stats from the cup debacle : Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:25 pm
The full list is available in League Express if you want to see them but they do show the scale of our issues.Hull KR starting props 267 metres combined. Saints starting props 93 metres combined
The only forwards who made over 100 metres for Saints were Hohoia and Soliola.
In the backs Makinson and Gardner both went over 100 metres, with Turner missing out on three figures by just 3 metres.
Despite the hype, Walmsley only made 70 metres. More of a cameo appearance than a starring role.
Wilkin once again topped the tackle count with 43, narrowly ahead of Soliola on 38.
Hull KR carried the ball just one more time than Saints, yet made 1402 metres compared to Saints 1165.
Those stats along with the Catalan ones show how weak our front row is.
I actually think that Royce had decided to build a light mobile pack based on exploiting Robys scooting. LMS and Lafranchi are quite quick and agile and can cause defending teams big problems when the defenders are on the back foot. Only problem with this approach as we have seen in recent years is that teams know that if they shut down Roby the pack struggles. Wigan have certainly done this to us the last few seasons and have completely got on top of us and bullied our light pack.
Brown has seen this, and has commented on how small our pack is. Robys injury has also made it highly visible to our fans how much the front row depended on Roby to give them any form of forward momentum.
We need to move away from the scoot philosophy and build a more rugged traditional pack. Walmsley was i think the first move to introduce some size to the squad, and i expect at the end of the year we will pick up a couple more genuine big men.