No it doesn't, but some people are going on like we lost to the 86 Kangaroos.

If we had lost to a team of that standard I don’t think many people would complain

Personally I’m just peed off because it was obvious how Hull would play and Lam hadn’t got a clue again why we didn’t turn up when it mattered
I don’t like losing but if we give it our best shot and lose at least that can soften the disappointment but yet again we turned up empty of ideas and senior players just not turning up

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"We have the top metre maker in Superleague and four in the top twenty. https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player-stats https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/club-stats'" Metres made after contact is the big stat for me. Can run 250 metres in a game but 200 could be unaposed. Bet our prop forwards metres after contact is by far and away the worst. In fact i bet walmsley has more mertres gained after contact that all our props put together. The problems are obvious and have been for 18 months.

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"We have the top metre maker in Superleague and four in the top twenty. https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player-stats https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/club-stats'" Metres made after contact is the big stat for me. Can run 250 metres in a game but 200 could be unaposed. Bet our prop forwards metres after contact is by far and away the worst. In fact i bet walmsley has more mertres gained after contact that all our props put together. The problems are obvious and have been for 18 months.

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"We have the top metre maker in Superleague and four in the top twenty. https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player-stats https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/club-stats'" This in my view is reflective of one of the main problems at the club atm. We're covering up our weaknesses by pointing to our strengths. I don't even need to click on that link to know that Liam Farrell will be on that list, probably Zak and Bateman as well. OK - we have players who let our front rowers off the hook and make a lot of metres - that doesn't mean that our front row still isn't weak. Yes - we're capable of defending our line for long periods (e.g. the superhuman effort in the GF) but it doesn't mean that there isn't a clear problem that we need to do that in the first place. In 2018 we won a Grand Final without kicking a goal - it doesn't mean goal kicking isn't a weakness that needs addressing.

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"We have the top metre maker in Superleague and four in the top twenty. https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player-stats https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/club-stats'" This in my view is reflective of one of the main problems at the club atm. We're covering up our weaknesses by pointing to our strengths. I don't even need to click on that link to know that Liam Farrell will be on that list, probably Zak and Bateman as well. OK - we have players who let our front rowers off the hook and make a lot of metres - that doesn't mean that our front row still isn't weak. Yes - we're capable of defending our line for long periods (e.g. the superhuman effort in the GF) but it doesn't mean that there isn't a clear problem that we need to do that in the first place. In 2018 we won a Grand Final without kicking a goal - it doesn't mean goal kicking isn't a weakness that needs addressing.

A couple of good results and all of a sudden the problems faded into the background. The problem is that they did not go away. If we are suddenly on our haunches if a player who makes three carries a game is banned then things are worse than I thought. Whatever Lam says pushing Smithies into the middle will not give us any go forward. Byrne had a mare but has been a stand out this season though I cannot see why he was not pulled out earlier and why was Bullock given so little game time. If he was not injured then we should be questioning the decision making.
This team could have a fabulous season but we just do not have the right players in the right positions. I do not know what we can do about French, who seems a shadow of his former self, except to move Hardaker. On yesterdays performance I would not criticise any individual other than to say that higher up decisions need to be taken with some kind of longer term plan being sorted out.

I see on the other site people calling for us to look at Hurrell as a centre. Now there is a player who could transition to a prop.

Agree with this.

Yes out wingers are making big meters. They always do.

It’s our failure to stop other teams making big meters and our lack of ability to make big meters between tackles 2-5 which is killing us.

We have a soft belly that consistently loses contact in the middle of the park in both attack and defence.

You can’t hide that with wingers making good kick returns.

Why would you stifle the running elusive power of Hurrell by having him run 3 or 4 metres straight at seasoned forwards ahead of him?

Wouldn’t want him in the centre never mind playing out of position in the pack.

I think that is a really good post. A team is only as good as its weakest link and the only way we are going to improve is to rectify those problems. The return of Manfredi and Marshall is important as we should make far more ground from kick returns, which in turn should ultimately put us on the front foot. It will be interesting to see if that enables our props to make more of an impact later in the tackle count, if not, then it is definitely time for change.

The other issue with our defence is our line speed. We need to replicate what we did in the GF on a regular basis. Hull did it to us last week and stifled the life out of us.

If Gildart departs then, in my view, we need two strike centres because what we have got is not good enough.

I’m happy with Hardaker and a replacement for Gildart being recruited. Not Hurrell though.

His fitness is the concern for me. If you could guarantee he could avoid injury I'd love him at Wigan.

I never rated Hurrell much. And sure ain't part of any solution to the Prop Problem.

You do realise that I said that sarcastically?

Obviously. Just trying-to get us back on-topic.

Read a rumour that Liam Watts is off to Hull KR, hope we're in for him.

Depends on the money, he’s looked a shadow of his former self this season

And is still better than what we have

Watts hasn’t been at his best but we’re in a position of needing to take a punt on somebody with a physical presence IMO.

On the plus side I thought the bench props lifted us tonight. I don’t think Lam is even close to getting his starting front row right but maybe that’ll come in time.

Watts is good ball in hand but he is also a penalty machine which gets overlooked too easily by fans

Byrne and Havard were a handful, made loads of metres after contact and worked hard with no errors. Clarke one great run but that was it and he looks so poor defensively.

They’re doing great and we just need to do something about getting more support around them now. I’m chuffed Byrne rammed some of our own fans comments down their throats tonight. I thought Clark did ok but no more really. His weaknesses let down the good work he does sometimes.

I don’t know what is happening with Bullock but he can’t be putting it in during the week to not make this team. I’d be looking to start him every week but he did have a slow start when we did that. I’m hoping this is Lams way of kicking him up the backside because I’ve always said he seems to need that.

Clark and Bullock are very similar, good go-forward but have zero engine and are really poor defensively.

Singleton looks like he’s in slow motion this season.