Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:10 pm  

Simmo71 wrote:

I'm not sure we're a MUCH better team than last season.
We're probably marginally better.
We have better players.
And defensively we look more solid.
We have won some games that we would have lost last year.

But there's still a lot to work on to compete in the top 4.
We still look very disorganised at times.
The attack is very unstructured.
We make far too many mistakes.
We haven't yet competed for 80 mins.
We need more on field leadership.
And we're lightweight in the pack.

I still expect us to probably finish 6th.

It seems like you're hankering for a Ian Watson coached team. Think you'll continue to remain dissapointed in that regard. This talk about not competing for 80mins is way off. We've competed hard throughout every minute of every game this season. What I think you mean is we haven’t been on top for 80 mins yet. Well, we all want that, but that's not how sport should be, is it? I think we'll be better next week with 4 proper props for the first time this season. A lot of simple things should fall into place off the back of that. Whether we get the win or not is a matter of conjecture. I actually think the two games (Cas & Wire) that follow will tell us a bit more about how we'll do this season. Win both of those and we'll definitely be making progress. Lose and the doubts will creep in.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:17 pm  

ArthurClues wrote:

It seems like you're hankering for a Ian Watson coached team. Think you'll continue to remain dissapointed in that regard. This talk about not competing for 80mins is way off. We've competed hard throughout every minute of every game this season. What I think you mean is we haven’t been on top for 80 mins yet. Well, we all want that, but that's not how sport should be, is it? I think we'll be better next week with 4 proper props for the first time this season. A lot of simple things should fall into place off the back of that. Whether we get the win or not is a matter of conjecture. I actually think the two games (Cas & Wire) that follow will tell us a bit more about how we'll do this season. Win both of those and we'll definitely be making progress. Lose and the doubts will creep in.

Agree about the competing for 80minutes. I suspect what they mean is haven’t put a perfect 80 minutes in, well that doesn’t happen very often for any team, unless it’s a mismatch.

The Cas and Wire games are important, we have got to go and give it to Cas and Wire drift in and out of games and we need to take advantage of that. Win those two and were 5 from 7, i think wed all take that wouldn’t we?

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:29 pm  

I’d much prefer 5/7 than losing them both and 3/7. The latter would really set the alarm bells ringing.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:43 pm  

christopher wrote:

Agree about the competing for 80minutes. I suspect what they mean is haven’t put a perfect 80 minutes in, well that doesn’t happen very often for any team, unless it’s a mismatch.

The Cas and Wire games are important, we have got to go and give it to Cas and Wire drift in and out of games and we need to take advantage of that. Win those two and were 5 from 7, i think wed all take that wouldn’t we?

5 from 7 would be very good. 5 from 7 and still in the cup would be excellent. Fingers crossed.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 2:41 pm  

christopher wrote:

Of course we can beat saints next week, typing no in caps doesn’t make it true

Im not sure where this lacking pace in the backline is coming from, miller , mom, Newman and of course Handley are all quick.

Don’t think any of us expected us to be in the top two this year, and we won’t.

We have far more pace in the backline than Saints for example.

I’ve said for years we need pace at Halback, to suite the way we play. Imagine Croft with a fast runner/finisher off him. Say French!

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 2:45 pm  

Shabino wrote:

I’ve said for years we need pace at Halback, to suite the way we play. Imagine Croft with a fast runner/finisher off him. Say French!

Croft and French would not work.

Croft is no slouch, he is the running halfback, you need an organising one alongside either Croft or French.

You ditched radio this year for Sky?

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 2:46 pm  

Really enjoyed the first half but credit to Saints who kept to us 2 points up when against a lesser team we would have been at least 2 scores up.
Bell made the difference and was my MoM.
We didn`t have the powerful runs in the second half and had a very lightweight bench that was never really going to get on top of Saints.
Like what`s been said with Fusi and Lisone in the team we make more yards.
Ball steal by Saints led to their try at a crucial time and a poor read by Handley led to another try.
Small margins but those small margins are the difference that win you games and trophies.
Mik and Miller our best 2 and I`m still waiting for Newman to show he is International class.
Frawley steady away and that`s about it.
Now if we had my favourite Mikey Lewis in our team then who knows!

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 2:50 pm  

Can’t believe they gave Dodd mom, it was Bell all day long

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 3:07 pm  

Dodd trysaver on Newman though at a crucial time…

Miller would have been close to MoM without that awful kick off out on the full, he busts so many tackles he’s great.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sat Mar 16, 2024 3:57 pm  

Fusi and lisone will help but I still think we won't be beating saints /wigan in the big games until we can add some more power / strike in the pack and be able to keep up pressure ahd intensity for most of the game rather than 40 mins or so