Under Anderson you seemed invincible and I dreaded playing you, under Potter you look vulnerable and I don't fear Saints one bit.

Under Anderson if Saints were three tries down with ten mins left I still thought they had it in them to still win but not now. I think the end of Saints dominance is now and with Long going and Cunningham next year I think Saints will slip down the league year on year like Wigan did when we lost Farrell, Newton, O'Connor, Radlinski etc

I can see Potter getting the sack after a poor start next year.

You are channelling the thoughts of many Saints fans! (sorry about that!)

I can't agree that we'll necessarily go the same way as Wigan, though, because we have a different set up and it's a different era in rugby league. We may well slide down the table and disappear but likewise we may well find a new set of bodies and a new recipe for success. I don't think that will show dividends in silverware for a while, though.

I don't think Potter was involved in Fozzard going and he can't be blamed for all the injuries problems and over the hill players.

How much of that is due to the change in coach and how much to key players not being as effective in the past due to being too old, not being on form, being injured, etc?

What injuries? The last time we had any injuries was the CC semi, and that was only Long. What over the hill players? We have fewer this year than last!

Post said that under Anderson we appeared invincible, which we did. Under Potter we appear vulnerable, which we do. Post also said that under Anderson people believed that if we needed three tries in ten minutes we could still win (and how many times did we do that under Anderson?) but under Potter that is not the case. Also true. Under Potter we don't even seem to know what to do when the tryline is right before us, much less pull off three tries in ten minutes! What Post says is undeniable. Whatever Anderson did with our greater number of ageing players, Potter is unable to replicate with an overall younger side. He is still unable to replicate it after weeks of having a full squad.

Do stop talking sense.

So we've only had Long injured this season then? I must have dreamt that the likes of Cayless, Fa'asavalau, Hargreaves, Cunningham and Roby have all missed chunks of the season...



It may be an overall younger side, but to discount the fact that that is mainly down to 4 or 5 19/20 year olds playing their first seasons coming in to replace Internationals is either disingenuous or an idiotic attempt to try and back up your argument.

Given it's you, I'm 50/50 on which explanation to go for.

*sigh*

Might have known you'd rewrite my post. Can't be ar$ed replying beyond this.

Potter hasn't done as well as Anderson would have done. With Ando we would have won the Challenge Cup and we'd be in slightly better form now.

There is no optimism on the terraces at all, it's like the season finished in the semi final against Huddersfield. It's been dead since then. I'm always a realist and can see when things aren't going to come out smelling of roses, but this season has been unbelievably flat.

Going out of the play offs to Wigan would be a pretty good reflection of how this season has gone, its been dire.

Hopefully they can raise themselves and put one last good showing in to get us to OT, but it's already about preparing for next season, we haven't got it in us to win the GF.

Anderson couldn't do this in his first season either.

I've rewritten nothing. You know damn well he isn't talking about the last 3 or 4 weeks alone.

So? That was a different time and if you remember we fell apart due to losing a couple of key players, like Longy.

Potter hasn't had that. He inherited a top side who hadn't been beaten in the Challenge Cup in years and which was 2 poor showings away from being undisputed as the best team in SL and we've only got 1 player injured at the moment.

This season we've played like turd throughout. The fact we are second is a reflection of how talented a squad he inherited. The fact that we've played so poorly is the reflection of Potter's influence. If things develop and improve as he moulds it into his style then fine, but the problem so far is that there have been no signs of that happening at all. The defense is probably as good as under Anderson, but the attacking has just died off recently, the last what 7 or 8 weeks have been simply awful. That isn't a form blip or because of inuries as most of them were back, the side doesn't know what it's supposed to be doing, confusion reigns at the moment.

It's worrying when a player as experienced and easy to coach as Sean Long comes out a week before the play offs and admits he doesn't know if he's coming or going when it comes to team tactics. If Long feels that way, heaven only knows what the likes of Eastmond feel who don't have the years of experience at the highest level to call upon.

This season has been very strange. Flat to the point of having no nipples even is how I'd describe it.

I honestly cannot remember the last time I walked away from a game thinking "We played really well today" having won the game.

But Potter has had that, Long was missing for the last semi final as well! Your point was that Anderson would have won the challenge cup this year, but he undoubtedly had a better team in his first year in charge as the current one and he didn't win it then. Anderson also inherited the great side of the Millward era.

I'm not trying to say that Potter as good a coach as Anderson, the fact is it's impossible to tell that yet. We shall see.

someone with a bit of sense

To be fair, this is pretty much how I feel. I really can't see us winning the GF.

About the only refreshing thing has been the emergence of some promising youngsters.

We have played drab rugby all the year round, and although I acknowledge Potter may have had to make unpopular decisions, this does not affect the brand of rugby. Brian Clough made some tough decisions when he went to Forest, but the football was played the right way.

I think how we shape up at the start of next season will be a telling factor in his future.

Start poorly and he's brown bread.

IMO there are two types of coach
1)DA type, probably the best team coach we've ever had
2)Eric HUghes type, built a squad to finally beat wigan to the league, but not the greatest team coach to say the least.

IMO only Wayne Bennet can do both to a high level, but even St.George fell away in the playoffs.

Right now we need a team builder, after next year we'll hopefully need a great team coach again.

IMHO i cant blame Potter for what has gone on this year.

People just need to lay off and see what losing a few more games is like. Christ Saints fans dont half annoy me sometimes.

No one minds losing. It's the level and style of the performances that has got everyone miffed. If we'd played a good style of rugby this year and come up just short in the Semi Final because of injuries, it wouldn't be too bad.

Instead we've limped along all season with no enthusiasm, no spark, no inventiveness, no cohesiveness, no spirit and with the most awful, bland style of play. It's like he's ripped the soul out of the club and turned us into a poor version of Bradford.

We've got everyone fit now and have for the last few weeks. It's been a good while since we've had a few missing. Yet we've not scored more than 20 points in a game in an age. The attacking side of things is a mess and if you look at Long's comments in the papers you can see why.

If we lose to Wigan on Saturday Potter will deserve the stick he is going to get.

Can't argue with that, really. A monkey could coach the style of rugby we have played for the most part this year.

Potter's position is secure and safe. McManus isn't a knee-jerker.

But why is it safe and secure? Because he's got a long and expensive contract and we can't afford to release him from it?

Or because he's actually doing a good job?

I'm not going to slag potter off as I think he's had tough hard season with injurys and a pretty thin squad.

I would agree at times this year we have been shockingly poor and very boring to watch but don't forget he's had 2 hard acts to follow in millward and DA.

I can't think of to many times DA had ashurst, lomax, eastmond, dixon playing regular. In fact vinnie Anderson and fozzard didn't make the 17 in a few finals.

I'm still not sure on potter but he's done ok so far by coming 2nd and 80 mins away from grand final.

IMO DA is best coach saints have had for many years but his 1st year wasn't so hot. I do however think we would have beat hudds in the semis because DA would have changed our game plan with hudds defence closing us in outwide.

Lets give potter some more time before calling for his head.

If you're talking about 2005, he only had half a year. However, he still managed to coach us to top spot, so came away with silverware. If you're talking about his first full season, that was 2006 and no coach will beat that year.

I know DA didn't have full season in 2005 and injurys cost us that year also.

Millward won it in his 1st season which wasn't a full season in charge but that don't make him a better coach than DA.

All I'm saying is Potters doing the best he can with what he's got.

Yet he couldn't coach the team through two home matches in the play offs having lost one key player...