He's hardly done a bad job has he? 2nd last year, 2nd this year (3rd at worse), two Challenge Cup Semi Finals and a Grand Final. We've had our ups and downs with Potter, but the positives outweigh the negatives.

I don't look at it like that, as I've said a squillion times before on here. I look at how we are playing; that's my judge of what a coach is about. Getting silverware and a good place in the league can be about the competition as well as the team's performance.

If a judgment is made according to your yardstick - and there's nothing wrong with it - we slipped down to second last season; we didn't achieve it. We lost five of our last eight matches. Semi finals, third/second place ... no-one remembers the runners up, or have you forgotten the days of Wigan domination?



I think it's interesting how some people's expectations and standards have slipped over the last two seasons. Many fans are now really happy when we just get a win. Potter's had a very positive impact!

I think you've got to consider the playing staff available to both Anderson and Potter. Anderson had far better squads to work with and he had the likes of Wellens, Long and Cunningham at their peak along with Jamie Lyon and a slightly younger Matt Gidley.

I think you've also got to bear in mind the improvements Leeds, Wigan and Warrington have shown too. The competition at the top is stronger now.

I think overall he's done a good job. Sure he's not been as successful as Anderson, but not many have.

i drove past a billboard with this poster on today on the M62 around leeds, bit naughty if you ask me

I don't think Anderson had Wello, Long or Cunningham at their peek! Except maybe in the 2006 season, and I'm not comparing us now to the 2006 season. We won't see that kind of team or success again possibly for a generation. People on here, including I think yourself, were saying at the back end of Anderson's time that we were an ageing squad, etc, etc. We aren't now! I think our squad competes with Wigan, Wire and Leeds, and that is including our young guys who, with the exception of Gaskell, Armstrong and Dean, have stood up extremely well at first grade. A good coach will bring out the best of any squad of players and I think our players are better than what we have seen in terms of performance this season. They aren't the 2006 squad - no team in SL have that team - but they are significantly better than I think you are giving them credit for and certainly better than, say, the first half at Wrexham suggested!


Leeds have not improved. They have looked jaded this season. Sure, they are still competitive and will (unfortunately) probably win the Challenge Cup. But they are not the team they were even last year, and last year they were showing cracks. Warrington and Wigan - well, they've had new coaches! They are both pretty much the same teams as they were under Cullen and Noble, yet their new coaches have brought them on to new levels. Unlike ours.


Well, we'll have to disagree on that one. When I see their ball retention and overall discipline on the field; when I see their poor defence; their poor motivation and/or endurance levels; their lack of coordination in attack (even now, after all those rounds, when the players must be used to shifting places given the amount of practice they have had) ... I just cannot agree.

And I don't think Potter has ever really been at Saints, which is why I'm not at all surprised to see him agreeing to have his photo on the flyer of a rival club. He couldn't be bothered doing that kind of thing at Saints, could he? Couldn't even communicate with the fans. Or smile. Or anything really.

I'll be glad to see him go.

So do i!

Potter will never win with certain saints fans

Translation: "Some Saints fans will never agree with me!"

Spot on!

I can agree with certain parts. I do think there are areas that Potter has let our standards slip, in particular our discipline and defence at times hasn't been great and his ability to motivate the players for the smaller games has been evidently poor at times.

But, offensively we've shown some great signs this year, our ability to win and compete in the big games is still strong and we are 2nd in the league. The team spirit seems pretty good and we're in great shape for the future because the young guns have been developed exceptionally well.

I think considering he's only been able to bring in two players - Fozzard and Soliola - and work with a squad of players that has consisted of young players (alot making their debuts) and key players past their peak, he;'s managed it quite well. Whether Simmons can do better we'll see.

I think simmons will see the benefit of potters good work with the young lads.

I think he's also got roby playing the best rugby he's played.

I think its often overlooked how consistent a team Anderson had, not in terms of how they played but of how they all, for the most part, stayed fit and healthy as a group with only few occasions when more than one player was out injured for a sustained period.

As Pete mentioned this is evidenced in us having a squad so strong that we could afford to choose who was left out for the major finals instead of worrying about who would be available or which of the academy kids we would have too throw in at the deep end.

This inconsistency in team selection has been an incredible hindrance at times this year and cannot be overlooked as a major factor in us dropping as many points as we have this season and similarly why we have conceded some frankly awful tries, and yet despite that, we have still managed to achieve a semi-final and potential 2nd placed finish for the 2nd year in a row even though we were once again written off by many parties.

Don't try and bring reasoning to this party.

He's just crap. End of.

In fact, once Graham had come through, he used to rotate 1 prop every match to rest them. No such luxury for potter. Mind you, if the injuries we've suffered are due to lack of conditioning as opposed to bad luck, then that [iis[/i something that needs to be addressed in terms of our staffing before next season.

As for Squad strength? No contest, in 2006 we had Lyon and Talau in the centres as well as Baloo, (a fit) Cayless, (a younger) Fozzard, (a fit and in form) Faasavalu and a raw talent in Graham up front. In terms of strength on paper, they'd chew the 2010 team up and spit them out. Long was probably at his career best at that point as well.

St Helens currently sit second in SL, not helped by consistently having to change the team and missing key personell for large parts of the season. Including the main playmaker. St Helens were also a whisker away from Wembley, even playing the whole game with no recognised halfbacks.

yet people are still quick to have a pop at Potter.

These people who do not rate Potter and who cant see what hes done with Saints are quite simply, clueless and dont warrant an opinion. Go and watch NL1 instead plzkthx. You are wasted on SL

Next time you see one of the youngsters, who have played a lot of games under Potter this season, ask them what they think of Potter and I guarantee you they will have nothing but praise for him

Agree we are not as defensively sound, but we are not the only team to leak alot of points so this may be down to a shift in focus across the league?

Discipline is an odd one as in 2006 we were not afraid to give penalties away and I would guess probably conceded more than we have this season? We are 3rd in the fairplay league well ahead of the likes of Wire, Wigand and Leeds. To say Potter has brought indiscipline is not necessarily true. Catalan are still rock bottom of the table in that respect and would suggest it is their agressive style of play rather than coaching style that has them in that position?

I don't think its the coach's job to organise the publicity photos.

I don't particulary remeber Anderson being an emotional coach. Quite the opposite, in fact (except for the half time rant at OT).
He did wear those sunglasses well, though....

If you listen to stories from the club, apparently Millward wouldn't even give the young players the time of day until they were playing 1st team.

A Wigan fan, no less!

I think what has been forgotten a little bit on this thread is that people are allowed to dislike a coach without being treated as disloyal or viewed as a traitor to the club / team..

Like I said earlier; you can have a boss at work you that perhaps can't stand because of his/her methods but he/she might be a relatively successful guy/gal who a lot of your colleagues think is doing a decent job - I don't see the inconsistancy in that sort of position. In fact its a bit more refrshing than blind loyalty that accepts no critics point of view.

You're probably right. Following the Salford game if it wasn't for Potter then Ste Tyrer 2008 = Jamie Foster 2010

I think if you dip into the post now it may like the opinion is one way or the other, but most posters actually sit somewhere in the middle. The current vibe has developed however, as some posters have felt the need to defend Potter against a small number of posters who give him no credit what so ever and hinge their dislike of him on him not waving his arms enough.

For instance, this time last year we looked quite disorganised in attack and often found ourselves floundering on the last tackle. At his point I ws wondering where we were going, but we dragged ourselves to the grand final and very almost won it. This year, we've relied heavily on kids to bolster the team, and we've made our way to 2nd, scoring more points than any other team. I don't particulary fancy us to win it, but I've far from ruled it out. I think, given the squad we've got and the injuries we've suffered, we've done very well this year.

Oh no you're not! On top of being a traitor, people with my view are stupid, knee-jerkers, don't know the game at all, anti-Potter, etc, etc.

I'm happy to see him go and I'm far, far from being alone in this view. I may be in the minority on here, but I'm not when on the terraces. No-one that I know of has come by their stance overnight. They have simply become convinced over time, as I have.

But I am convinced and, as I say, I'm happy to see him go. Even more so since he's taken to visiting the Bulls. That's an unprofessional attitude. But I'm not surprised by it.

I think if potter had stayed he would have put us back on top again, he's dome a awesome job this year imho with no centres, sometimes no halfbacks or only one halfback and a very very young backrow.

I just hope potter wins the grand final as he don't deserve to be the only saints coach in the super league era to win nothing.

One things for sure, he leaves us with a great platform to build on with the way he's brought some young lads thru.

The ones who are convinced along with you are probably tired of giving their opinion on anything and having you disagree till your blue in the face



Whilst I respect your opinion, on what grounds are you convinced? I don't know anyone personally or on the terraces who are convinced he should go, in fact quite a few were unhappy he wasn't kept on (especially after the less than big reputation replacement), its only on the internet there seems to be a significant anti potter presence and its more to do with personality than anything else.

Disliking a coaches personality is one thing but those refusing to give them praise or credit for what they have helped the club to achieve despite what they had to deal with is a slightly different thing... would you even congratulate him for helping us win the league?? (Apart from packing his bags for him?).

He has certainly done an incredible job getting us to 2nd with so many injuries and so many youngsters having to sink or swim and done so scoring more tries and points than any other team.

Like him or not, given the transitional period he's overseen we are coming out of it very very well for the future.