I'm not denying for a minute that defensive line drills aren't vital. But do you believe that all the wrestling training players now do is a waste of time? Do you think Bulldogs keeping Wigan out while the latter was camped on their line was down to luck? Wire nilling Cas ditto.

I think that Bradford especially need to train in the area's that they are deemed weakest and for me that is in their sliding defence. But tackling technique training can do no harm in all fairness I agree, but to be a great defensive side you have to believe you can defend a set of 6 and i don't think Bradford have this mentality.

Exactly mate, most of the people on here are screaming at people for shooting out, when its the others being lazy on the line that are the issue. In a Warrington side 10 players get there backsides off the line, the fullback holds and the 2 markers play the correct system. Platt, Herbert and Elliot are doing right but the others are letting them down by not pushing up to the advantage line and being aggresive.

Well im sorry your Scholarship coach taught you wrong. There is a different technique to be taught depending position. Forwards should be taught 2 high 3rd man then chops legs and rotates round to then join in the line whilst the first two in contact should twist round to 1st and 2nd marker postition. A two man tackle is a lost tackle! Any player at super league standard should be able to push or pull out of contact on a to man tackle

A stiff arm to the jaw obviates the need for all that fannying around I find.

Thank you Chris Burton.

Some interesting comments on the attitudes of some players. We'll see if heads go down to easy this week for sure.

The heads down comment is something I've been saying at the games for weeks. Never was it more obvious than at Salford. Started off both halves very well and looked dangerous until the very first mistake and then suddenly it was like someone had sent an electric shock through the whole team. Not sure I'd ever seen a more obvious case of confidence being killed from just one thing, and it happened in both halves! Since then I've noticed it loads.

I'm not going to suggest it's just a confidence thing as we all know it isn't. But I do firmly believe that confidence is a very big part of why things are so bad at the moment. It's obvious during the games and it's even obvious in the warm ups.

Not had many laughs this year TT, thanks!!

Sorry for dragging this thread up but something needs to be done for the start of the 2012 season.

I would like to know what LSH does at the Club as i thought he was the defensive coach!!!!

This, this is why we lost today in my opinion. And it's bang right, heads down is THE main problem.

Read my opening post in this thread to see what he does.

Has anyone mentioned Scott Naylor, iam sure he is out of work, and would be the perfect defensive coach.

Matt mentioned him back in May and said he would be ideal.

His name keeps cropping up but there's likely a pretty good reason why Naylor's coaching services aren't required by any club in the game.

He was a very good centre defensively, but it doesn't automatically transmit to him being able to coach it.

We seem to have a lot of people in work who arent doing a very good job. Give Naylor a chance, what harm can it do?

Can't remember too many people complimenting Salford's defence at the time he was coaching there. I don't know whether MSH is a good coach or not.. why are people on here so sure that he is the man we need to be rid of?

Although today is Sunday I didn't expect another "Holey" defence

The difference between us and Cas was they had spirit and the fact they never gave up, didn't let their heads drop, refused to let Balsawood faz them and oh yes two players who ran us off the park In Chase and Orr who also inspired their team to a much better performance than nearly anyone of the feckless lot playing in a Bulls shirt!

Peter Hood recently said they were looking at 6 or 7 signings there might be more as quite a few haven't signed new contracts as yet

I personally felt that we handled Chase better than Orr. We gave Orr way to much space and gave him time to pick his passes.

AaronBull wrote:No, sarcy. I reckon the club will be in a better place when he leaves though. I aren't aiming to win SL this, or next year. I'm looking for steady improvement, with our excellent juniors flourishing, like they did at Saints.


Yes, AB, pretty much as I said before the season started, its a three year project, and this year I would be glad if we are in the play offs, but say it again, our defence is just not good, if i was coach thats all I would focus on for the first year as break even on points will certainly get you into the playoffs, and a good defence will get you there. Looking at the table now we are 10th with a points difference of -102. keep this defence up and we will be playing Keighley in the league next year. And getting beaten.

and since I made this comment in April, the points difference has got worse and Keighley have got better...

The most depressing thing about yesterday's defeat was its sheer inevitability, even when we were 12 points up against a tired team.

We clearly need more quality in the team, but also there does seem a need for more "mongrel". It was hugely entertaining to watch Peacock, Sinfield & Co lose their rags in Catalans, but at least they did. We just seem to slip to defeat far too meekly.

Obviously we aren't in the market for big money signings, but if we'd had players like Bradley, Dwyer & McDermott in the team yesterday we would not have lost (or at least would have done so more spectacularly!).

Our average f/a is 21-30 per game. The average points scored by a SL side per game this year is 23. That would seem to be fairly sound objective evidence that while we may be a bit off the pace in attack, it's the defence that has been the real problem.

What I can't get my head round at all, with all these people on here giving technical appraisals of where our defence is going wrong, and what we should be doing, is this: it is crystal clear that our team DO know how to put together an excellent defensive pattern. Because (you know which games) we have on several occasions defended like real heroes. The question is why, unfortunately more often, for long spells teams only have to get the ball, anywhere on the park, and they're in.

One reason for me is our completion rate. I agree with what you say, we [ican[/i defend, and defend very well, because we [ihave[/i defended very well sometimes.
The problem for us seems to be we cough up possession far too readily and so spend far too much time defending, often in our red zone. It isn't rocket science to say that if you spend more time than the opposition defending, then you'll most probably spend more time conceding.