How can we reverse a 58 - 0 drubbing in the return match in the cup this weekend.
The optimist in me and lets face it you have to be optimistic watching Trinity, is hoping that there was a master plan at work and we didn't want to show our hand prior to the cup game and that we will miraculously turn things around.

However, I cant see anything apart from a small improvement and us being 25/30 points adrift at FT.

Saturday was so utterly disappointing that victory seems impossible.

Certainly, you would expect a reaction and lets just hope that a few fresh faces can liven things up.
This is our only chance of silverware this season so, it has to be "kitchen sink" time- Throw everything we have at them.

Yes it can be done. Catalans can be rocks or diamonds and indeed so can we. We gave in and the players know that. There's nowhere to hide from such an embarrassing performance. Many need to look themselves in the mirror and respond.

But look, these performances happen. There's been some pummelling in the NRL, Leeds got smashed last week. We've handed out some whippings to teams like Wigan. Great when we are dancing, not so much when we are like statues.

I bet every player in their career has had their pants pulled down. That's not so much what bothers me. It's what they do next that counts. There's some scores to settle and pride to regain!!

I'm certain this week there'll be a bit between the teeth. We've the players and the spirit to get the job done.

Yes it can.
But attitude is the change that is needed. And fit players

Mmm....I wish I had that much confidence! seriously, do you give the players who let us and themselves down badly, the chance to show they are made of better stuff, or do what CC has said and throw the younger players in. If it's the latter I'm sure they will put up a spirited performance, BUT I very much doubt they would win. The senior players have the ability to win if they have the heart.
Glad I'm not the coach.

You can't throw every youngster in to one game, they have to be drip fed in. Croft, Bailey, Aydin, Brad Walker will get their chance but I'd be surprised if they all did together until the midweek games.
We (fans) like to build our youngsters up then knock them down which has happened with Tom, Max, Jordy, Reece and Kersh over the years. So we need to be patient.
I think he said they'll come into contention not all be put in. But let's see and whoever takes to the field hope they do the business

Playing players in their proper positions would be a good start, not to mention the coach playing players who are out of favour.

Psychologically the damage was done on Saturday so I'd say no, however I would tell the team to just go out with a free hand and just try and entertain us

With Gigot getting injured I'd say this is the ideal time to try leaving him out and putting Rocky at FB, Jowitt/Miller in the halves.

Difficult to know what to do with the forwards - Big Dave hasn't shone since the return but he can be our difference maker, Kopczak and Tangata didn't do themselves any favours on Saturday but against Catalans size they look better options than Gwaze/Aydin. I'd be looking to get Batch and Jordy in there if I could as you know at least they will give you 100% but who do you drop for them? Westerman, Ashurst, Pitts ??

Lots of questions for Chester to ponder and try to find the right answer to in the next couple of days.

What is wrong with Green and Walker are they injured or not selected. We have Batchelor and Jowitt so if Walker is fit he can play full back Jowitt to stand off and Hampshire to the wing. We will need to play one of the youngsters or Atkins in the centre to replace Reece.
What I expect is Hampshire fullback, Westerman standoff, Pitts or Ashurst in the centre and Tupou on the wing.

It can be done but I think it won’t be done if I’m being honest. I reckon we will perform better and be a bit closer though. The problem is that we are still making the same mistakes as we did last year in terms of poor ball handling, slow passing, zero kick chase, no pressure on the kicker, standing flat. Occasionally we seem to be able to pull it together and grab a win or we will fire for 25/30 mins and make a comeback. For whatever reason though we just can’t do it for 80. I just can’t see it being an easy fix. Hope I’m wrong though!

I have no doubt we have the ability.

Whether we have the will is the real test.

Something to note. Catalan are not Saints. They have always been inconsistent and in every season I can remember they have a purple patch.

They can implode. Added to this there schedule is gruelling in the extreme and hats off to them for playing so well, however a virtual 48 hour non stop game day every week! Nobody can sustain that.. it’s not how I want us to win games but let’s hope the fatigue kicks in this week, it’s our best hope.

It’s worth noting that Catalans made twice as many errors as us (24) at the weekend, so although everyone seems to be creaming over them, the deficiencies are still there! We just need to exploit them...

It’s all about how we start. Start like last week and mentally we won’t recover and another drubbing will be on the cards.

Start well and do the basics right and get in their faces and then we maybe be in a position to exploit their errors and sometimes poor discipline...it’s all about the attitude we turn up with and how much we want to win and progress in the cup...

I know we all want to watch the lads giving the ball some air but the message for the first 20 minutes must be complete, complete, complete...respect the possession and no stupid offloads turning over cheap possession...we’ve got the team to do it, just need to execute it on the day...be patient and don’t force things to put ourselves in a position to be chasing the game...

The players shouldn’t need much motivation...it’s the challenge cup...on tv against a team who embarrassed us last week...if we can’t get up for this I’ll start to worry for the first time...

I would think they had the ball more than us despite the number of errors because every time they scored they get the ball back.

.

Us...12 errors from 160 carries

Them...24 errors from 186 carries

The telling ones being us turning the ball over 4 or 5 times cheaply in the first quarter resulting in being 24-0 down and completely out of it...

The point I’m trying to make is if a team totally in control and dominating can come up with 24 errors there’s hope if we fix our game up and put more pressure on them and not be out of the game after 20 minutes...

Is there no one else you could appoint as captain? Millers confidence looks shot and it seems to rub off on the other players.

Arona is the only one I think who fits the bill as Captain material.

I’m sure I read that Kirmond tipped Jordy Crowther as a future Captain as well.

Pitts?

Need to match them (or get the better of them) in the middle early doors.
I dont think that we were on the front foot during any part of the game last weekend.
Mcillorum was up to all sorts and needed dealing with.

Our main strength 1 - 5 looks shot to hell so, it's going to be tough.
Still, it's all about our forwards.

I was going to suggest Arona but how many minutes is he on the field?

I have always said that playing the same league and cup teams .the results are often reversed - but can we make up 58 points.

would like a wet weather track - any forecasts over there?

Jordan has a very knowledgeable rugby brain and could organise a team even at his tender age, the problem is will the more mature players listen let alone follow. I know he has respect from some older players and appreciate his hard work. It’s always been his dream to lead his home club out one day, let’s see how the players react at the weekend before we start talking about ousting captains, players etc. I’m sure we will get a positive reaction.

Very gloomy

I agree Jay Pitts is captaincy material, he did a great job firing London up last year, leading from the front and his performances this season have been consistent and 100%.

On another point with all the comments over various threads about how slow and inaccurate we are from dummy half, I'd like to see Rocky given a shot at no.9 - esp as there are no scrums this year to tow him about in. Halves have been converted to 9's with some success over the years and his speed off the mark could be devastating in the middle against tiring forwards...think of him as a Kyle Wood coming on for Kyle Wood, the opposition wouldn't be able to have a breather.

I’m utterly baffled as to why people seem to think that the rain is a great leveller.

Thirty years ago maybe but not in the modern game, if anything it makes the quality gulf even harder to bridge. Well drilled sides that respect possession and play of the front foot just adapt.

Poorly disciplined underperforming teams like us just get worse. Our pack will be going backwards in the wet. Our handling will fall to bits. Our decision making will get even worse. The way we are playing at present we’d be luck to get over the halfway line.

Catalan are not the best but they do have momentum and in the wet that would be even more evident. Sure they will make loads of errors but they will recover, we won’t. They will exploit our mistakes whilst being safe in the knowledge that we won’t do the same to them.

Whatever saves us it won’t be the rain.

Dont agree when weather is crap you dont often see massive blowout scores like we had last weekend games are usually tighter and as you say usually possession and least mistakes in bad weather win but catalans made more errors than us last week and still scored 10 tries to our 0 so that doesnt always follow whatever the weather