I didnt notice him in the second, so perhaps he had gone off? Some strong running though, good to see some passion it makes such a huge difference at this level. Its the reason Crusaders have 6 points and we have 2. Good atmos. too I enjoyed a good sing. Where's our flag gone btw?

Maidstone. Now I'm back in Maidstone. Flag collected and will be at next game

I bet you hang it in your bedroom window between games.

How big do you think my bedroom is?!

There's a joke here about the size of your ego....

I'm the most famous Harlequins RL supporter out there.

I have to say I was quite impressed by how your team upped the performance after last week. I suspect huddersfield may have been able to up another gear if needed, but it was a real credit to the team that they didn't capitulate after the first 10 mins.



The bounce on the first try was kind to Huddersfield and often when your lucks down you don't get the rub of the green or the refs decisions.



I was also impressed by how the supporters got behind the team. (One day the team might be properly applauded on to the pitch when they come on to warm up!)



Bryant and Bolger are the two that are impressing me at the moment.

Anyone know why Kyle Bibb was on the bench, but never made it to the pitch yesterday?

In the first 10 minutes there were five very unlucky moments (perhaps 3 were bad technique)



A) The bounce for the first try was very fortuitous, although O'Callaghan should have been nearer

B) O'Callaghan catching the ball in the field of play and stepping on the line (inches in that one)

C) Will Sharp being judged to have kicked the ball when it had clearly hit the line and then his foot (again inches)

D) Melling kicking out on the full, though that was probably two metres over the line

E) The Danny Ward non existent forward pass with Danny Orr clear



That gave Huddersfield a two try advantage and ultimately it was 5 tries to 3.



I don't think anyone from Huddersfield who it talking of more tries is sincere. I didn't see anything that was close to a try e.g. a video ref decision. I would say they converted all their good chances. A cracking ratio. I felt we were on top for the last 20 minutes, which was unexpected. Hudds looked tired from their constant 3 men in the tackle I think



Cheers

Mark

Was thinking of doing the same, and no surprise that many of the points (but not all!) replicate those already made:



POSITIVES:

- Support of the crowd. Much better atmosphere.

- Some more variety in attack. Not close to the better teams, but at least it wasn't just 5 drives and a kick all game. Maybe someone remembered that the rules of RL as as they are specifically to make the game a spectacle for the crowd.

- Ben Bolger and Lamont Bryan looking more and more comfortable. Not ideal in many ways that they are on the pitch at the same time, but hey ho.

- Dave Williams made several good runs and didn't look as bad as the reports from Warrington implied.

- No more injuries so far as I could see.



NEGATIVES:

- We lost again.

- Size of crowd. 'Nuff said.

- Bibb - what's the point? Did he come onto the ground at all? If he was only there because we have to name 17 why him? Are we paying him any money?

- Kicking game - did the ball hit the ground once?

- John Wells' presentation. I couldn't hear what he had to say because a load of people round me were too busy joking and chatting to their friends and clearly didn't give a monkeys. Thought it showed a lack of respect for a player who has done a lot for the club even if he was never a try machine.

Hudds were very clever with their positioning of the back 3 to field our kicks. If you noticed when it came to the last tackle they took a gamble and move all 3 (5,2,1)back in line with where the full back is generally positioned, so you end up kicking at 3 rather than just the full back. Additionally it offers them options to counter attack which they are also very good at.



This of course is a lot easier to do when the team with the ball is kicking from a non dangerous position on the field which is generally where we kicked from.



Nathan Brown is a cunning coach- he really has brought some cute tactics to SL.



On another note-I watched one of the Sky games earlier this year when Hudds were playing and the team (possibly Wire) threw the ball wide early and went around the Hudds defence-They do seem to compress as a defensive line.

At the risk of you thinking me insincere we must have got close to one more try. You say we got 5 when we actually scored 6! The Gilmour try may have had a 'lucky bounce'. However there were several Giants chasing the kick. Just as your first try had a 'lucky deflection' - the key point being your guys were chasing the kick. There were other Giants chances: Hodgson failed to convert one in the first half (poor technique) and 2/3 times we were held up on the line or very close to it, credit to your defence there.

Gale is better than most of you have seen, star man at Donny when he was there. hope he gets more chances with you

"John Wells' presentation. I couldn't hear what he had to say because a load of people round me were too busy joking and chatting to their friends and clearly didn't give a monkeys."





I was in north stand, Giants fan and would have like also to hear but your PA is e

All Wingers should drop back for the last.



Are you saying we don't? If that's true then I'm gobsmacked.

Depends where the last tackle is. Our last tackle tends to occur smack bang in the middle of the pitch, due to our reluctance to pass the ball more than twice in one tackle.

Wingers drop back unless of course you're being attacked down the tram lines.





(No Carry on jokes please)

Yeah I agree. Our attacking and kicking is so 1 dimensional though. There was plenty of positivity after Saturday, but looking back, the tries we scored were rubbish and we were usually piggybacked up the pitch and our defence comical on occasions. Hmmm.

Yep Thats exactly what Im saying-At best if we are defending one side the opposite side winger will drop back but the FB still commands the middle part of the field.



Hudds on the other hand due to making us kick from our own half/half way line dropped all 3 back. I suspect it's all part of the pressure building process Nathan Brown Harps on about

Listy - much as I hate to say it - I CAN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE!! All season myself and my friend who sits next to me have been taking bets on how short the kicks to touch are each time. It's embarrassing.

Ive been complaining for at least two seasons. This season its just got even worse and a big reason why we never get any good field position from penalties or infield kicking. we can even kick past the defending wingers full back which is why they put three players back ready for the 'kick' on the last. They knew our limitations on distance. The ball was never going over them!

ever since my first game when I had the rules etc explained to me, I could never figure out why we were never making more than 10 or 15 yeards from a kick to touch from a penalty. It is always vital that you make touch....but surely 30 yards is still achievable with a bit of practice.



Whilst the lack of infield bombs is one of the real +'s compared to the arial tennis that union has become, surely 2 or 3 players should be coached how to put boot to ball usefully? Sometimes, a kick on the third might be a way of keeping defences like Huddersfields "honest"....but simply driving it up the middle and kicking on the last just plays to their strengths. Mix it up a bit.....doesn't always work, but at least it keeps the other lot guessing.

Accepting mixing it up is a sound idea, the earlier you kick the more tackles you make, the more exposure you present and attritionally the more tired you become. We have capitulated against Salford, Leeds etc in the last 20 minutes



Mac's game plan is very simplistic in that it's one out, conservative, no error, build pressure rugby-in simplistic terms boring, hence why he hasn't brought in one creative player of note-he's even managed to take the speed out of LMS, Clubb and J OC

Agree about the tackle count, but the flip side is a decent kick on the third means the big hudds pack have to turn around, backtrack 30/40 meters and by the time they are back and set....2 or 3 tackles have been made by backs on backs. Not saying backs don't tackle hard...but it negates the effectiveness of the battering rams somewhat.

I thin Mac is an hnest and decent bloke, but I agree he is coaching the skill out of players. From what little I have seen on SL TV and the hudds game...it is very 1 dimentional.

Anyone remember Paul Sykes kicking out on the full from the kick off three times in one game (v Bradford?), and misisng kicks to touch from penalties twice?

Rather 15 metres that that.