How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 3:50 pm  

The controversy at the end with Brough's woefully sliced drop goal seems to have papered over the cracks dramatically. Had the ref given that DG, we'd no doubt have spent the last 24 hours having an inquest rather than debating the nonsense we have been.

Nathan Brown after the game said we'd saved our worst performance for our most important game. I agree completely with that assessment. Luke Walsh was also pretty cutting in his post game interview, saying we need to be a lot better than we were. We started the game so well, attacking with the verve and purpose we have so far this season in Super League. Swift's try was well worked, Lance showing his class, Makinson's try was sensational and a try of the season contender. But from the moment we scored that till the moment Ferres was sent off, we were absolutely awful. For 50-60 minutes we'd let Huddersfield dominate field position and they were completely controlling the game. Our completion rate around the hour mark was 58% according to the on screen stats. Woeful. Walsh's kicking game was very poor, his attacking kicks so easy for Huddersfield to accept and jog to the 20 laughing. You could blame a lack of enthusiasm in the chase for that as well. On the rare occasion we got to the last in their 40, the options were terrible, as slow and lethargic as last season.

But then the pack pulled us through those last 15, getting us field position for the equalising penalty and then for Walsh's drop goal. Very impressive defensive effort in the final minutes as they bombarded us. Walsmley, Manu and Wello all deserve great credit for the charge downs having watched them back.

We used our get out of jail free card there without doubt, but if we play anything like that against Wigan or Leeds, we'll regret it. Reasons for the performance? Just that so many were carrying knocks or returning from injury?

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 3:55 pm  

I think a combination of both Walsh and Roby having poor games, players returning from injury and not being 100% and Amor getting injured early doors caused most hte problems. Roby threw some uncharacteristic shocking passes, otherwise known as Micky Mac's, that lead to knock ons in great field position where we may have scored otherwise and put the game to bead in hte firt half.

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:04 pm  

By his own standard, Roby had a bad game, by anyone else's, not so bad.
His usual perfect distribution was off (walmesley ball to the face)

but basically Hudds were very good. They showed last year that they're a top side and they didn't disappoint yesterday.

Walsh and Walmesley were coming back from injury and were below their own high standards

In general a good game but neither side were at their peak

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:06 pm  

Saint Simon wrote:

By his own standard, Roby had a bad game, by anyone else's, not so bad.
His usual perfect distribution was off (walmesley ball to the face)

but basically Hudds were very good. They showed last year that they're a top side and they didn't disappoint yesterday.

Walsh and Walmesley were coming back from injury and were below their own high standards

In general a good game but neither side were at their peak

I thought he had a poor game by most hookers standard, the likes of Houghton, Lunt etc...

Still twice as good as Michael Hightackleforwardpassillorum though.

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:10 pm  

Not many of these players have played together that long. Combined with players returning from injuries, poor individual performances and Hudds playing exceptionally well we just struggled. Not to mention i think there was a sense of complacency after we scored twice. Then Huddersfield seemed to wake up as we drifted off.

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:10 pm  

We was 2nd best in the game from about the 20th min. They was making easy yards every set and our kicking game (mostly Walsh ) was pretty awful.

Certainly our worst performance this year but no team can play well every week but the good teams still win when not so great like on Sunday.

We would never have won that game last year. The energy in defence and the changing down showed we played with heart and commitment and also showed a lot of composer to go up the other end and popping the DG over after being under the pump for 10 mins.

Not pretty but great win.

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:12 pm  

Saint Simon wrote:

By his own standard, Roby had a bad game, by anyone else's, not so bad.
His usual perfect distribution was off (walmesley ball to the face)

but basically Hudds were very good. They showed last year that they're a top side and they didn't disappoint yesterday.

Walsh and Walmesley were coming back from injury and were below their own high standards

In general a good game but neither side were at their peak

I thought Walamsley was excellent in his last stint. Charged down a DG and made several big runs but his first 15 mins was pretty bad.

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:52 pm  

We did look shoddy. At times we looked like a team that had not played together. And I think that is part of it. We through some players back into the team who have had a couple of weeks off and attacking wise they were off the boil.

Passes to touch, dropped balls, giving the ball to the opposition in our own half. Watching it (I taped it and watched it without knowing the result), I just could not see us winning till Ferres decided to give up on RL and start Wrestlemania early. It was a perfect tombstone. The vertical positioning was spot on, sadly he did not make Wrestlemania as he forgot to stop the required centimetre above the mat.

Once that happened it ruined the contest as any win would have been devalued, but then add to that the dodgy drop goal and everything we did wrong gets forgotten.

I could not quite understand what it was, had those playing Leeds put in too much into that game and could not pick it up. Was it the introduction of those being out for a few games, being a bit off the boil. Did Huddersfield disrupt us somehow.

To me it seemed very self inflicted. But everyone see's the game differently.

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:23 pm  

The secret to winning big games like that is not about playing brilliantly all the time but doing the basics right under the enhanced pressure of the situation.

Failure to do that is why we struggled. The following are observations and not criticisms as the individuals concerned have been great this year.

Robes - knock on and 3 bad passes all which turned over possession
Walsh - kicking on the full in to in goal releasing pressure several times
Swift - snoozing at the re start and letting the ball go dead
Lance - couple of poor defensive reads
Lomax - turned his back at POB leading to a try ( repeat of two previous v dragons and Wakey)
Mose - knock on at POB
Sia - pass into touch
Flanno - pushing at POB

In isolation they are part and parcel of game but add them all together and it explains why we put ourselves under pressure. Take Tommy Mak for instance - has had a totally error free season - which is just as important as the spectacular finishes and why he is being talked about as a possible international.

Re: How did we actually play against Hudds? : Mon Apr 07, 2014 7:05 pm  

I thought we were pretty poor. Our intensity was a couple of notches down from the last few big games, which was evident from our slow line speed and lack of kick pressure. We were also having an off day in terms of execution, as Dad's Army points out. But with the huge front row we now have we are able to get forward even when we're getting 'out-enthused', which makes it so much easier to stay in games when we're out of sorts. There's no doubt we would have lost that last year.