I couldn't make the match today, nor could I listen to radio coverage. Can you let me know the ins and outs
Player ratings and a man o' the match?
How do we line up - I've seen the team selection, but did Wilkin play first receiver and split OBrien and Lomax left and right? How was Lomax on his return? We're there any exceptional plays, random events, etc We're Bradford up to much?

Only caught bits as I was working but it sounded like we could have put 50 on them but they're scramble defence was very good

Lomax was Man Of The Match, the game was very strange. Last ditch defending from Bradford and stupid final plays or silly knock ons with the line bekoning stopped us putting 70 on them imo.

I was at work listening to radio merkeyside and that's what it sounded like to me. Lots and lots of errors and some good plays.
Wilkin was back in the 2nd row and seemed to do OK apart from some dodgy passes. Lomas scared them to death.

Wilkin was excellent he was everywhere and tackled everything that moved. His best game for a long while my Man-of-the-Match closely follwed by Roby & Lomax.

Our attack was much much much better with Lomax and Robes back, as we knew would be

Positives -

We was ok today, nothing special but it was a improvement and a step in the right direction. The team had a good balance to it with the spine of the team with wello, lomax, O'Brian, roby and wilkin.

We started well with Roby, lomax and Manu causing havoc. We was actually throwing the ball around, sometimes it was pass just for the sake and we was going sideways but it was a improvement. The defence looked much better with players playing in "proper" postions.

At last willie Manu was getting good decent ball outwide and not being used as a battle ram. IMO Manu was Man of the match.

Negatives -

I don't know why brown messed with the lineup at halftime by moving jones from centre to backrow, wello to centre and lomax to fullback, it completey threw us off our game. We also looked a much worse team when robes went off in the 2nd half but soon got back on top when he returned to the field.

First half was as good as anything we've produced in a long time. We were completely dominant up front and Roby's energy around the ruck allowed us to dominate and offload the ball at will. We blew so many chances first half we should've been 30-40 points up. Bradford just couldn't physically match up to us.

2nd half was very sloppy though and when our defence got tested we cracked too easily for my liking. We continued to play some good stuff with the ball but we also dropped easy ball or threw really stupid passes. We allowed Bradford back into the game which made it a bit nervy when it went from 24-6 to 24-18.

Roby and Lomax made a massive difference to us. Once those two get fully fit we'll be OK and will make the 8. The others in the team fed off their attacking quality today and it made for entertaining Saints performance in good conditions.

I think messing about with team at the break put us off our game. It was working and we looked pretty solid.

You bombed so many chances. Most of your tries came near the line with the power of some of your bigger players and we couldn't match their size. You also scored a try from a loose ball when one of our players passed the ball to the floor.

I bet you're happy you've finally found a team that's worse than you are.

Two very average teams with Roby the difference.

First half we looked good. Turner was causing problems every time he got the ball and Manu looked to be the player we thought we'd signed. Lomax made a difference as did Roby (probably my MoM). Second half we had a different shape and didn't look as effective, plus we tried to force the pass in situations where we didn't need to. Jones took his try very well but Bradford's defence was very good much of the time. We should really have had more tries with the possession we had. Oh, and Meli was caught well out of position for their try from the cross-field kick.

You must have had your eyes closed for half the game then because I swear I saw Lomax ripping them to bits out wide.

What's your opinion on Bateman? The was a lot of hype over him last year and reported that the wolves made a 250k bid for him.

I only ask because I've never seen him play well and doesn't impress me one little bit but I only see him few times a year.

I think the moves at half time were to put Lomax at full back and to see if we could fit Wellens somewhere else, it was a good opportunity to given the dominance we had in the first half, he's already said that Lomax is his first choice full back.

I'm wondering when the realisation that Wellens plays at full back or nowhere is going to happen.

I don't think Manu wasnt the player we thought we'd signed, he's not been used correctly. He's not a battle ram, he plays on the left edge and can be devastating if give good ball and in space. We never give him the ball he needs so he comes inside and drives like a prop.

Its no surprise he's had his best two games in a saints shirt the last two weeks when we've had O'Brian who knows how to play the halfback role. Manu was more effective today as lomax was next to him and the bulls was petrified of him which give him more room.


Use Manu correct and he will be massive for us!

So basically tinkerman almost trashed our best performance in quite a long time because he is desperate to wedge Wello in somewhere. I simply cant believe a professional coach cant see Wello is done and dusted as a first choice player.

The most interesting thing for me was how Paul Wellens was used.

In the first half he was stood deep, but wasn't covering the central fullback position all the time, on occasion Makinson filled this spot with Wello being in effect a wingman.
In attack Lomax was named as standoff but actually linked into play as a fullback.


Second half Lomax went to fullback with Wello defending at centre, but attacking in the halves.
I thought it was during this period that we lost a bit of direction, also in part because Roby went off the field.

Manu was used out wide and was devastating.
Turner made a couple of breaks and looked really threatening on receipt of decent ball from the halves.

Josh Jones scored an excellent try, but I felt that if Percival had played, then a couple of the Manu breaks would have been turned into trys. Instead with Jones at centre it was a cast of him cutting infield or getting tackled.
A faster player would have scorched down the wing.

Walmsley was pretty quiet and took a knock. Jordan hand was pinged for two early penalties then quickly removed from proceedings.

Wilkin had a very good game. I think his time in the halves has developed his overall game. He is no halfback, but as a ball playing/running forward he looked very good. Put one brilliant kick in.

GOB again showed he has good passing hands, but most have dropped about 3/4 perfectly catchable passes.
Not in the same class as Lomax or Wheeler, or even an on form Gaskell.

I think lomax should be first choice fullback BUT next year. The team will benefit more from jonny in the halves with o'brien. They are good combination as O'Brian is a ball plying half, while jonny is a runner. By putting wilkin at 13 give us the extra pivot with O'Brian which give lomax a free time and it WORKED.

The spine if the team today was the strongest we've had all year which showed in our much improved attack. Wello, lomax O'Brian roby wilkin is a solid spine.

The left edge of Manu and lomax was causing problems for the bulls all first half.

Brown swapped lomax and wello and we lost that balance IMO.

Thought we played very well first half lots of 2nd phase ball when attacking 25 metres out, bombed a few chances but sooner or later everything will stick, reckon we were worth another 2 scores by half time.
Can,t explain the second half lots of basic errors, players not knowing what they were doing with the player position change all this coinciding with Halibuts alien interpretation of the game which rewarded the Bulls with lots of possession.

Positives, Lomax and Roby and there contribution thats been missing, stand out player Wilkin had an enormous game in attack,defence and leadership. Jordan Hand was a bit disappointing with his discipline.

Overall we played for about 50mins of the 80mins and we won due to playing a team around our level at the moment. Looks promising if we can perform consistently like our 1st half.

Just shows how better turner, Manu and jones looked with lomax and O'Brian in the halves and wilkin working as a extra pivot

I think he is the player we thought we'd signed, but we've had problems with runners all year. It was only the move of Lomax to full back that started to see space being opened up for other people, he then got injured with Roby and the problems started again (though less so with Makinson at fb rather than Wellens).

A full team, with Lomax at full back, Roby at hooker and pace out wide with the likes of Percival, Meli (who is still worries defences with ball in hand), Turner and Makinson will see more channels for players in the middle start to open up.

You explained in the second clause of your sentence the reason for the problems you outlined in the first clause of your sentence.

Why the feck did Brown change things around at halftime? Can't he just leave well alone? He drives me mad.

I feel lomax and O'Brian are the pair to take us forward

He was stinking the place out at 7 at the beginning of the year though.

I agree the move of Wilkin to 13 is better for him and the team, I'd possibly bring Hohaia back to play alongside GOB to play the running role (which is his game really) or possibly one of the U20s? Our major issue is the end of the loan period though.