No it isn't. They didn't gel on Friday but then they have crucial players who are new to the team so it's likely they will need a few matches to get into their rhythm. Our lot have had plenty of chance to get into their rhythm but alas they don't seem to have one other than slow, dropping ball, falling off tackle and failing to score try. Pretty much the same rhythm as much of last season only we've added the extra beat of falling off tackle.

I'll be surprised if we do, unless we see a very, very dramatic improvement in all areas of our performance.

I'm sure you will come good! We(Leeds) have hardley set the comp on fire so far!

It wasn't a dig, it was the truth. Critics seem to be expecting a lot from Bradford this season, but I can't see the potential.



Where did Bradford finish last season? They sign a star (but aging) halfback, a decent hooker (when they already had one) and a stand off that hasn't played for a year due to injury, and all of a sudden they are a top side?

If all those players are out I would go with

wellens
lomax
gidley
pryce
meli
wheeler
Moore
puletua
Cunningham
fozzard
clough
flannery
wilkin

roby
frodsham
Hargreaves
ashurst

Nice to see the return of Meli, back in the UK since thursday last I beileve.

i'm pretty much sure that we have more forwards??

But your point wasn't that poor conditioning by the conditioner leads to injuries, it was:



Which, even for you, is daft.

Should James Graham not be smashing into their huge blokes? He's our go to prop for heavens sake.

Sia twisted his ankle. And he's enormous. Hardly Potter's fault for telling him to "smash into those huge blokes" - that's precisely his game.

Gardner's injury was an accident and was him defending out wide, not "smashing into huge blokes".

Eastmond hurt himself kicking the ball.

Potter can be blamed for a number of things, but when you start blaming him for those sorts of injuries you've lost all sense of perspective.

Then again, I think most people lost their sense of perspective a long time ago. You'd think we always started the season like a house on fire.

Here is what I said:

[iPotter is clueless. Making our guys smash into those huge blokes was suicidal and we're now going to pay the price.

I do wish he would realise we are not the Dragons. We are not big beefy blokes. We need to avoid big beefy blokes.[/i

Now, that's what I said in context, rather than in terms of your personal agenda.

You don't barge up the middle time and time again when you have a squad of the size Saints have. There are not enough big blokes in it to do that. It's bad planning, bad coaching. If you choose not to see that or you are too clueless to see that then that is not my problem but yours. And I seriously don't care what you think of me.

Incidentally, I saw Ade's injury happen. It wasn't an accident; it was a direct result of the tackle. He's not a prop and shouldn't be used as one.


Whereas some people have their own head so far up their own backsides that they can no longer see the truth for crap. Clearly you read no posts. This isn't about winning our first game of the season. It's about seeing the same old rubbish being played by our guys that was played in the final third to a half of last season. Nothing has changed and he's had a long off season with most of the players but still they can't attack - and in fact on Friday night they couldn't defend either.

If they turn out against Bradford and play stunning rugby league, win or lose, then I'll happily stop calling for his head and wait for another few games (to see if it is a reaction from the players rather than a sudden upswing in his coaching abilities). If the sound, attacking rugby league that I know we can play returns I will happily back track. However, until that happens, should it ever do under Potter, then I will quite happily join the growing number of people expressing their displeasure at his influence on the team I support.

I have no "agenda". My only "agenda" in making my post was to question blaming Potter for players picking up injuries as if in RL you can somehow avoid taking on bigger opposition.



The injuries weren't picked up doing that.



I do like how taking a coaching badge has suddenly made you the oracle and able to bandy around insults like "clueless", "idiot" etc. Hopefully that's not how you coach.



He was tackling out in the channels, not being used as a prop. In what way do you think he was being used as a prop out of interest?



Again, hopefully you don't speak to your young players like you speak to me.



I don't particularly disagree, as I say my point is that Potter is not to blame for us picking up injuries on Saturday any more than Anderson was to blame for players dropping like flies in his first season en route to missing out on the GF from 1st.



Good stuff, and I will quite happily defend Potter when the accusations are about things beyond his control (such as the injuries on Saturday).

We looked rusty. We were always going to as we didn't have the quality of run out that Hull did against KR. Injuries didn't help - we started the game very well before we needed to start re-jigging.

We're not in the abysmal shape the over-reaction on this board would suggest. Our last competitive game before last night was the Grand Final (which we almost won) and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see us muller the Bulls next week to kickstart our season.

Right. Fiar enough. But who are the only decent four players?

Orford, Lynch, L'estrange, Menzies and (depending on his injury recovery, which remains to be seen) Kearney, all the others are distinctly average, hence their league position last year.

Gardener is out for 4-6 weeks .

From the Horses Mouth .

Good chance to see what Lomax can do, can't say I'm gutted.

He isnt going to be any worse, and hell, who knows might even try to take someone on the outside?!

You are being obtuse so I'm not going to respond to you.

sorry to be picky, but you kinda did respond

He did a great job of that last season at KR. Didn't you see him? When I saw him do it I commented to the peeps I stand with that that was the first time I'd seen a player in a red vee take opposition on the outside for I couldn't remember how long. He scored a try from it as well.

I'd love to see more of Lomax on the wing. While that might not be his chosen position or his best, he looked good there last season and with Gardner's absence he should get a shot at it. Meanwhile, I'd like to see Wheeler partnered with Eastmond or at the very least given a shot at centre with Soliola (if he's not out injured) put in the second row and Tony P moved to prop.

I responded to them, but not their post.

I do remember ,it was almost a shock, i thought it had been banned! Hopefully it will prove hard for Ade to get back into the team.

Meh, no surprise. Although must admit to being a bit disappointed not to hear how Potter contributed to Gardner's injury by playing him like a prop - thought I might learn something from a coach.

You love me, don't you? That's why you can't resist replying to my posts.

Gardner out for upto 6 weeks

Soliola out for 2-3 weeks

Graham passed fit

Meli will play v's Bradfud

could have been alot worse

Scruton, L'Estrange & Hall?

You don't get to be a SL or NRL GF winner and a WCC winner without having something going for you.

Plus you named 5 above, even if one was conditional.