Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 8:54 am  

christopher wrote:

I disagree on the cunningham comparison, at least we’ve shown we can play attractive winning rugby, saints were just dire all round under cunningham IMO.

Also did Holbrook coincide with Ben Barber signing who totally changed that side

The point I was trying to make is that things can change quickly and you won’t be where you are forever. You are too big of a club

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 8:57 am  

christopher wrote:

I was thinking this last night, with Newman being injured all the time we are totally lacking an X factor player, most if not all the sides above us have one or in Wigans case 2

Yep, tinkering around with the squad will only deliver incremental gains at best. We need one, even two great players. Look at the difference Croft has made to Salford and Hastings before him. Great players make average ones far better.

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:01 am  

ArthurClues wrote:

Yep, tinkering around with the squad will only deliver incremental gains at best. We need one, even two great players. Look at the difference Croft has made to Salford and Hastings before him. Great players make average ones far better.

Completely agree. Even one class player lifts the whole show.
A Ben Barba, Hastings, Field or French type of player much needed ++

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:03 am  

Just looked at the recording of last nights game. Several passages of play with ball in hand just passing along the line. No dummy runners , very little drop off ball. Certainly nobody attempting to put players through a gap in the line. The league table highlights the fact we have played for most of the season like a mid table side. And that unfortunately is our position in the league.

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:04 am  

christopher wrote:

It’s not ‘blind faith’ its a pragmatic view of where we are but also not throwing the baby out with the bath water.

We are currently not good enough as a squad but I don’t think we are as far off as is being made out, and people wanting wholesale changes is just not realistic.

Are you saying because we beat Saints and Wigan previously that is the basis for your not so far off? I agree about wholesale changes there simply isn't the quality of player available to replace 6/7 players.

We need to concentrate on the spine - we need a FB, one half back at least and a quality hooker - if that is all we did I would happy with that. I don't understand the signing of the Frenchman - unless there are players leaving e.g. Bentley. Tetevano surely will never play again.

Maybe I am misreading the situation but we always seem late in for NRL players and then overpay for what we get. Is it that Leeds are not seen as a competitive side and players can only be coaxed into coming by the money?

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:16 am  

Backwoodsman wrote:

Just looked at the recording of last nights game. Several passages of play with ball in hand just passing along the line. No dummy runners , very little drop off ball. Certainly nobody attempting to put players through a gap in the line. The league table highlights the fact we have played for most of the season like a mid table side. And that unfortunately is our position in the league.

Our attacking philosophy seems based on keeping the ball alive, any pass will do, hoping the opposition over commit for us to attack the space that's left.

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:31 am  

TheWarringtonWolve69 wrote:

The point I was trying to make is that things can change quickly and you won’t be where you are forever. You are too big of a club

Totally agree

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:34 am  

Zoo Zoo Boom wrote:

Are you saying because we beat Saints and Wigan previously that is the basis for your not so far off? I agree about wholesale changes there simply isn't the quality of player available to replace 6/7 players.

We need to concentrate on the spine - we need a FB, one half back at least and a quality hooker - if that is all we did I would happy with that. I don't understand the signing of the Frenchman - unless there are players leaving e.g. Bentley. Tetevano surely will never play again.

Maybe I am misreading the situation but we always seem late in for NRL players and then overpay for what we get. Is it that Leeds are not seen as a competitive side and players can only be coaxed into coming by the money?

You’ve answered your own question regards Goudemand.

I’m looking at results and the closeness of some of them and if you read my posts I actually agree with you on the spine, that’s my whole point, we’re a few signings away from being back up there, not that the whole set up needs changing.

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:46 am  

I was surprised your pack didn't dominate last night. Saints starting pack would normally be, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Sirronen. Batchelor, Knowles. With a bench of probably Paasi, LMS or Matautia, Bell and Lussick. Not counting Lussick cause he's gone 7 of those were missing.

Re: RD 20 | St Helens (A) : Sat Jul 29, 2023 10:02 am  

RogerMoore wrote:

I was surprised your pack didn't dominate last night. Saints starting pack would normally be, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Sirronen. Batchelor, Knowles. With a bench of probably Paasi, LMS or Matautia, Bell and Lussick. Not counting Lussick cause he's gone 7 of those were missing.

I’m not, we’ve lost to worse teams than that St Helens one last night. That’s not a criticism of you, it’s just a marker of where we are at the moment.