Shipping half a century again. Defensive effort is non-existent, and when Potter says the problem is not lack of effort, it's "communication", I have to disagree. Whilst communication may be abysmal, nothing excuses our weekly catalogue of
a) wide open gaps in all parts of the defence, all over the field;
b) endemic dropsy
c) endemic penalty concession.

It's the players, Jim. And I'd be less depressed if I thought that they actually couldn't try harder and couldn't play better.

I doubt' we'll have 5K for Wigan, but I wouldn't have expected it to be much more anyway.

Perhaps part of the problem is that we don't have any obvious leaders on the field. If you are low on confidence and expecting to be beaten, and no-one else will remind you of what you're playing for, or shame, encourage, cajole, you in to playing better whilst you're out there, it's going to be difficult for a coach to make that difference during the game. It does make me wonder about Lynch, much as I respect his massive contribution to the club, he's the one who has the role of rallying the troops and he's the one who is most familiar with our 'losing culture'. I think Beaver was probably our 'real' captain last year in terms of that role and Orford certainly led when he was on the field. I think both Heath and Lynch try to lead but it's more by example and individual effort and as someone has already pointed out - this often backfires with Heath making dummy runs when the half backs appear to want the ball and Lynchy offloading without really thinking. I'm afraid as has already been pointed out we're still, at minimum, in need of a first class organising scrum half - BJ isn't that, a frightening prop and a decent centre/three quarter who can create space for the pace we do have on the wings.

As for Potter it's difficult to know whether he's going to come good or not - at Catalans he had one of the best scrum half's in the world in Stacey Jones and he inherited a club with a winning culture and maintained it at St Helens. It's a little hard to imagine why our defense is so bad, given he had the off season with the team and anyone coming in should be drilled in that same system. However, when you watch them, there's very little communication, nobody is nominating, line speed is slow and tackling technique is poor. Added to that, our discipline is bad and we give far too many penalties away. Presumably this has to be coaching and combined with a lack of leadership on the field, low expectations and a lack of self confidence it gets amplified.

So to recap, the chairman is useless and has to go; Potter is no good; there's very little communication between the players, nobody is nominating, line speed is slow and tackling technique is poor. Added to that, our discipline is bad and we give far too many penalties away.

Oh well. I suppose it could be worse.

I just don't understand what is happening on the pitch. I struggle to recognise this team. I have even found myself not paying attention to the match in recent weeks.

The example today was that I was checking some emails and my sister said "Rovers are attacking again" I looked up, Rovers had loaded their LHS and we had too much space between whitehead & Jeffries. I said that they would take it right then score on the left and finished with my emails. Sure enough, welham scored down the left.

The board must be despairing now. They worked hard and were innovative in fixing our off field probs and must have thought - as I did that a good start had been made with an experienced coach and influx of players along with excellent training facilities. There was no way we were top 4 but I thought we would be 7th or 8th.

From today's showing there's little chance of us winning another game. Jefferies will improve our attack a bit but I have no idea how to teach professional players how to tackle or defend - in the most basic form.

Yes it could, we could get roundly humiliated on free to air TV, fail to win another game this season and lose those we've managed to get back on the terraces.

Of course it's probably just the players, we had some bad ones last year, got rid of them and brought some new ones in who turned out to be just as bad. That's partly true, but too simple an explanation, it might be that and bad luck with injuries, but I think that's also a little too simple.

As lots of people have pointed out, culture is important and both winning and losing cultures are dependent upon intangibles, but turning one in to the other needs something special and telling the players not to drop the ball would be a start but is unlikely to solve the problem. Perhaps Potter's the person to do this, time will tell, but we also need some additional and proven quality, even when our squad is fully fit.

I think Hood's a decent bloke with a passion for the Bulls and has tried everything he knows, I also think he was a little too decent to McNamara for too long. Who knows which way he'll go with Potter, but obviously he needs more time yet.

Do we have a separate defensive coach? Or is Potter managing all aspects of our performance?
If it's LSH that's in charge of defense then the guy has got to go. Now.

Cheer me up, why don't you!


Of course, but I have never suggested the reasons for our current plight are "simple". Anything but. I have never been a "quick fix" merchant and there's no such thing.


Well, who doesn't, but we may already have it, as over time our young players develop (if they're not mullered into craapness by a season of unmitigated tonkings), the only thing I would say is that the best I thought we might achieve is a low-top-8 finish, but with the playing personnel we have, while we would never be top-half material, there really is no excuse why we would be bottom. None. And dress it up whichever way you want (and I have never sought to absolve the coaching staff of their share of responsibility) - we are bottom because of the burgeoning catalogue of lamentable efforts at defence, ball handling and discipline. And apparently (per Potter) we won't talk to each other on the field either.


He does. But I 'm not now sure whether ANY coach could sort these players out. I think they now have to do that themselves.

Pluses - I didn't go, wnet to neighbours barbecue to get ed.
Negatives - antoher emabrassing defeat, the worst team in the league, etc, etc.

Next week is going to be humialtioan. And before anyone slags me, yes we will be there, yes we will be cheering for the lads, adn yes we will go home uopset afetr another ting.

As it stands, we will win no more games this season. Goodbye season. WTF is going on?

I have been thinking of "it could be worse" reasons since teatime, to take my mind off hanging myself.

So, it could be worse: you could be the Bulls' marketing man, being asked to sell tickets for the Wigoon game

Give them away, than at least they might sell some beer.

We're doing that badly that I reckon we might actually beat Wigan next week.

Think you've had enough!!

Well I for one won't be spending £18 for a tacket and £8 for taxis when I can watch the CC game at my local for free.

If that makes me a poor supporter so be it but I'll not be the mug making an effort when the team can't.

Looking at the amazingly sp Bulls section today was a shock.

It was like having Quins as the visitors.

With everyone having to pay normal price next week I expect the home fans to be outnumbered. Really hope I'm wrong.

I won't blame anyone who chooses to do so next week.

It's not like me to duck out and watch a game on TV, but I find it hard to justify shelling out £15 to go and watch us get absolutely mullered next week

The way I justify it is that I want to stick with them through thick and thin, as it will be more rewarding when we get back to the top.

Very hard to stick to it in times like these, but our support will help to lift them out of this rut.

I don't think it's hard, really, because I know that the suicidal early part of the week spent whingeing, moaning and wound-licking will lift by matchday and I will end up looking forward to going to the match, - if not to watching it

- and hoping (and expecting) that we will have one of the dozen or so good days that the law of averages suggests one day we will.

Defence is about structure, technique and attitude - any one component missing and it goes to cr*p. The normal missing piece when a side ships a lot of points is attitude. Most SL players know how to tackle. They also - whether they have played at the same club for years or are new - will most of the time know where they are supposed to be and what their role is.

Leeds were shipping points left right and centre early season, and seem to have started to defend better only in the last couple of weeks. Peacock's return has made a difference, but the real difference is simply attitude across the side.

You have more than a few leaders at Leeds though. We appear to have very few (if any), which made your predicament a few months / weeks back all the more surprising. Peacock, Buderus, JJB, Sinfield all command the respect of the rest of the squad and will "follow the lead" of such players. I don't think we have anyone with that character at the minute.