for Saints to get into it.

+1

In many ways the score flattered Sts.
50/50 calls against wire plus 5/6 times Sandow kicked early in the tackle count.
The score may have reached 50+ without Wire having to change a gear.
Saints have the backs, it's the lack of front row umph that is a issue IMO.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:08 pm  

rubber duckie wrote:

+1

In many ways the score flattered Sts.
50/50 calls against wire plus 5/6 times Sandow kicked early in the tackle count.
The score may have reached 50+ without Wire having to change a gear.
Saints have the backs, it's the lack of front row umph that is a issue IMO.

You couldn't be more wrong in terms of where or problems lie.

We regularly make enough metres and get in the righty positions to score points; our pack on the whole is doing its job.
Our main problem is that our back line is woeful at the moment and our tactics dire. A good attacking side would have been 12-0 up with the same amount of possession and territory as we had.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:26 pm  

The Yellow Giraffe wrote:

You couldn't be more wrong in terms of where or problems lie.

We regularly make enough metres and get in the righty positions to score points; our pack on the whole is doing its job.
Our main problem is that our back line is woeful at the moment and our tactics dire. A good attacking side would have been 12-0 up with the same amount of possession and territory as we had.

I saw Sts props looking like they were running up against a brick wall. Backs trying to help share the props work but getting nailed and pushed back, all that within the Wire 40.
Farge worked very hard but was under pressure with a poor Wilkin(a forward not a back) who looked every inch due for retirement.
Get Walsh back and the halves issue is solved.
Those outside backs have so much pace Swift and (inj) Makinson would both find a position on the wings at Wire

Like I said nowt up with the backs. It's a shallow pack, the same issue as Wire has had over the last 2/3 seasons. Finally addressed I might say.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:54 pm  

rubber duckie wrote:

+1

In many ways the score flattered Sts.
50/50 calls against wire plus 5/6 times Sandow kicked early in the tackle count.
The score may have reached 50+ without Wire having to change a gear.
Saints have the backs, it's the lack of front row umph that is a issue IMO.

Its the other way around saints have the forwards but don't have the backs, an unfit Lomax then we have Percival, Peyroux, Makinson and Walsh missing. It wasn't the front row that lacked umph but the whole team, if Wire played in the 2nd half as they did in the 1st half then +50 pts was on the cards but we weren't any form of threat so Tony Smith put the cue on the rack early.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:27 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

Its the other way around saints have the forwards but don't have the backs, an unfit Lomax then we have Percival, Peyroux, Makinson and Walsh missing. It wasn't the front row that lacked umph but the whole team, if Wire played in the 2nd half as they did in the 1st half then +50 pts was on the cards but we weren't any form of threat so Tony Smith put the cue on the rack early.

Let's be honest here, the pack is garbage. It's not big enough, it's not aggressive, it doesn't do the hard yards well, no tackle breakers, not aggressive and none can offload.

Walmsley - good prop but struggling this year. I don't know why he ain't starting when we need him.

Roby - still best 9 in super league but playing behind a beaten pack. He needs us on front foot to make his runs but we are powder puff up front.

Amor - can't knock his effort and heart but he's not the prop we had in his first year. He's got no go forward and can get caught out in defence grabbing. Decent.

Tasi - utter crap. He's soft. He's slow. He's got no heart. Looking to go off at every opportunity. Total waste of a player and cap.

Richards- still only young but going backward. Big big guy but again powder puff with the ball. Make or break next year for him and imo will be at leigh in near future.

Sav - been awful but not happy. Looks like he made mistake staying at Saints. He's one of KC scapegoats. Will go on to be top player at another club. KC Needs to Swallow his pride and pick the kid and let him play regular.

Thompson - good prospect but again doesn't seem to be in KC immediate plans. Defo worth spot before Tasi every day of the week.

Vea- good half season when signed but been poor ever since. Terrible in defence and total liability on the edge. Works hard and puts effort in but he's another dead with the ball and can't break a tackle.

Wilkin- captain fantastic is finished. Needs to be released but isn't. He's another liability on the edge. Gets through work in defence but it's not enough. Another who can't break a tackle.

Greenwood - another of KC scapegoats but our top try scorer. I'm not sure on him as he runs to upright and gets smashed. Great near the line. Needs to play as he scores and this time lacks try scorers so has to play.

LMS- full of effort this year as it's contract year. The two best seasons he's had have been new contract years. He's decent but not good enough.

Knowles - he's a pure athlete! I've followed him through the ranks and has great potential. He's better than Vea and Wilkin now. Why KC played him 9 I'll never know. Hopefully a big future at the club.

We are in dire need of two big hard aggressive props and at least one good tackle breaking backrow.

Re: Saints v Wolfs : Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:33 pm  

The old rule is,' the pack wins the game, the backs decide how big.'
If you arn't winning then the pack just isn't good enough.
You will be put to the sword I think in France. The Cats pack is enormous.

KC is under enormous pressure. He isn't in a position to do what I suggest.
Leeds did this last year with Sinfield, pies did it at Wakefield. Paul Cullen did it for Wire when we made out first ever play-offs.....
Rest the the key guys in the team when it means little nothing by getting beat or having no chance of winning if you risked playing them, and save them for a game that is crucial or a sure win.

In other words finishing as near to 5th over the season and beating the likes of Cas Wid wake and KR, is far more a realistic target that risking semi fit players in trying to overcome Catalan.