Apart from 4 or 5 performances our squad did not look up for it from the hooter. Our mental toughness of recent weeks deserted us and we lacked leadership & ideas on the pitch. On the day the better team won too easily and I fear the manner of the defeat does not bode well for the second half of the campaign.

I disagree with those who slagged off our forward play, with them handling the threat of Crabtree/Mason etc) and felt it was our backs that could not match the Huddersfield backs for inventiveness and we therefore struggled to break the Huddersfield defence throughout the 80 minutes.

The sooner our new boss is announced and the players can start to play for their futures, the better.

As someone who has now and again called for Macca to go, I thought i'd stick my two penneth in. This wasn't a loss like the one to Wire last year where we looked hopeless and hapless, this came about because we've played two big games back to back, have lost key players - Orford, Kearney, Langley and have a fairly limited squad anyway, particularly in terms of impact from the bench. Glen Hall got a kick in the face early on and looked to be in a lot of pain, Lynch is obviously playing with an injury and without Orford we lack any direction in attack. Sykes is ok as a 6 with a creative scrum half but otherwise he sticks almost religiously with to the same plays irrespective of what is in front of him, which is a gift to any defense worth its salt.

Added to that Hudds gameplan was spot on, they kicked early behind the wingers throughout the first quarter and had a good kick chase, forcing our forwards to do more yards and backing themselves to keep us penned in with their larger pack. It worked a treat. Once we caved the points were rattled up easily. Childs didn't help us but he wasn't the issue today. Could we have responded to this gameplan and gone wide earlier or scooted more from dummy half, probably, but that needed someone like Orford who can read the game and play what's in front of them, Sykes can't do that, L'estrange tried but without the organisation and with the forwards struggling that was always going to be a big ask.

I have no issue with the effort displayed, I thought Lynch, Scruton, Beaver (of course), Whitehead, Platt, Koppy and Worrincey, all put in big efforts, but were largely beaten by Hudds combinations at 1/6/7/9 and by their pack running hard and a decent gameplan that picked out our weaknesses.

TBH, I think lots of us knew today would be a massive ask without Orford and so it proved, I don't think it's the end of the season (or the world) and I don't know how Macca could have done much about it, the effort was there, but the extra resources (in bodies) and creativity weren't, but that's down to injuries not poor coaching. Hudds have a good squad and played well today.

We need some extra impact at prop and the sooner that's remedied the better, I haven't seen much of the Burgii but wonder if they are still too far away from full SL level debuts?

One way to find out would be to play one of them!!!!!

I did not really expect us to win today after the last 2 matches, however, the size of the defeat is a shock, I watched a team who looked tired after 10 minutes and lacked co-ordination for most of the match. You can not blame Mcaca for the attitude of the team on the pitch they just lost interest after the first 2 tries, we hear the team trying to get more fans into the ground to support them, after this performance they will have undone a lot of good work.

And as someone who now and again has not always seen eye to eye with you over the coach situation, I'm happy to say that post strikes me as spot on, other than I think some of the players looked like they had given it up in their heads before they came out on the park. And that manifested itself in them looking tired and not putting in the effort.

The club are still saying the Burgii are a way of SL level. Others who watch them will be better-qualified than me to comment on that.

Hopefully this is the kick up the backside the team needs to get motoring towards the end of the season and not a demoralising defeat that sees the team's heads drop and begin a run of lacklustre performances.

Unless we have a demoralised Team on the road weakened with the loss of Scruton and Crusaders take advantage. This is then followed by another embarrassing defeat at home by an on form Warrington! We are then back to fighting for a play off place.

It's pretty obvious that we are now paying the price of a paper-thin squad. We took a calculated risk by offloading a lot of deadwood at the end of last season (something widely advocated on this forum IIRC) and pumping our playing budget into two or three high profile signings. Unfortunately injuries have only made things worse as well - being without three of most experienced players today didn't help...

I've just been watching Quins vs Crusaders and Eddie mentioned that Quins had now used 31 players this season (the 31st came on for a debut today). I checked on the Bulls website and we have used just 22, of which two would seem to have been used somewhat reluctantly as a last resort due to injuries (Wardle and Addy).

With Donaldson now out for the season and three key players out with injury, the team is more or less picking itself at the moment. There simply isnt anyone to bring in with first team experience - which is presumably driving the talk about loan signings.

Without wishing to make this a Macca bashing post, I think we are now reaping the results of an over cautious approach to blooding people from our Academy over the past 12-18 months. For example we have seen about two minutes of Olbison, and Crossley has never even been on the bench. Hyde never got a chance. Now he's more or less had to blood Wardle and Addy - which he seemed reluctant to do. My impression is that teams like Saints and Leeds seem much more willing to give young players a shot - not over playing them, but bringing them along gradually, rotating them as necessary - and as a result they seem to have 18 and 19 year olds with much more game time than our lads.

The result is that Lynch is clearly playing through an injury. It is surely only a matter of time before he breaks down and will need an operation. Then what will we do? There are probably others playing with knocks etc.

The worry is that there's no way I can see things improving anytime soon, unless we can get a couple of experienced people on loan - and who is there out there to get?

Absolutely agree. I said at the start of the year that we lacked a forward who could punch holes into the defence or make an impact from the bench. However there wasn't anyone we could have signed back then of a high enough quality and I doubt that situation has changed.

I understand fans are desperate to address the lack of 'punch' from our Props but I can also understand the coaching staff protecting the twins. If they are going to 'make it' then I think they should be picked when they're ready, not just thrown in because the 1st team are struggling. Pity the loan signing fell through, pretty much any SL standard Prop would be welcome right now, especially a 'big un'.

I got to wondering whether we should have asked that very big, and very very good, singer at half time whether he had any boots with him...

I remarked before the game that Mr Anderson looked like he could still do a job for us. Even at jogging pace he looked pretty fearsome! Those days seem like a lifetime ago now..

1998 I think it was...I was in the changing rooms at Cedar Court same time as Big Paul and Warren Jowett were getting changed after a swim. Both of them were both huge (no wisecracks, guys!) and very solid. All muscle. I said to Paul "who the hell in their right mind would want to tackle you guys?" Paul's answer - too many, unfortunately! (both were recovering from ruptured ACLs at the time).

There's nothing wrong with lads chatting and mucking around in the changing rooms together I can't see what there is to make a wisecrack about.

Mac in agrees with ME shock!!!

As I said

Statement of fact, could be viewed (and is by me) as one reason, but specifically not an excuse.

As I said

As I said, that Warrington match and what we put into it is a key factor. Not an excuse, but one reason.

Coming as it does from someone who is independent, and knows a bit, are we allowed at least to [iread [/ithat? (Even if we are not allowed to utter it lest it be viewed as an 'excuse')?

TBH i think Dave Halley needs to be dropped, can't remember the last time he broke the first line of defence, and his support play isn't good enough for a full back. Reardon has to be moved to full back for the next game and have Sheriffe and Wardle on each wing. We need to rotate the squad and atleast 1 of the Burgess brothers has to be brought in to take some of the work from the forwards. Lynch is obviously carrying an injury and should be rested before our big home games coming up. For me i'd use the Crusaders game to adjust the squad, try Addy from scrum half is Orford isn't fit, use Reardon at full back, and add another forward maybe Crossley or either Burgess. Another thing thats on my mind, don't know if its just me or is Glenn Hall very unfit? Seems to last 15 minutes then he's on his knee's on the touchline coming off knackered.

He seems to be lacking some fitness, hardly does anything and is blowing from his backside after 10 mins.

I suspect Hall was sick, and if that was the case he shouldn't have played!

Why do you suspect that? Or did you mean to write s h i t instead of sick?

Reardon to FB, lucky not to have been binned today

Is next Sundays game on TV?

Think Reardon might play FB next week if he's fit and BK isn't.

Translation:

Lucky to have not been binned today?

He just didn't look well, but somebody said he got a kick in the face early on. I know he's not the fittest player in the squad and he hasn't hit his straps yet but he was gasping for air after about 10 mins and seemed anoyed with himself. If Orford pulled out because he was sick, maybe Hall had the same problem?

Hall didnt get back on side following the kick by giants from the first set of 6 in the game until after the 2nd tackle, he then dropped the ball on our first foray into their half with the ball and went down on one knee, gave away the first penalty and then was gasping for air and then went off. I hope he was sick or we are in a lot of trouble!!

He did - and thereafter he seemed to be having problems with his vision. That is why he went off - not a fitness issue.

So then, according to some (one) the effort WAS there today. In that case the team are clearly crap then because if they are putting in the effort and getting completely mullered at home by Huddersfield then it is a persona problem (as it is clearly not the coach to blame.)

4 years of utter e - only 11 more (league) games to go before we finally get rid of the clueless idiot that had made us a laughing stock.

It is not that long ago that Huddersfield brought out a T-Shirt in order to celebrate beating us after years of trying, this is where we are now. As much as the PT will wish to slate me, this is indeed the sorry state that we are in at the moment.

52 points against Huddersfield FFS. Totally unacceptable, players out or not. Yet we still read some on here saying, "ah well, there is always next week". Some people are content with minimal and it is puzzling to say the least.