Did we complete a set of six in that 2nd half, I honestly don't think we did....



Terrible performance lacklustre performance today.

He may as well have not bothered. I know it's bagging players and we shouldn't, I know that they're brave playing busted and all this, but it doesn't help when you're watching and they're doing some of the crap things they were doing today. I can accept he was injured, cool, but literally heading for the touchline on the first tackle and stuff like that, just poor for me.

We had a three on one in the first ten minutes, PJ just needs to decide whether to pass out wide, or go himself, last week is probably in his mind when he made a crap decision at a key time, yet again this week, he can't make his mind up, Hudds defender makes it for him, steams in, makes a decent tackle, ball is dislodged, a certain try bombed. He's just not a centre and we need Bridge back there asap.

Thats ever so childish. Can one assume that you're from St. Helens?

But you lost at home, to a team way below you.

If a player like Johnson is carrying an injury it doesn't help the team if you know you are not really fit to play. He should of been professional enough to admit it to himself as you can not perform to the best of your ability. I do realise players can and do play with knocks and are often patched up. But it clearly didn't work today. Adam Neal should of been given his chance if they gave him a late call up.

I don't recall seeing Carvell much (if at all) in the second half, any news on him or was I just blind!?

Thought we started well, had a fair bit of possession on their line but never really looked like scoring - partly due to their excellent line defence and maybe a lack of cohesion in our attack, probably due to a few changes in personnel lately.

They're a good team Huddersfield, we'd be well advised by pat them on the back whilst we're analysing our shortcomings.

If he's not fit to play he shouldn't. Thats why we have a reserve side...

You do realise the reserves are short on numbers?

But everything is designed to feed into the first team, so the reserves can play with 12 as far as I'm concerned if it means a fully fit 17.

I know its not an area in which we're short, but maybe Kevin Penny can be recalled from Widnes to add some spark to our back three as well.

Can't see it happening. Can see if Hicks is fit Carney & Hicks playing on the wings, Smith will go with what they offer you out of dummy half exiting your half over potential 'spark'.

Adam Neal managed the trip down .

On the step up thing from reserves, Matt Blythe. Time for him to really step upto the plate now, showed some promise last year, looks way off this year, and quite how he's in the first team I'm finding a little staggering really as by all accounts, he's hardly tearing it up for the reserves. Obviously because he's the most experienced, inexperienced player (you following), he's getting the gig.

I'd have liked to have seen Neal play, start Cooper with Carvell say, and play Neal with Wood, play four props, and try to get a balance on the field with a bit of experience.

Carney creamed Hodgson for pace for his try,


THE HOOF

Sorry, I meant from deep more. You get pinned in your own 10m etc. It's a long way to get back to the Huddersfield attacking zone. I just can't see how we get there, with our current backline. I could see a threat from deep in B.Hodgson, Lawrence, D.Hodgson, Robinson etc.

Carney looks as threatening as anyone.

Considering the size of the Giants, going without Neal as an additional prop wasnt a good idea?

I don't know how to do that multiple quote thingy, but those last two points were on the money.

We need an extra dimension to our attack, something which Kevin Penny would add with his pace and ablility to score long range tries. The backline atm seems quite pedestrian, always makes me cringe when I see Paul Johnson named in the three quarters.

I also believe you should never go into a game with only 3 props, especially against a side like Huddersfield. If we're short on front rowers then why is a prop with SL experience on loan at Widnes?

Che Smith needs to recall the Widnes two from their exile in Siberia.

Agree with that I love to see the lad back scored again today with that great tries thread it reminds you of just how much pace he has.

Lose against Salford though and we have got problems pies are getting confident now with our dip in form and there run of wins I wouldn't fancy us much going into the semi on a 4 game losing streak got a feeling Morley's fitness for the semi is going to be key to us getting to Wembley though we miss him alot.

Well, that saves me from writing an identical synopsis i suppose. Left after 75mins, and just felt so flat after the match. Back to the start of the season kind of feeling.....

i also saw monaghan go off and seemed to be limping although he did reappear. hope you get some bodies back and beat the pies in the semis good luck!

a'las that maybe so my old friend...
but i can think of a team that hasnt beaten us.. at home..or away..for how long is it 8 years..no names mentioned..apart from there used to be a cullen out topic nearly every week on their message boards...sigh!..

Great minds and all that.

We had all the ball for the first 15 mins and could do nothing with it, four knock-on's and two terrible kicking decisions by Briers made sure we wasn't going to score, after the 15 mins Hudds started to get some ball and good field position, Crabtree came on and his dominance in the forwards together with his offloads made our life real hard. Our defence was terrible with three or four breaks made without a Warrington hand near the player.

A game best left forgotten.

Okay, sniping aside, my view is that the first thing we need to get sorted is the halves followed by the defence. To me it was crystal clear in both the Saints and Huddersfield games that we were ran ragged by far superior play makers. Both Eastmond and Robinson's speed of distribution was much better than ours and were able to get the ball wide to beat our sliding defence. They then jinked inside when we expected wide balls to create the gap. Support play is also missing at times. Two great breaks against Huddersfield, especially the one by Bridge, were not supported.

We need more to our game than just getting Carvell and Morley (when he's playing) to stick the ball up their jumpers to make great yards. We then need superb distribution to help create the gaps and give us much more varied attacking options.

I am concerned that both Briers and Monaghan will occupy these potions again next season, when I don't think they are the answer. The acquisition of Myler should help, but how much pressure will then be on his young shoulders...?

I now think that we are the weakest of the last four going into the semis. I know the pies have pulled a few good wins out of the hat lately when they themselves are not playing well - but they are winning.

On a more positive note, I think we will beat Salford this weekend - but we then need to at least have a good game against Leeds away the following week to give us some much needed confidence going into what will probably be our most important game of the season. Even if we don't beat Leeds, we cannot afford a collapse like yesterday.

Still, I'd rather this be happening now than in two weeks time!!!

Oh, one advantage of being a pessimist - you can't be disappointed!! 25 years of supporting Wire has taught me this - hehe!!