It's amazing what Saints can do when they hold on to the ball and when they have an experienced halfback on the field.

Agreed about the sliding defence on our right. Shenton was poor defensively tonight. Hopefully that can be fixed up as it is a glaring defensive weakness.

Can't agree with that with mike bennett rambling on incoherently. At least ray has an exuce being 145 years old.

Thought our right side of defence was terrible all night - every time they attacked down that side they loaded up with 2 extra players (don't know why we didn't see that?) and looked like they could score at will.
Fortunately their comedy goal kicking kept us in front.
Gaskell, shenton, wilkin, sia and to a lesser extent makinson missed a lot of tackles. The huge Cats definately targeted poor old gaskell.

On the plus side when scotty moore came on in the first half, he steadied the ship - he's a must for LF. And when pryce replacing gaskell, not only did he spice up the attack, he also organised the right hand defence better.

Made up with the three points but thought the scoreline flattered us somewhat as we ran away with it in the last 10 mins.
(I had already posted this on the wrong thread)

They never scored once Pryce was on the pitch chair maker. Price was just entering the field.

I hate knocking our youngsters but Gaskell is getting steam rolled. It's not poor defence reading, people are running over the top of him. If you can't defend you shouldn't be in the team. Having said that his general kicking is fantastic!

Didn't me and dux tell you that shenton has a problem in defence?

This is the first game this season were we have had first choice half backs available for longer than 5 mins. Saints have never ever had the opportunity all this season to get there first choice 17 into the game. Nearly every match we have had a minimum of 4 players out up to the maximum of 11 players out when it reached crisis point. I,m sure if the likes of Wigan, Wire and Giants went through the same scenario the league table would look a bit different than what it is today.
Catalans are still a very good team However and the teams above them know it.

But you were wrong on those occasions. He reminded me of his performance away against Hull last night. Let's hope it's just a one off and he can tighten up, especially his goal line defence. But there were quite a few missed tackles one on one last night from a number of people.

Wigan and hudds targeted shenton. His one on one defence at times is poor.

Can't really comment on this game not being at the game. But that side of defence has been suspect in games all year. There have been more than one or 2 occasions where Gaskell and Gardner have had to make last minute tackles to save tries.

With Makinson and Gaskell both out there I think it's obvious that sides will target this side, but I would not say Shenton is totally free from blame. I know he has come in from outside and people are loathed to be critical of him, as he is supposed to be our new strike centre. But if I recall correctly didn't the exiles target that wing position in the mid-season game too. So sure Gaskell and Makinson need to take their share of responsibility, but if you are left 2 on 3 or 1 on 2, the fault lies else where inside you. It's not critical, it's just something Royce will have to adjust. Lets face it we all thought with melis defencive frailties from previous years on the wing, that his position would be the target for attacking play. But he seams 100% more comfortable 1 man in, not having to make those decision to stay or go on the wing.

He has given Foster some great ball, and Foster himself has shown he is no slouch, so can we give the kids a break saying that he will not make it as a SL winger. For mine he has made it and will continue to do so. i can name several wingers that have played for Saints that he is better than and he deservse his shirt not just for his kicking game.

I think we can expect a similar set up next week in the halves with maybe Pryce coming on just after the half time interval. Easy easing into the game to get his fitness up.

The defensive problems on that side stemmed from Gaskell, no doubt. However, once they started to target that area, the whole side seemed to panic and start making a hash of things. When pryce came on, we were still a little shakey, but scrabled to shore things up.

Shenton on many occasions this year has been all hands and no shoulders so in other words he's grabbing.

I was suprised how easily he's dropped off a couple, but positionally he's been fine. Last night however, the whole left side looked like a car crash.

Thought they did. Must be my mind playing tricks. I certainly remember us getting stretched down that side even with Pryce in the line.

Either way it hasnt mattered who has defended at second man out on that side, we have been exposed, and as someone else pointed out, the exiles targeted Shentons side in that game, this was under a different coach with experienced class players around him.

It don't matter if he's fine positionally if he's just grabbing and missing tackles.

I don't suggest he's perfect, but I don't think the problems on that side stem from him. Obviously him missing tackles won't help.

pryce defended on the right last night for about two set six which in one makinson put the catalan player in touch which stopped a try after that lomax was moved over to the right

I had a kid in the u10s I coach who was missing tackle after tackle thru grabbing. One game he made one tackle and missed 21 tackles all thru grabbing. Every week we had the bags out with him but he just could take in that he needs to use his shoulder, the lads dad was going off his head at him.

One week I told him I'll cut them hands off if he didn't stop grabbing and sure enough next tackle he was straight in with his shoulder! Now he's one of my best players in defence.

Maybe royce should tell shenton he'll cut his hands off if he continues to grab

There's a couple of other things I'd like to mention about last night's game.

I thought Flanders played well.
Did any one notice the return of the Big Red Side Step? It was a tactic he used alot in his first couple of seasons to great effect. Haven't seen it for a while, but it helps him get on the front front and bamboozle defences. It also tend to win a coupl eof pens from high shots from lazy armed props.
Pat on the back for Meli, who continues to play well in the centre. He's had plenty of jip from fans over the year, but you can deny his success in the position. Came up with a real bell ringer at one point, as well.

A day to scrath off for Wilkin though, Menzies seemed on a mission to terrorise him.

Menzies is the form player in super league at the moment. He's a credit to the game and the perfect example to kids.

Wilkin didn't look himself from the outset. He was one of the players with a question mark over him from last week and I suspect he was playing injured, like Meli (who looked very like having a hamstring problem again at the back end of the game). Wilko took a particularly heavy hit at one point and I think that finished him off. He didn't return after being replaced by Moore did he?

I think you might be right. Something must have been a miss as he's normally one of our top defenders.
He took two heavy tackles off m2nzies in a row (his hat came off in both) before he missed two tackles on the same guy.

Everyone has an off day, now and again.

Yes I also saw that when he was taken off his legs and landed on his harris/back. It seemed to shake him up a bit.

right side surely?

My left

Was just watching the tries back on SLTV.

Of the three that they scored down that side.

1. Shenton started the play at Marker following a made tackle. LMS was 3rd man in side Gaskell, who was beaten for the try.
2. Shenton was 2nd man into the tackle, but it was too soft and they got an offload.
3. From the scrum base, Makinson was too busy watching Menzies (who was Gaskell's man) to see Greenshields run.

Obviously its not just the plays tries are scored on where there's poor defence, but the above isn't so damning on any one player. Perhaps its just case where no one player is bossing that side, but Shents [iis[/i guilty of grabbing on occasion, as Pete points out.

I'd also like to say that for a couple of tries scored on our left (Meli and Foster, 1st half), earlier in the set Shenton threatens on the right, which helps to draw the defence over to one side. His try was also sublime rugby.