Other than a whole new coaching setup and methods, what do you think we need to improve our playing ranks?

Personally, I feel we need at least one centre, also, with Gibson being given a lesson in defending!! In addition, to the extra prop everyone knows we're lacking, we could do with another second row and possibly an extra winger.

With Bailey's wage off the books, Henry in his last year, Rob Parker probably and the possibility of Stef leaving, there is room to manouvere in the finances. I don't want to see a whole raft of new faces next season, but it's clear we are short 3/4 players of Super League quality.

Don't get me wrong, everyone in the squad has talent.

We just lack players that can both defend and attack.

What's everyones opinions, forgetting, for a minute, about the fact we still have Anderson and Feka on our books?

Can you name someone, who could come in and have such an influence, that they would galvanise the team and be leader we've clearly lacked for the last 4/5 years? Should the club have tried harder to sign Andrew Ryan?

Think we saw last night wqho we should have gone for when he got binned by Wigan. I know he's not whiter than white

but Gleeson showed some sublime skills that would have looked even better in a Red shirt. Can you imagine how many trys Jodie would get outside someone with the skills of Gleeson.

For me I always like a big barmstorming centre on one side and skilky skilled one on the other two add contrasts to the play. With the Bailey money I'd personally try and find an old knarled prop after a finalo two year hoorah - I know it's pie in the sky and that I can't spell his name but a Civonaceva would be ideal.

Also not convinced that DJ and Smith is the half back combination to move us forward, I'd personally like to see Smith moved to a bench spot to interchange with Goodwin and then DJ @ 7 and Steff @ 6 for me that would be ideal. Can't see why were not playing Wilde in the 2nd row and Adamson @ 13 as judging from the commentary of last weeks game he was really good and is freed up from the endless tackling duties he puts in in the 2nd row.

One thing that is for sure is that Anderson is no more a hooker than I am the Pope, he made Alker look swift and he was a target for Hull to go through the middle of the ruck.

Simple things and we'll look miles better.

Half backs need to run with the ball - makes play less predictable and gives them more time because next time they get the ball the defence doesn't know if they will run, pass or kick.

Defensive line needs to be much quicker getting up - will make it easier to tackle and stop the opposition spreading the ball.

Offloading, support play and 'push' - simple, more offloads, more momentum, more support play, more breaks.

Tackling technique - One on one tackles we should go low, otherwise one high one low and get them on their back so it slows the play the ball down.

In general we just need to be smarter. Don't put up a bomb if you're not going to challenge for it, do a grubber instead. Don't have slower men out wide on defence because as Anderson showed, its hard to tackle there. When we kick on the last make sure the kicker stands deep enough to get the kick away. If the pass isn't on, or you might go in touch then go to ground. When we have a scrum, spread the ball because there is more space, try a move. If we are just going to drive it from the scrum to play it safe, then use a forward instead of a back.

If we just do some simple things and play more intelligently then we WILL win more.

Another prop like Ray or Rutgo, & Karl Harrison's drills on the tackle bags.

dann_salford

totally agree

with one addition ... up the morale.

Going forward, we could do with being able to insert a clause in every player's contract that the club reserves the right to terminate the contract of any player if the club finishes below say 9th in the league. The club should look to do this with the next round of recruitment.

Oh aye I can see loads of players signing on the dotted line with contract demands like that!

Personally I think the first thing we need is a new coach who will work on the mentality and mental strength of the players. I look at other clubs above us and they seem to have an inner strength, resolve, belief and consistency about them.

With Salford this year I go to games not knowing which Salford are going to turn up.

MONDAY 16-5-11

The Engage Super League Table

[iTeam P W D L F A Pts[/i


Warrington 14 10 0 4 519 205 20
--------------------------------------------
Huddersfield 14 10 0 4 383 219 20
Wigan 13 9 2 2 366 215 20
St Helens 14 8 2 4 394 290 18
Leeds 14 8 1 5 402 318 17
Castleford 13 7 1 5 337 328 15
Catalan Dragons 14 7 1 6 292 305 15
Hull 14 6 1 7 328 308 13
--------------------------------------------
Hull K R 14 5 0 9 357 392 10
=#BF0000Salford 14 5 0 9 308 454 10
Harlequins RL 14 4 1 9 296 468 9
Bradford 14 4 1 9 284 466 9
Wakefield 14 5 0 9 246 397 6
--------------------------------------------
Crusaders 14 4 0 10 291 438 4


[i
Crusaders deducted four points for entering administration.
Wakefield deducted four points for entering administration.[/i

They should not have a problem if they are confident in their ability both in terms of skill level and commitment.

Clearly there would be those who would not want to sign but that says a lot about them and the commitment they are going to show any prospective club.

A player doesn't sign because he's not confident the quality of players around him would be enough to achieve a top 8 position, so the quality of signings drops, so a player doesn't sign because he's not confident the quality of players around him would be enough to achieve a top 8 position, , so the quality of signings drops, so a player doesn't sign because he's not confident the quality of players around him would be enough to achieve a top 8 position......

The bit about Harrison's drills is a very good point!! Far too often our forwards get turned on their backs and we end up with a slow play the ball. The reason we beat Bradford so convincingly, other than Bradford are e, was down to our offloads working well and we got a large number of them finding a team mate on the night.

Whilst Simms and Wilky are on their shopping trip for a new coach, the pair of them need to find us another front row forward!!! Then Boyle and Jewitt can become the back-up players they were meant to be.

At the start of this thread I commented on the side needing another winger, but Clay seems to be doing quite well. At the moment!! With Gibson being so unwilling to defend, I definitely believe a new centre is required. He needs shifting to the reserves for a spell at the minute. When we signed Gleeson, i didn't think I'd be saying this, "but when the hell is he back from injury?"

Althoug, back to Harrison's drills, the whole squad seem to have bad tackling technique.

Boyle's stats have improved on last year with more carries, tackle busts, metres per carry and tackles. He just needs to work on and improve his defence and discipline. (He's still missing too many tackles and giving away too many pens)

I concur, he makes more meters a game than all the forwards besides Cashmere, he also makes more takes a game than any of our props. And some of Jewitt stats are surprising also he makes more meters per carry than any other forwards (except Marriot but I don’t think that counts after about 10 minutes action) and when it comes to penalties, which is something everyone has a downer on about Jewitt, he's only given away 2 pens all season! (The biggest culprit is Ratchford by the way who's given away 12 in 14 matches, and he shares the most errors with 15 shared with Patten and Holdsworth.)

Exactly what I was thinking.

I can see why
ratchford, Houldsworh and Patten have the most handling erros as they in effect along with the hooker touch the ball the most being our creative players. I think that Marriot is unlucky he hasn't had another oppertunity as when we saw him he for me did everything right and lookede full of go forward and willingness to really get stuck in. Same as Clay who for me looks a very good prospect and the sort of build that should he not make it as a winger other positiuons might suit him.
I personally think as I said before the start of the season that Neal is a brilliant buy for the club and should maybe be used more as he looks tireless. Also think the tactic of starting with Feka looks a better option as despite his failings he will tire opposition forwards out with his bulk when they are trying to haul him down (though the lobbing it backwards and call it an off load we saw from him on Friday is very dangerous in the wrong areas of the pitch) and I also think that big Ray should do the last 20 of the first hald and say the first 10 of the sencond for Feka to come back on for 10 and Ray again for the last 20. The rest of the younger props should be able to cover between them the rest of the time.

On the subject of motivation I think that maybe Feka being on from the start should be used as motivation, let's be honest if we reveive the kick off and send him steaming forward in the way Martin Lange for Cronulla used to do it will gee the players up and get the shed baying for more.

Then he's clearly worried that he'd be one of the players whose skill level or commitment would fall below the required standard in which case you would not want them anyway.

At the moment we've got players who seem comfortable on the contracts they've got without having to make sure they keep putting in each week.

Where are all these players going to go? There are only so many clubs that a player could sign for.

The benefit may be that it deters some of those who think they can come to Salford for an easy 2-3 years. You don't have to set the target too high. One place higher than the previous year would do (based on a table without points deductions) until the standard is raised where the target is at least the top 8.

MOZZA

sadly not available [size=85(until Wire have removed all he could do)[/size

No. He's worried that the other players in the squad aren't top 8 material and that he'll lose his job through no fault of his own. Imagine Salford put an offer in today to, say, Kevin Sinfield, but with your 'must finish in the top 8' idea in the contract. Kevin, as we all know, is desperate to sign, but what does he do? He looks at the squad and thinks 'these are borderline top 8 at best. I could end up out of a job after one season. I'll stick with Leeds'. Bye bye Kevin.

It doesn't just deter those who see Salford as an easy ride. It deters everyone.

Why would a player of the calibre of Kevin Sinfield be worried by such a clause. Were Hodgson, Robinson, Korkidas or Finnigan would the season we got relegated. No they either walked straight into other clubs or already had them lined up.

Good committed players should not be worried. Anyone who baulks at such a clause is someone we would not want.

Standards have to be set and performance has to be monitored.

There's a thread on the go at present about Corey Paterson, he's still got 12 months to go at Newcastle Knights but has been told to look elsewhere. Those are the standards we need to aspire too.

Ive said before and ill say it again, we lack control in attack and intensity in defence.

I dont think we are too far away for being a very good side cermented in the top 8 but the players have to be prepared to play for a full 80 mins at the intensity expected for a superlegue team, get organised quicker and make every tackle both in attack and defence count currently we have a very good 20 mins where we challenge teams, 40 mins of average play where its one up rugby with no plans and 20 mins of which can only be described as rubbish where we drop the ball and usually have brain explosions in which we usually lose the game.


Hopefully with the new coach coming in he will take us back to basics and coach the players into using every tackle to maximum potential and we can continue to move in a forward direction

A player of Kevin Sinfield could walk into any club. So what attracts him to the one that threatens to terminate his contract after one season? What stops him thinking "this squad isn't good enough. Why join Salford - who will lilkely bin me after one year - when I could get a guaranteed three year deal elsewhere?"

You mentioned Sinfield, to attract him we'd need to be offering substantially more money in the first place! As you point out he could easily go elsewhere.

The club need to come up with fresh ideas to manage performance. What we have currently is not working.

Guaranteed deals are not bringing the level of performance need in all cases.

Ocker v Red John

Jeremy Kyle

Thursday 9:30

"I just can't see how he's talking sense"