[url=http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/1010It looks like Royce has been sorting out the lads this week![/url

Hopefully it will all make a difference and we will be seriously up for the match. Preferably win it, but I'm not getting carried away ...

He knew how Wigan played before that match, but still used the same tactics. I still think the bench was weak, with Moore, Perry and Cloughy back we'd be a different proposition.
This week however I can't see past a very hard time of it, a win is very possible, but certainly not expected

The tactics weren't the problem though. Ball control and attitude were. With fourteen unforced errors and 400 tackles made as a result, we were never going to win. The coach can do nothing about the players dropping the ball except slog away with them on the training pitch and by reinforcing the message to take better care of the ball.

Our bench should look better this week as we have Perry and Moore back again.

The team's attitude when it takes to the pitch is 100% the remit of the coach.

Hopefully they'll come out a bit more fired up this Friday.

So is ball control. No coach will coach to drop the ball. I doubt Simmons said to the lads 'Be soft, lads. Take the fire out of your belly' beforehand! He said in an article prior to the Wigan game that the fact it was a derby was enough to fire them up. Turns out that was an incorrect call. But we all expected them to be fired up and I'm sure he did too. So he's given them a hard time this week and he probably won't assume a derby match is enough next time out. I would suggest he got to know his charges a bit better as a result of Friday night.

Magennis shouldn't play. He's terrible.

Can't say I agree with that at all. We're talking about a young forward with about 20 first team appearances to his name, mostly small minutes as a sub. He's got potential IMO and whilst we're down on players he's the best bet from the young lads.

He has a terrible habit of dropping the ball in places where you least want anyone to drop the ball but other than that I don't understand why you think he's 'terrible'?

I don't rate him. He's gets dominated both in attack and defence and drops a lot of ball, not what we need against the other top teams. He was shocking against Wigan. I felt they targetted him and when Simmons took him off, i'm sure he didn't return, so assuming he must have felt the same.

agreed-very average.In the mould of Ashurst and Dixon in that respect

Magennis is better than Ashurst and Dixon IMO. He's got all the ingrediants there to be an absolutely belting prop forward. BUT IMO it's too early in his development for him. He will be targeted and smashed and won't benefit from it. This season, ideally, he wouldn't have been able to get in our 17 apart from cup games and would have been out on a dual reg contract for a season or two so he can learn the game and develop physically in a less demanding environment.

Magennis has played 15 games this season I reckon. Compared with Clough on 6 and Perry on 9. Too early in his career and too soon after such a serious injury IMO.

Ashurst should be released IMO, he's not up to it. Dixon is fine defensively but will never contribute with the ball.

Having watched all three at 18 and reserves level Dixon is definitely a class above the other 2. He is faster and far more mobile just hasn’t had the opportunity this year to show how good he is. All 3 would benefit from dual registration or out on loan then we would see who has the potential. At the moment all are not showing what they are capable off because they are being rotated and playing far too few minutes to make an assessment.

I rate Ashurst as the best of the 3, but lets face it none of them are likely to be good enough, they certainly aren't at the minute.

go on put makinson up against king on the wing i dare ya! there would be a lot of high kicks to that corner

If what I have read on the Warrington boards is true, then King has been covering Monaghan's position while he is out injured, which is the right wing. Why then would we split up Foster and Meli and move Makinson over? If you are going to post, try thinking about it first.

Makinson would smoke King, just like Tony Stewart did to Wendell Sailor all those years ago.

That about sums it up.

I'm not sure magennis was even considered as a prop at the start of the season. More as a ball playing back rower. The fact that he has been forced to cover at prop and done a reasonable job says a lot for the lad. He's bound to make mistakes when moving to the front row with all the additional workload involved. Hopefully with clough and perry back he will be able to return to the backrow as sub instead of Dixon and ashurst and then compare them

Rumour on RedVee is that Perry is not fit and won't be playing on Friday. Hope it is only a rumour and he is fit to play.

if this is true and we have a bench of eastmond moore dixon and magennis we have no hope too stand any chance tomorrow we need two good props on the bench

He was only 'back in contention'. He was never a certainty. He's just useless.

We don't have much hope anyway!

The same person who initially stated he wasn't going to play tomorow later said that he is going to be on the bench.

Phew!

Let's hope he's not useless then!

Whatever the team is I just hope the put some pride back in the V. We've been so weak this season against the big teams and haven't put up a fight at all. Whenever it's got tough we've looked to each other to do something and folded.

I don't care if we win today, I just want them to give it a shot. Make them bleed, make them earn every one of their points, make them earn every metre. Stand up to them physically and play as a team and show some heart for once.

You should be a motivational speaker, Saddened!