Yep.

But it was always going to be that way. Installing an interim coach into a squad that needs major surgery is never going to work. Solidity and ship steadying were no doubt the remit given, and I'd say they've achieved that. Had we played better against Wigan things would look a lot more rosy.

We should have asked Huddersfield to release Brown. Their succession plan is already in place and biding it's time to take over, so us taking him now wouldn't have been too major an issue. It would give him the time needed to make the structural changes we need for next season and to begin the process of change. Instead we're very likely to have a really rough period at the start of next season as those changes happen, likely ruining another campaign before it's really even started.

Absolutely. Waiting a full season for a coach is fraught with danger. Whose to say Brown's stock won't collapse (like Justin Morgan or even Iain Millward) between now and then? We'd look pretty silly awaiting a coach no-one wants come the start of the year.

What if players start piling up bad habits (as they appear to be) under Rush? Brown could be forced to spend half his first season ironing them out.

What if some outstanding candidate suddenly becomes available next week? Again, we'd be the laughing stock shackled to Brown whilst some big fish slips away and into the hands of our rivals.

Although Nathan Brown is a good coach, i think [usome[/u of the Saints fans are expecting the world back at thier feet with him. Huddersfield look un easy after loosing three on the trot. And i do not believe Brown will do much better than Rush with the current team you have.

It's going to be a tough few years before your come out of this current stage your going through. But it's a vital stage that you must carry out. Just like what happened to warriors before brian noble come along. Replacing the old experienced ones is a tough job!

This season was over the instant the players decided that they'd throw their weight around, get rid of the guy they didn't like and get a couple of their mates put in to run the show for the rest of the season instead. As out of his depth as he may have been, Simmons was clearly a lot more up to the task than Rush is now being shown up as being. If the players had just shut it and got on with the job they were paid for and acted in the best interests of the club and not their own and rode out the Simmons train for the rest of the season (galling though that may have been) then we might still have been in the fight this season. Once Simmons was forced out 1/4 of the way into the season with no permanent successor ever likely to be available until the end of the year we were always doomed to a season long trudge towards the end of the playoffs with no prospects beyond best-possible-situation damage limitation.

Yeah, Simmmons was on fire when we went 5 without a win, culminating in that "performance" against Bradford.

Clearly a better record than only losing to SL's table toppers, beating everyone else including the reigning SL champs comfortably twice and the reigning league leaders shield holders comfortably once.

Memories in sport are very short.

Yes, because those performances would have had nothing at all to do with the players wanting to force Simmons out, would they?



Simmons was ****, but he got that same set of players (when they were putting in some effort for him) to (a couple of unlucky injuries excepted) a G/F win just half a dozen games previously. There's no reason we couldn't have been in the same position with him around again this season. With the current incumbents there's more chance of Englebert Humperdink winning at O/T now...

so you agree they wouldn't have happened under Simmons, good good.



Eh? He got us a GF win in the same way Mick Potter did. By which I mean, he didn't. As for same set of players, Graham was worth two props and was the heartbeat of our team.

Oh tut, tut.. Very poor....

Not sure where to post this and it doesn't merit a thread of its own but just wanted to give 'special mention' to Wilkin who was utterly pathetic once again.

His apology to Mossop after catching him with a high tackle was a particular high point. You could smell the brown stuff through the TV screen. A poodle playing amongst pitbulls.

If you go back about two years worth of threads you will find a thread with the title wilkin that I set up and was basically stating the same thing.

Since 2006 he's been rubbish with the exception of one good season last year. I don't care what people say or which coach they try to blame for ruining him but the simple fact is, he's just not good enough.

The 4 year deal we've give him is another showing of our totally shocking recruitment and contract renewals.

They are, yes. Simmons took us to a Grand Final last season and that with a host of young players he had to blood on the way.

Potter also got us to two grand finals and two challenge cup semi finals in his twos years at the club with horrific injuries.

Unlike under Potter though (and indeed Anderson, against Leeeds) we were actually in a good winning position in the second half but sadly had to rely upon Meli and Soliola to defend our tryline. Yesterday we were reminded of what sterling defenders those two are, especially in big games when we are having to rely upon them.

I'm glad someone else picked up on this. There's no bloody fire in our team, we're too nice. At least Magennis had a bit of a go even if he did end up on his backside.

Deleted as I thought you said finals!

As for the rest of your post, Simmons got us to a CC semi final last year AND a Grand Final. He didn't have the chance this year but strangely enough we were kicked out at quarter final stage.

Magennis was an idiot and he deserves what he gets.

LMS is the one I reckon you should be praising. He niggled Hock in the scrum but didn't retaliate. And then he went on to score a try. THAT was 'having a bit of a go' but doing it properly, engaging the brain first.

Read my post! I put two SEMI finals.

It's not tosh, it's fact!

Duh

Yes, well, like I said in my amended post, Simmons took us to a CC semi last year too and to a Grand Final. You can hardly hold it against him that he didn't do that this year given that he was sacked!

You thought Wheeler looked bad in defence? Did you see how bad Turner was in defence; several times worse!

Didn't see that game.

I was watching the hudds game at magic sunday and hudds right centre was ripped to shreds!

Any idea who he was?

One of the big problems I have with Wheeler is the way he seems to give up chasing defenders once they are past him. On a couple of occasions he could have got back to at least hamper Wigan breaks had he simply kept his foot on the pedal.

I noticed him shooting out of the line a number of times.