It is much too early to say whether the Problem is actually with Potter at all.

With all the players fit Saints still are a superb side who are more than capable of winning Super League. Yes there are still weaknesses, the main ones being a general lack of pace in the threequarters and a tactical reliance on a quick Play The Ball. The facts are though, that despite the flaws we still have a champion side.

The main problems this year are injuries, adapting to a slower play the ball and the competition creeping closer whilst we are in transition.

The squad is thin, and a few injuries in the wrong areas of the squad really hurts us. This isn't a problem unique to Saints.

The heartbeat of our side is reliant on a fit Cunningham and Long. Take one or both out of the team and we struggle. Take 2 or 3 props out and we struggle. Take Gidly out the team and we struggle.

However saying that, in the last few games we have underperformed based on who we had in the 17. The biggest disapointment for me has been the lack of organisation and our choice of tactics. I am not sure Potter has worked out how to play without Long in the squad. It looks like nobody has taken on the responsibility of organising the team, and choosing what to do on the last tackle etc. Either Pryce injects himself in, or the team looks like a bunch of headless chickens. The scrum half, usually Eastmond, looks like he has either not taking the responsibility of stamping his mark or Potter has chosen to share the responsibilites amongst the other senior players. Whatever the tactics, they aren't working.

Despite all this, it will no longer be a problem (this season) if Long comes back soon.

Also we have been found out prior to the play offs and now we not only have time to improve and bounce back but also have a week off.

The future this season is rosey, but our success looks like it will be based on keeping our main players fit, and having a full set of props to choose from.

Potter will be better judged at the end of the season, but his real challenge will be next year when the transition is well and truly on.

I'd go with that

Not yet we don't. We have to lose to Huddersfield again first.

exactermundo, no need to panic

We will beat the giants next week.

We will be on the end of cricket score at Leeds.

We will beat Catalan.

So is losing 7 games in a more level super league that bad?

not bad at all, if we get to 40 points i'll be happy with the regular season

Losing seven games isn't great whatever way you try and pretty it up.

But I have to say to me it's our poor recruitment that is the main problem with our season.

I still say players have gone and not been replaced and we are relying too much on bringing players through. As we have seen, young players haven't the strength to play enough games so we have suffered with lots of injuries to them also.

It is obvious Props take several years to mature Jammer had great props around him when he was 'learning' and no we haven't got great props how are we expected to bring them through.

Tony P is not a prop and was the wrong player in my opinion I don't like him and don't think he adds enough. We need a true top class Prop and that's what we've needed and missed this season.

Add that with our obvious lack of pace in the backs and they are our blatantly obvious weaknesses.

I think we have been losing 5 or 6 a season under DA but with super league a more level playing field.

Not bad going but it's the way we been playing that's the problem

we lost 4 in 2006 when we were massively dominant, 7 lost games is not a bad result, wigan would kill for that

Lost 7 so far

Get Wilkin at stand-off again. He kicked Leeds to death in the CC earlier this season. Opened up a new dynamic of his game, and solved a perennial problem which has come to the fore in the last few weeks; organisation.

no thanks

Wish i felt the same way...in all honesty i think you will relish the week off and it will be a corking game at Headingley which will decide the LL.

Yeah, it's a bit early to look at the Leeds game and write it off. We could have a full strength team by then? The week off will be much needed IMO.

There are a few problems however the biggest has been the fact that our team has changed each and every week because of injuries to key players. I believe that so far this year we have managed to put our first choice starting 13 out twice. Compare that to Leeds Wigan et al and we begin to see the issue.

Add to this the fact that the clubs recruitment policy for props has been awful (we never replaced baloo or fozzy) and it is obvious that teams will make hay up the middle of the park.

Finally add in the fact that we have had KC out then Roby out then KC again and its hardly suprising nobody knows whats going on.

We need some players back - although they didn't look that full of confidence today - we need time and we don't have it.

Except when we've played Leeds in recent times having had a week off, we've lost.




That wasn't the case in the early part of the season, but Potter still changed the line up virtually every match.

Not sure about that at all, you will have had your first week off before which will do you wonders and this season you've really had the measure of us. Total 50-50 game for me

The problem with Mick Potter isn't a major issue. Granted he isn't a good coach and he has little idea of what to do with Saints at the moment and we'd be in a far better position with DA at the helm as he had a go at least in preparing for the opposition and playing to suit.

BUT Mick Potter could be replaced with Wayne Bennett and we'd still struggle. I feel sorry for Potter big time. He has a squad made up of players about to retire and untried young players, many of whom won't make the grade in SL. He has very few senior players to work with and any more than 1 or 2 injuries is an almost guaranteed defeat because the squad is so thin.

The problems we've got have been caused by the board putting all their eggs in the youth/saving money because we're in financial trouble basket. We've not replaced the departing senior players adequately for years and we've been weakening the squad for 3 or 4 years now. Even if you are successful you need to sign players to keep the age of the players varied. You can't have all your key players retiring at the same time. We didn't cope with that factor sufficiently.

The young players in the squad aren't good stromg to keep us a top side. Wheeler and Eastmond (Who can't cope with SL physically) might but the rest are unlikely to be anything special. Having said that if there were brought through in a more responsible manner they might do better. With youth players you bring one or two through and give them time amongst senior player to learn and develop. Ours are being thrown in left right and centre and when you have 5 or 6 rookies in the 17 they can't cope and suffer from the experience rather than developing.

It's not all doom and gloom but our days as a trophy winning side are over for the foreseeable future. Sport is cyclical to a degree but we've not coped well enough over the last few seasons. The transfer policy and squad building has been poor.

I'm not a Potter fan but i'm willing to give him time. His tactics are my issue, we play 5 drives and a kick rugby all game and try nothing new. Fine tactics if we have enough firepower, but he seems to have no plan B. His substitutions likewise are too rigid and he doesn't adapt to the game.

That said i wouldn't be suprised if we didn't win again this year. Any team without Long, Cunningham, Cayless, Wellens injured (did he have the op?) amongst others and Pryce (MIA) would struggle.

... That you're not winning all the time and you scouse fans can't hack it .....

If Saints play 5 drives and a kick style rugby, why did the ball end up hitting the ground behind the players about half a dozen times in the first half? If fact i think you'll find that it was Leon doing just that that allowed HullKR in on 39 minutes and 50 seconds. The problem from where i was sitting today was we went side to side to side to side - that behind the play ball that Paul Cullen pointed out. Unfortunately there was no player in position repeatedly to take the ball. I'd have been grateful for 5 drives, at least we wouldn't have kept gifting possession to Hull. That is the tactic that Mick Potter needs to change IMO. We need to earn the right to go out wide, only after we've made the forward yards - and that just didn't happen today, which is where Potter deserves criticism.

Problems are

Potter is a poor coach and can not motivate
the young players are vastly over rated/not ready for SL
we can not compete financially with the likes of Leeds,Warrington

apart from that everything's fine!!

Didn't against Wakefield at home though...

I think you,ve got to give Mick Potter a bit of slack this season for many reasons.

1) He,s took on a team that is in decline and entering a transition season, McRae, Hanley, Millward, Anderson had fantastic players to work with.

2) Most of this season we,ve operated with a shortage of two props and never really replaced Fozzard.

3) Most of our injuries have been in key positions.

4) The game has changed from open skilful rugby to a kick and chase style which Saints haven,t adapted to.

5) We,ve played most of the season without a left centre and at times we,ve had too many young players in the one match.

6) Referees have slowed down the game which has probably effected saints the most, as our game plan is fast play the balls for momentum.

Most of the above points are generally out of Mick Potters control, its up to the team to find a new winning formula and for the supporters to get behind the team win or lose.