That absolute shambles of a 5 minute period where we conceded back to back to back was the killer. We put points on the board but just couldn't get close thanks to Mullaney's pretty awful goalkicking. Add in the fact that we played almost half the game with only two interchanges and a player carrying a knock and it was never going to be our day. Huddersfield are for all intents and purposes a better team than us, despite their poor start to the year. Disappointing performance overall though.

It's not blind faith. I just have a grip on reality.

Nobody likes to see their team under perform and ours certainly is. We have not had a complete game this season yet. We're a quarter through the season with a brand new Club from top to bottom. Changes of personnel left right and centre. I know some people fell for the Dr's brand push pre-season, but to expect the bottom Club from last year turn into world beaters in nine games seems a little optimistic. With the exception of Widnes, we've beaten the teams around us from last season. Did anyone realistically think we were going to beat Wire, Saints, Hudds, and Hull before the season started? They would have been a bonus. So we're about on track really, even though we've played pretty rough throughout so far.

That's sport. It has ups and downs.

I just choose not to get my knicker's in a twist every time we lose.

Better than no team at all though eh?

Why is it a cop out? A cop out from what?

That's my view. Are you saying I'm in denial from my own thoughts?

Just read the title of the thread "Harris Out." After 2 games it says it all, pathetic, not worthy of a serious reply.

The time to get a better opinion would be the last 8 games of the season. No excuses for not gelling then.
Would also be interesting, to see who is retained and what/or if better quality players are signed. We have quite a few players past their best

Having had a couple of days to now digest the game, I feel like I can comment accordingly.

The 3 minute spell where Huddersfield scored 3 tries won them the game, you can't give anyone an 18-0 start in this league and expect to come back unless you're St Helens and unfortunately we aren't. The comedy of errors in that short spell was like something out of a Benny Hill sketch with the Mullaney/Johnson clash summing it up.

We obviously got ourselves back into it at half time, but with the injuries and re shuffle following Johnson's departure and then McPhersons you felt it was only going to go one way.

A few issues are concerning me though;

Jake Mullaney - his goal kicking is the most unpredictable I have ever seen. How he can go from kicking them off the touch line at Hull to missing them (barring Mozza's under the sticks) against Huddersfield is beyond me. It's a major issue.

Tim Smith - the bloke needs dropping, simply. He has had an awful start to his Salford career and it's getting worse. I accept he was a big money signing, but that doesn't mean he's untouchable. Give him a week or two off in the sun, give Theo a run and then start again. I haven't given up on him at all, but it can't carry on as it is.

Martin Gleeson - surely his last season. Slow and poor in both attack and defence, should have put Greg Johnson away in the corner early on in the game but kept hold. Various other offensive and defensive mistakes to.

Agree in the main JGR but I just think he might be useful at right centre as he has pace and his no look passes could put his winger in regularly.

Massive overreaction on here as usual but not a surprise listening to some of the South Stand numpties on Friday night!

.

This year was always going to have ups and downs and so it's proven. We played badly and got what we deserved, end of. We also had a rough deal with the bounce of the ball & injuries but the better team won and that can't be disputed. It's dissappointing but we have to look at the bigger picture and realise that it's going to be a couple of years before we seriously challenge the top 4 and this is just a stepping stone to that. Hopefully the Doc will show some patience and get the right structures in place to let this happen. I hate using the "C" word but look how long it has taken City to pick up one league title & an FA cup despite their spending.

I'm not burying my head in the sand here I'm just looking at things rationally. I can see (well I'm not that blind

) the defensive failings, Tim Smith's poor form, our lack of pace in the backs. These cab be addressed we just need to have faith that Harris will address them. I'd certainly take Smith out of the firing line for a short while, his confidence looks shot & we've seen that Theo has the maturity to step up for a short while. He'll come back stronger & will be an asset no doubt. Mullaney's kicking is also a big concern, I believe he was pretty good in Aus so not sure why he's been so poor here. But what other options do we have?

I fear for us at Leeds, they're a class outfit whatever 17 they put out I just hope we stand up and be counted. Widnes (x2), Catalanand HKR are then huge games and are likely to define our season. Win 3 or 4 and we can kick on, lose them and the top 8 may be out of our reach.

Tim Smith,according to Wakefield fans,was poor defensively.

Against Huddersfield the stats show him making 31 tackles - just behind HH and Gleeson.Far too many for a half back - but will almost certainly be needed at Headingley.

Chase made far fewer - as,of course,did Danny Brough.

Smith hasn't been at his best but please don't scapegoat him just because Stu Howarth has gone on loan to Barrow.

Huddersfield absolutley hammered our right side defence. Hansen, Smith and Gleeson were targetted all the way through the game. Ashurst, Chase, Hock, and Meli on the other side of the pitch however made the lowest number tackles with 10, 9, 3 and 1 respectively. Even Greg Johnson made 9 tackles in the short 15-20 minutes he was on the pitch. Hence the reason Murphy scored a hat-trick.

Yes,it shows how stats can be deceptive.
Smith had a high tackle count simply because they kept running at him !
I think we should lay off him,though.
He has been disappointing this season but his performance on Friday is being exaggerated.
I was surprised at Gleesons apparent decline but,as they say,form is temporary,class is permanent . He is a class player so I hope his form returns.

Come on, RDP. It's about time you let go. Everyone has moved on you know?

Disagree with any negative chants aimed at our players. Tim Smith is a quality half back who has started his Salford career disastrously and needs dropping for a few weeks.

Harris has to work with what Noble has assembled, but after however many weeks if watching every week game thus far there have been some dubious signings in key pivot positions ie full back, scrum half and hooker.

Far easier to criticise what's been assembled than focus on who was available and at what cost.

I think Smith is clearly lacking a bit of confidence, the hard thing to work out is if dropping might give him a kick up the backside or cause him to throw the toys out of the pram.

Get out of Nobles ar*e.

After 10 games so far and the consistent disaapointing individual performances, it's time we are able to critique Brian Nobles purchases.

No need for bad language !
You're right that we can now critique his signings,but you miss the point I'm making.
He could only sign who was available.
I think he wanted Dobson,for example.
I'm sure he would have liked Clarke at 9.
One area where I would criticise him is the apparent lack of another goal kicker. Mullaney is a good fullback and he'll develop. He needs to be coached regarding letting the ball bounce and he did well in that regard on Friday.
He doesn't look the part as the main kicker, and that would've helped us last Friday but we were clawing back in 4s not 6s

Apologies but your constant apparant defence of all things Noble is becoming frustrating.

Mullaney has major defensive frailties, but makes up for it in attack. You want your full back to be sound in both areas and it's unacceptable to be any other way. Look at Greg Eden at KR, excellent going forward but poor in defence. They farmed him out because you can't carry that weakness.

Goal kicking has been a problem all season. Warrigton was another example where had we landed our conversions the score line would have been much closer.

agreed...Stuffed by Leeds, he has to go NOW

Just shows how little you know about things Terry.

Steady improvement seen today against the International Xiii from Leeds. Good efforts from Chase, Fages, Lee and .....................Howarth too. Mullaney a worry. Has missed 5 on the trot and this is unthinkable at this level.

Good turn out from the Devils.

Certainly a good turn out, but that's where we cease to agree. That was a lethargic Leeds performance from where I was sat, but an even worse one from SRD. I thought Chase was awful. His kicks through were only for himself, off which Leeds scored at least one try. And he gave away a number of penalties, which gave Leeds good field position. He is not a team player and his rare moments of brilliance do not make up for that in my opinion.

Fages was ordinary at best. He attempted nothing and created nothing.

Lee did ok, but is too small for a modern day loose forward while, though not a fan, I thought Howarth did alright. His distribution is still too slow though, and having been tutored last year by KC, I don't quite understand why, unless it is that he is just too tall? We would have been better with Lee as hooker and Howarth at 13.

The scoreline says it all. Defensively we were appalling. The basics of a single defensive line seemed to have been forgotten. On their good day, Leeds might have posted twice as many points.

I know it must have been difficult backing up from Friday night, but I sensed a lack of enthusiasm which, in front of a 14000 crowd, does not bode well.

Adam Walne spent little more than 10 minutes on the field. The lad is better than that and needs to have game time. His heart and soul is SRD but the club seem to be treating him with disdain.

It's interesting to note the teams who are successful seem to be those with a wealth of home-grown players. One Friday night recently, I counted from Leeds, Saints and Wigan, 11, 12 and 13, not necessarily in that order. In comparison, SRD had fielded 2! There are lads in their early 20s who have been sidelined for those who have been brought, but who have been dual reg'd and loaned out, possibly for the future, but surely that has to be the way to go?

I agree, to a point, with another contributor who suggested that we have assembled a team of journeymen. I think that Hock and Hanson are better than that. Others who have been, are beyond their "Best before" dates, while others are completely over rated.

Dr Koukash has spent a lot of pennies on this team. He deserves a top 8 place, but on the last couple of performances, does anybody realistically see it happening?

I'm not suggesting anyone expected us to win all those games, although I do think Huddersfield should have been a game we're targeting to win if we've got top 8 ambitions. However, the manner of defeats and some of the downright stupid and abysmal errors made should not be expected nor ignored. No one expected a world-beating side. I think we all expected to be a lot more competitive than we have been, though.

You're right, sport does have ups and downs. I think 99% of us can handle Salford losing - it is the manner of said defeats that are a cause for concern, however.

Good post but I think this thread should end - The subject heading is ridiculous.
I shall support Chase and suggest as he was captain for the day he tried far too much.I think the Leeds forum calls it right.I think we shall see a better performance on Sunday.
While Chase seems to have overshadowed both Smith and Fages he is difficult to read and the obstructions are beyond a joke - it was Fages who got across the line for the try to be disallowed;so at least one player has the ability to support.
Theo has also played replacement hooker and started in the halves and ended up at full back.
All this while a more mature and experienced man,who was head coach,has seemingly gone incommunicado and not been seen at the club since he was asked to change position.
The slow distribution may be because Howarth was looking for a teammate willing to accept the pass and who was not exhausted from the work they got through.Pointless passing a ball to someone stood still.He had the same problem in 2012.
If Brian Noble expected to see the team gel by round 11 or 12 [url=http://www.superleague.co.uk/article/29597/salford-aim-to-scale-newSource[/url then we need to be patient.

I don't think Harris has inherited the best of squads and has a lot of work to undertake.I wish him the best of luck.
Uncertainty behind the scenes caused a problem for Mick Potter and West Tigers last year - as well as the dropping of Benji Marshall - seems all is well now on the field for him and his players,and they're doing well.

[urlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/report/9974[/url
SL report
penalty count was 11-4 didn't help ,and to me watching from the seats in the North Stand, the 32-4 scoreline gives an unfair reflection of the effort , especially the 1st 40 mins .
4of Leeds 6 tries were long range efforts from broken play where our cover from an attacking kick was lacking , suicidal against a team like Leeds with BJB. Moon , Hardaker, McGuire & Burrow in tow.
THe encouraging aspect was Harris bringing back players ' from the cold ',and trying players in new positions to see what they can contribute ,
Tommy Lee's stats playing at 13, Mat Ashurst's Tackle Count & Chase's stats are worthy of note .

I agree. 32-4 really didn't reflect the game at all. We had one try disallowed for an apparent crossing, and were held up over the line three times. The difference was in broken play, which seems to have been the problem all season. If there is to be any criticism of Brian Noble, then, for me, it's that he's assembled a squad with lots of size but no real pace, and that's why we get caught out that way. Fortunately, some of those slower players will be on their way at the end of the season.

It may also explain why Rangi sometimes seems to be 'selfish': there's no-one up with him when he makes a break. I thought he played well, as did Tommy Lee, Matty Ashurst and Stuart Howarth. Logan Tomkins too.