Many posters mentioned this on the Wakey v Saints post.

Just feel we need to not panic but improve our game management to recognise when it is important to drop the goal.

After the superb recovery from 20 6 down we found ourselves leading 26 20. At that point we had opportunities to stretch the lead to 7.

A number of Saints fans on their Redvee site have expressed surprise that we didn't go for a drop goal then.

I think that one of the strengths of Cas is their ability to stretch a lead by the drop goal attempt and Gale is a master at this.

With hindsight I think that had we stretched the lead to 27 20 last night, we might have been celebrating a massive double over the league leaders.

Nevertheless it was a gutsy performance and the players should be holding their heads up high and kick on from here into the qualifiers.

Taking one point against anyone in that situation is futile imo but against Saints your just inviting them back into the game - waste of time imho.

Everybody is an expert in hindsight. We We are better to try and extend by 6 in my opinion at the time.
It's not like it would have won us the game.

Feel that when momentum is with you (We had just scored 20 unanswered points) it is psychologically better to be 2 scores in front asap.

Cas have demonstrated that on numerous occasions over the last couple of seasons and unfortunately have done that against us.

For me with the best part of 15 minutes to go there was too much time left, an extra point would not have been enough against them, best thing to do with or without hindsight was to press on for another try whilst we had the momentum and them under pressure, then we could have looked for a dg to consolidate a win.

Absolutely agree . It was absolutely set up for the drop goal, but we dont seem to have anyone confident enough to take them on this season.

All the top teams would have pinged it over in the same situation.

It was the turning point of the game.

We are so close to matching the top teams, and it is these little things that are proving the difference.

Nobody took the dg because it wasn't gonna win the game with so much time on the clock...end of.
I mean, where do you draw the line, does not taking a dg in the first half to go 2 scores up and then go on to lose constitute poor decision making, somebody here WILL without doubt argue that it is...

Why would it not have won the game? Having just held them out for 30 mins, and with 17 min remaining. The way we were playing at that point i would have backed us to hold out.

Even if we had scored another try that still would not have won the game using the logic that Saints would still need to score twice.

A six point lead couldn’t win the game so why would a drop goal? You’re also assuming that somehow Saints would buckle at the prospect of overhauling a single point, highly unlikely don’t you think.

I think the one pointer has a purpose at the right time but one thing is for sure against Saints, attack is the best form of defence. You have to continue at them as we have done in both games and it very nearly came off both times.

It's all if's buts and maybe's now. However a 7 point cushion cranks up the pressure on the opposition, which can lead to them "forcing" the game and in turn, to them making mistakes.
Having said that, teams have taken a dg in the pats and lost, just as they have take it and won.
It's all so easy in hindsight.

We have lose a few games by the odd few points though and just think what could have been.

Having said that, there were huge positives to take from Friday and we will need to be as good, if not better, to turnover Catalan next week.

Their pack was superb against Cas yesterday, especially Casty.

The only thing a drop goal would’ve done for us would of delayed in inevitable, they looked way too comfortable even when we were at our best...

Without hindsight, that is at the time I was crying out to go for the drop goal when 26-20 ahead.

With hindsight, instead of going for the drop goal the grubber kick through led directly to Grace's try and the momentum swinging decisively back to Saints which led to them winning the game.

With a quarter of the match to go I felt a drop goal would be a good option - 2 scores ahead, get the ball back from the kick off, psychological advantage after having a run of momentum to get back into the game, further opportunities to score tries with less pressure.

BTW welcome back Trinity18.

The only thing a drop goal would have done, assuming it went over would have give us an extra point and us playing out from our try line after they've kicked off, had we missed they would be taking a 7 tackle play from the 20 metre line, 5 minutes to go then every time, a good quarter of an hour to go never, how many tries did they score on the last tackle?

As futile as refusing the drop goal kicking straight to Lomax who wins a quick ptb and thy score from their own try line? You talk some crap sometimes. Drop goal was obviously the smart decision to make. Shame we cannot manage games how they need to be managed on regular occasions. We'd have another 4 games won if we could manage games correctly.

Funny how 13 players and a fully qualified coaching team thought differently to the rent an expert that's you. Hell you're in love with yourself, why don't you just apply for the coaching job and we can all watch the hillarious results, except they wouldn't be would they, they would be tragic.

People like you annoy me, you just bandy around buzz words like 'game management' as if you actually understand them but you don't, they are just meaningless sound bites like most of what you post. Now leave the game or whatever your latest name for it to those who are qualified.

'Shame we cannot manage games how they need to be managed on regular occasions. We'd have another 4 games won if we could manage games correctly' meaningless drivel from a man who must clearly have the ability to see alternate universes, it's heat of the battle end of, now get a grip and I promise I'll stop laughing

Who doesn't annoy you? I imagine the list would be shorter.

You're right. Coaches and 13 players never make the wrong decision. I don't know why you bother posting anymore. You mas well just copy and paste quotes from players or coaches. Get back to having some faith in your own opinion.

If people like me annoy you I'd hate to know how people who haven't played and watched rugby for 20 year annoy you. No one's opinion has any credibility according to you anyway so it beats me why you waste your time entertaining them. On the other hand, I value the discussion and opinion of others on this forum. You generally have a positive input but recently you've gone down some weird echo chamber avenue.

he's been winding him self up on the VT,
as for the drop goal I'm not a big lover of it but with 20 mins to go it wouldn't of been a bad shout as I very much doubt saints would of gone for a short kick off and we would of got the ball back
I doubt saints would of been held to two scores though in that amount of time

But the game management is crap. i'm not a coach either but I can see it. it never occurred to 13 players to do a dg, instead we played out the 6 and ended with a poor kick straight to Lomax, it didn't have to be a dg at that point, what we needed was a goal line drop out or at the very least tackle them right on their line to keep the pressure on. Instead the kick was poor, we fell asleep in defence and within a flash Grace had scored..

The first post thaht is somewhere near right.

Everyone I was stood with was screaming for a one pointer. All this talk of Finn's rugby brain and he didn't step up, also Miller can kick them could have took control and had a go.

IMHO we don't kick enough drop goals and that is why when we need one in a pressure game, like Hull away last year we end up missing them. Friday night would have been a perfect opportunity to not only improve our position in the game, but also practice setting up for a drop goal and kicking one for once.

Luke Gale has kicked a number of drop goals this year most of them before half time. This means in future when it comes to kicking one in a pressure situation Cas will have practiced more than any other team in a game situation and will execute it better.

It all seems like a bit of a whine, just for the sake of whining.

It's an absolute certainty we have a dedicated 1 point kicker already primed for the advent of a situation where a DG is not actually just a poor return play.

Hampsh and finny were both in position for it! But there was no communication

then if that's the case then when also should look at the two when we get a penalty