2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 10:08 am  

What a difference a couple of weeks make! Turns out we can compete, and win against teams near the top. Just shows when you are aggressive in defence, within the rules, you force errors, you gradually get on top, you get bounces of the ball etc, etc. The last 2 games compared to Toulouse and Salford are just like chalk and cheese. Wigan have given us a couple of dust ups, but against all the other top teams we have competed, with loads of players out, and we have taken beatings from the teams around us more often than not? It's an attitude thing, especially defence, we have now set our own standards, let's hope we continue, and get rewarded with at least a couple more wins. But, if we don't and fall back, people can't say it's because we were missing xyz players!! Congrats boys, keep it up!

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 10:14 am  

Wildcatnomore wrote:

What a difference a couple of weeks make! Turns out we can compete, and win against teams near the top. Just shows when you are aggressive in defence, within the rules, you force errors, you gradually get on top, you get bounces of the ball etc, etc. The last 2 games compared to Toulouse and Salford are just like chalk and cheese. Wigan have given us a couple of dust ups, but against all the other top teams we have competed, with loads of players out, and we have taken beatings from the teams around us more often than not? It's an attitude thing, especially defence, we have now set our own standards, let's hope we continue, and get rewarded with at least a couple more wins. But, if we don't and fall back, people can't say it's because we were missing xyz players!! Congrats boys, keep it up!

The key has to be our defence and tbh I don't now where that improvement has come from. A month ago we conceded a 20point lead and got thrashed by 70 points. Now we concede only 19 points in two games against far better opposition.

If you can work that out you're a great man because I can't. It's not like the signings we have made that big an impact, Shaul has done the best but I he simply can't be credited with this.

I'd say our last two games have seen defensive stints as good as anything in SL. Incredible turn around.

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 10:24 am  

vastman wrote:

The key has to be our defence and tbh I don't now where that improvement has come from. A month ago we conceded a 20point lead and got thrashed by 70 points. Now we concede only 19 points in two games against far better opposition.

If you can work that out you're a great man because I can't. It's not like the signings we have made that big an impact, Shaul has done the best but I he simply can't be credited with this.

I'd say our last two games have seen defensive stints as good as anything in SL. Incredible turn around.

Something must have changed in defence but whatever it is keep it happening. The attitude and assertiveness in defence has been nothing short of excellent. The line speed much improved too.

It’s some turn around but the important thing is that we nurture the change and ride with it and positively reinforce it.

I have to say too there’s been a mental shift in the players. Their seems to be a high level of focus in the players. Continue the hard work and the focus and see where it takes us.

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 10:54 am  

The obvious change I saw was that we played a more controlled game. Just played it simple hard and direct. No fancy stuff and silly offloads in dangerous areas. We were also far more disciplined in defence and cut out soft penalties and six agains. Finally we seemed to have a plan on the last tackle. The over all result was more possession, less energy wasted and opposition forced to make the errors.

My only gripe, and a small one at that. We should look for the one pointer more. Why not take it when you can and not leave it to chase at the end of the game. Its always good to have that score in the bank and sometimes a smart way to finish a set.

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 10:55 am  

Trojan Horse wrote:

Something must have changed in defence but whatever it is keep it happening. The attitude and assertiveness in defence has been nothing short of excellent. The line speed much improved too.

It’s some turn around but the important thing is that we nurture the change and ride with it and positively reinforce it.

I have to say too there’s been a mental shift in the players. Their seems to be a high level of focus in the players. Continue the hard work and the focus and see where it takes us.

Yep, not sure I've ever seen such a fundamental shift in such a short time period, astonishing. I've seen teams improve in a season but not so dramatically as this.

Our defence against Salford and Toulouse (all be it with 12 men) was as bad as I've ever seen from a Trinity team. Less than a month later and two of the best stints I've seen. We effectively nilled Cas in all but name.

It's one that gets your mind racing. Did we catch two teams on an off day or did we cause them to falter with our brilliant defence and work ethic on the day?. Bit of both I suspect but all teams need those and we were overdue.

If we stay up it will be great but what we can't do is brush things under the carpet. It's been a truly dire season with some utterly unacceptable showings. Our injury situation has not been great but no worse than some and clearly if the last two weeks is anything to go by we do actually have the depth to cover. In effect Hall and Murphy have been cover all season as they were never meant to be the first choice I suspect. Yes money is tighter than ever but we still had on paper a decent outfit.

So unlike previous seasons I have personally not been able to justify the performance or defend the players and the coaches. If we stay up we need a root and branch reassessment of the playing/coaching staff and the systems we have in place in the close season or history will repeat itself.

We have a way to go yet and the damage may already have been done.

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 10:59 am  

Prince Buster wrote:

The obvious change I saw was that we played a more controlled game. Just played it simple hard and direct. No fancy stuff and silly offloads in dangerous areas. We were also far more disciplined in defence and cut out soft penalties and six agains. Finally we seemed to have a plan on the last tackle. The over all result was more possession, less energy wasted and opposition forced to make the errors.

My only gripe, and a small one at that. We should look for the one pointer more. Why not take it when you can and not leave it to chase at the end of the game. Its always good to have that score in the bank and sometimes a smart way to finish a set.

My only gripe in the whole game was with Linos silly kick on the 4th??? in the first half that gifted possession back to Cas. It was the only time we really did anything really dumb and at that point it could have invited them back in. I'm not a huge Lino fan but his impulsiveness is hi weakness, especially as he doesn't really have the skills to back it up. He did the same with the DG against Saints. He needs to calm down if he's to ever become a real playmaker. But it's a minor criticism and over all he had a decent game though not in the same class as Miller.

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:36 am  

vastman wrote:

My only gripe in the whole game was with Linos silly kick on the 4th??? in the first half that gifted possession back to Cas. It was the only time we really did anything really dumb and at that point it could have invited them back in. I'm not a huge Lino fan but his impulsiveness is hi weakness, especially as he doesn't really have the skills to back it up. He did the same with the DG against Saints. He needs to calm down if he's to ever become a real playmaker. But it's a minor criticism and over all he had a decent game though not in the same class as Miller.

Think it was after a break and was on the 3rd. It completely astounded me but overall I though both halfbacks did very well vs Cas.

In the end it didn’t matter but not a game will go by when some players don’t make an error. The important thing is we handled it correctly vs Cas and came out winners.

All focus switches immediately to Catalans now.

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:13 pm  

Trojan Horse wrote:

Think it was after a break and was on the 3rd. It completely astounded me but overall I though both halfbacks did very well vs Cas.

In the end it didn’t matter but not a game will go by when some players don’t make an error. The important thing is we handled it correctly vs Cas and came out winners.

All focus switches immediately to Catalans now.

Good word.

Errors happen, some forced some not so much. I don't tend to call what Lino did an error, I call it an implosion. There is a time and a place to take risks and go for the unpredictable, something Cas needed to do but oddly didn't. However its not when you have a fair lead and you are nicely camped on their line. It's these moments that separate the men from the boys. It's these moments rather than knock ons etc that turn games.

Lino has potential but as yet he has not proved himself to be a real game maker.

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:19 pm  

After the Hull Kr game, as I walked out I saw a broken team. I saw our run of games and saw Toulouse’s especially with them hitting abit of form, I thought we were done and dusted and out for the count. How wrong was I, although it’s far from over it is firmly ours to lose now. We have it on our own terms again.

Re: 2 weeks. : Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:23 pm  

Pat Bateman wrote:

After the Hull Kr game, as I walked out I saw a broken team. I saw our run of games and saw Toulouse’s especially with them hitting abit of form, I thought we were done and dusted and out for the count. How wrong was I, although it’s far from over it is firmly ours to lose now. We have it on our own terms again.

Yep that's where I was. I've never ever felt like that before, I've always believed in the past.

Truth is you can only go so low before the only way is up. Lets hope that's whats happened