I only saw the second half but just in general I have to agree on Ferres. He adds nothing offensively running out wide and just slows the attack down. I’d rather we skipped him out and got early ball straight to Hurrell.

Ferres should stick to driving it in rather than trying to pretend he’s a ball playing second rower just because he waves the ball around with one hand, usually just before he either drops it or puts a rubbish pass in.

Again, having only seen the second half, I thought our kicking game was poor again. You can see what Sutcliffe and Myler are trying to do but their execution is very poor. It just eases the pressure off instead of applying it further.

Unpopular opinion but if Jack Walker was called Liam Sutcliffe everyone would be battering him tonight. Shocking game summed up in the 1st minute. Poor position in D, offers no link in attack. What has Ash Golding done to not be being picked instead of Jack. Terrible attitude by most, no desire or fight.

Correct unpopular Opinion
Assume you didn’t watch the last 78 minutes of the game.

Decent effort in 2nd half, but of spirit and fight but ultimately that's a minimum requirement. I expect every player to show desire and effort.

Never really saw where we was going to break them down. Other than maybe Hurrell.

Thought big Ava went well again and Cuthbo also.

Big 10 games coming up now starting next Sunday.

Team has shown a bit more about itself last 3 weeks but as everyone has said halves are terrible and as I keep saying our 9s are just as bad. Kicking game is actually laughable. Under 12s kick the ball better than Myler, Sutcliffe and Dwyer. Cuthbo's effort was as good as any but that shows how unorganised we are.

Sorry but I think that’s wide of the mark, he had a shocker like the rest of the team in the first 5 minutes but was very good after that

If you think Ashton Golding would make any difference or offer anything more thsn Walker you’re kidding yourself

In all honesty I think we matched Saints for most of that game, we play like that against lesser teams and we win.

Problems tonight? Gifting them a try in the first minute, not having a half who looks like they have any control and, once again, a referee who has a serious impact on the result - the ball steal on Hurrell, that gets given correctly we don't concede the 4th try, the spear tackle has to be a yellow, at least two Saints PTB had the player on their knees and nothing given, did Smith ever pass it backwards from dummy half?

I'm very much of the opinion that one good half (Jackson Hastings?) and we're a top half side straight away. We seem to have everything else.

Exactly. Thought he actually just edged as our best player last night. Added a lot of energy to us.

He'd have been better if his support positions were a yard deeper but beyond that and the obvious 2 minute howler he was indeed good. Took the right options in some very tight situations.

His pass into touch in the second half wasn’t helpful but I thought he went alright. That drop in the first minute was very significant; robbed our belief and grew Saints.
He recovery at the back and evasion was great as usual.
How good is Newman’s footwork?
Keep saying it but I really like Ava, in a better side he’ll go well.

I actually thought Cuthbertson brought a lot of energy to the pack when he was on. And as many have said, parcel steadies the ship. Hastings for this season and we survive.

Yes I liked what Cuthbo did too - one or two penalties aside but he looked up for it.
Still wouldn’t retain him as a player in 2020 though.

People having a meltdown about Walker dropping a high kick haven't mentioned that Coote dropped 2 . It happens. Doesn't make a player a flop, a waste of time or worth getting rid of.

Walker needs to improve his linking up and passing options but at 19 that's understandable but I hope they are working on it.

Big Ava was our best for me tho.

It may sound like I've a personal vendetta but does peter smith draw his player ratings out of a hat?!

Despite 'effort' and 'guts' last night the bottom line was we were simply not good enough.

We played some of our best rugby all season last night yet saints never ready looked in trouble and you always felt they had an extra gear if they needed it.

That said, if we play like that for the rest of the season we have a decent chance of beating those in the relegation fight around us.

If we continue with the current halves we will be relegated IMO. Comfortably the worst pairing in the league.

I just don't see it. A top class half would save you from relegation I reckon, but there are several other positions you need to address before you even think about being competitive again.

I won't pretend I'm not enjoying your plight, but I always try to be honest and call it as I see it. I honestly don't think there is any position that you are completely sorted. The whole side is peppered with players who either just aren't good enough or who are still learning their craft.

The halves have long been at a point where even if mclelland comes in and doesn’t add much you’ve not lost anything, he’s an enthusiast defender if nothing else and his kicking game is undoubtedly going to be better.

Can't disagree.

Those thinking hastings or similar are our saviour are sadly mistaken. Very few of our current 17 would make it into the 17 of a top half team. Hurrell, Ava, Merrin, maybe Dwyer as a bench differential and that's about it.

That said, if we recruit well in the off-season we can make sure we are not relegation fodder next year and build from there.

There are no quick fixes from where we are currently.

They are really bad most of the time. Players on the winning team get higher marks irrespective of performance. Just stop reading it.

Agree, last nights team selection underlines everything wrong with this firstirst team setup, absolutely no accountability for shocking performance in previous weeks, in our case, all season. Couldnt believe all 3 of Myler, Suttcliffe and Ferres started last night after there previous efforts. If we get relegated, the club only has itself to blame, unfortunately us fans suffer aswel.

Suttcliffes the most un-natural halfback iv ever seen in my life, Mylers crap but you can atleast see he's a half, just a rubbish one, suttcliffes not even that good

Sutcliffes defence was also terrible, and also contributed to Newmans poor defence performance. Sutcliffe is not a terrible defender though, and for me it is entirely down to his arrogant, I have made it attitude. He knows he gets picked, simple as that.

We had a dig for 60 minutes but were way short in terms of quality application and clueless in attack.
Like others have said the likes of Ferres Sutcliffe Myler etc getting picked is a joke I'd much prefer our u19's getting game-time.
I do like the look of Ava and once again Merrin went well but that's not good enough.
Also how much longer can GH/KS delay a new Coaching set up and new signing(s)?
The squad and intrim Coach simply are nowhere near good enough

I have been very critical of a number of your posts this season mark about what you have said about JJB, ablett and a number of other signings but fair do's, a lot of those chickens have come home to roost.

Effort alone is not enough, we need actual quality.

Dropped two kicks dropped a couple off passes , passed straight into touch, looked awfull. Goldinggwas hung drawn and quartered for less, Sutcliffe too. People should stop blowing smoke up his arris, he has had one good game this year the rest injuried or average to crap.

People laughed at me for suggesting we sign Jordan Adbul, he is showing at London he is a natural half back and a natural footballer with an instinctive rugby brain. None of our pivotal players have that, only Cuthertson a prop looks a natural footballer.