I actually agree with you matey, he has been a penalty machine, and even when he wins the collision his play the balls are that slow that teams defensive lines are already set and waiting. Just been a bit disappointed

Is Poore fit enough? He looks lethargic and slow. Is he carrying too much timber?

think he wants to go back home

I actually thought Poore apart from Tautai was the only forward who wasn't bullied yesterday. I saw Raleigh struggled every time he took the ball up. My only beef with Poore is that he takes too long to play the ball but he doesn't give an inch and he didn't defend badly either. Maybe not a state of origin standard prop but he's definitely not the weakest in the pack, not at all for me.

On Tim Smith, people can say what they like but when the forwards are as dire as ours have been for much of this season I don't know what he's supposed to do. He's already showed he's capable when we win the arm wrestle but Ii think this season we've just been out-muscled all too easily. I wish he'd take the line on more though.

Problem with Poore is that he is an NRL style prop, not really suited the the English game imho. He will think he is doing great as he plays longer stints than usual. In the NRL he is a clockwork forward who gets up and runs the ball in hard for two 20 minute spells with no off loading game. That's what he does and is doing. His play the ball is fairly quick for a big man as is every other part of his game but only for 20 mins max. He hasn't dissapointed me as such he just wasn't what we needed IMHO but that's with the benefit of hindsight. This new lad Tititutu or whatever he's called will do far better because he's more off the cuff which is what English fans love they just don't always know it.

Poore will go back to the NRL, do very well just like all the other NRL robot forwards who have failed to make an impression have done (Mark Carol the obvious one).

We (as a game) never learn, we as a club fail with high profile players yet if Mr T is owt to go by still have a knack with the nobodies. Agar could learn from Kear on that one, we are on a tight budget here and you need to think outside the norm.

That's just making excuses for your particular golden boy. Yes it doesn't help but it's no excuse for not tackling or running at the line or any of the other basics he isn't carrying out. Come on he needs a kick up the bum. If you're going to be the No1 players that's part of the price - you have to be there on your game at least 80% of the time, not the current 40%.

agree with a lot of what you say tommy but what ilk do you put george griffin in he did dominate our pack n that first half but george is no journeyman prop hes only 20yrs old and in my eyes as got a big career ahead in the game dont put him in the same ilk as ryan boyle and others

Hi guy's as a Cas fan(and no not here to gloat) i think you are missing Sykes badly.
With him out of your team you look woeful at times. No structure going forward and missing him with his defensive skills(from what i have seen).
As for the Agar out thread. Watch the half time section very carefully where it shows you Agar in the dressing room,read his body language and that of the players and lip read Agar,he has lost most players attention.

Good luck for rest of season,except your last home league game of course

I can't i binned it, ran out of space and needed to record " price drop tv" shame i know

My golden boy? How did you come by this information?

I'm probably Brough's biggest fan on here, so I'm willing to be shot down, but we'll never replace a half like him without difficulty thanks to the supporters who won't accept someone with attitude and fire over "giving 110%" and other such rubbish. Yes he had a go at teammates, was unprofessional and whatever, but he was a bloody good rugby league footballer, and we don't see many of them down at Belle Vue.

Tim Smith is showing the sort of form at the moment that he was in the NRL. If his confidence goes completely we could be looking at long end to this season. I think that are forwards are the best part of our team at the moment. We do get go forward but either make a silly error or end are sets badly. We are the only team that struggles to build any sort of pressure. Also we never got any go forward from the back 3, the opposition seem to have worked us out.

It's a funny game, I completely disagree. I think most of our go forward comes from Cockayne, Fox and Mathers because they are quick out of the blocks and usually get quick play the balls. I think we struggle up the middle and the forwards lose the collision and don't get a quick play the ball.

Whats that got to do with anything, just for the record he left for a bag of money and no other reason.

Why try to blame the fans

I tend to agree - for the last few games, our back-line has saved us from being penned in our own half, either from kick returns or scooting from dummy half and stealing good metres.

Our forwards don't seem able to get a roll on - with the exception of Amor, very few get their nose through the line and we don't seem to have much of an off-load game; even if we did, I'm not sure the runners are there to support it.

On the up-side, TT does look like a forward who can bump off a tackler or two and get the ball away; provided he doesn't get in the habit of throwing it when it's not on, that could be an asset.

I agree with all that. Also we are the only team in SL without any midfield pace. Like you said if someone makes a break there is no one in centre field to capitlise. The only time you see it happen is if Cockayne is loitering in the middle.

If we are going to persist with smith (I agree with vasty on his ability) we need a quick running half as a foil and to provide the pacey running/ backing up game Smith lacks.

Couldn't agree more - we are desperately in need of a good quality SO to work with Smith; one who can take the line on and has a decent kick - our last tackle options are woeful unless we're 5 yards out, meaning we have absolutely no game management.

I watched the game and was embarrassed are weakness's haven't been addressed thats down to ra, powell is a smart coach all he told them to do was run at smith who can't defend and kick to the backs who can't catch, simple and it worked.We have had numerous failures at catching the ball for 2 seasons in our backs so beasting players seems childish what do we do in training?.As for the backs why aren't are forwards taking the the ball up its all disjointed to me and is clearly down to poor coaching.I would love to see a forward storm onto a ball to make the opposition work but all we do is overrun it or fumble the telegraphed drop off.

Because there were plenty of threads slagging him off while here for all that kind of stuff. Yes he left for the money of course, but we dp have people who are happy just with effort at the expense of talent nd can't accept that some have minds of their own rather than are just sheep.

We did tell you.

Here we go

It's a pointless argument. Even if he had stayed, he would have been the first to be sold by the administrator the year or so after.

Can't be doing with the sheep stuff either, from you or from the moderator who had it or similar in his sig. People are fans/supporters, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Smith for me should not get a game until he learns or rather mans up in defence.

His attitude is terrible in relation to defence especially on or near the line. Desire is a major part of making a tackle and he is showing non.

I dread to think what Farrell will do against him next week.

As others have said I think he needs a dominant running half partner. Let Smith run the plays and guide you round the park early doors, first 3 plays on defensive sets coming away from the line, then have a more direct half finish the sets off.

Smith is not a half that takes the line on so unless the pack give him go forward he will always be fighting a losing battle, playing on the back foot. His biggest asset is his ability to pick a pass and much if the feedback coming his way now is similar to when he was at Wigan under Brian Noble.

Noble had a very simple style of play with few bodies in motion running at holes, again if you fail to give Smith options then you are waisting his talent.

The Wigan game is going to be a massive test for him, he us going to have 2 strong runners in Farrell and Thornely to deal with, but if he goes well it could give him the confidence to kick on in this element of his game.

Seeing as he is injured i doubt he cares how many strong runners wigan have.

Just got back from the weekend and reading all your posts on here, there's a few things I've read (or ratehr, not read) which I'm surprised about.

I think in summary, we won because your guys didn't move up fast enough and Chase had a ridiculous amount of time with the ball in hand.

The reason Carney didn't trample Fox down cas is cause whenever he got the ball, your line was already up and he didn't have chance to run - unlike Saturday.

With regard to Tim Smith, I've said on here all season, you can't create two tries from nothing, then let two nothing tries in and be called a "great player" - his lack of commitment in defence is appalling, but I agree that as your playmaker, you can accomodate this..... Burrow and McGuire for Leeds are the ones lining up the defence so they can be a speed bump for an impact tackler to finish off. If you can hide Smith along side an impact tackler then you'll be fine. Unfortunately he had was defending inside your centres on Saturday, both of which were woeful in defence, and really exposed Smith, Fox, and Cockayne (hence 5/6 of our tries coming down your sides)

On Justin Poore, again, I said he will be good for you if he remains fit. I honestly feel for you guys as over the last 5/6 years, you've had to put up with massive NRL forwards with a big mouth and big reputation, turning out to be past their best or totally unfit. On Saturday Poore looked like the infamous Jarryd Hickey (and from what I've read, he has done over the last few matches?). He seemed very slow, barely won an impact and struggled to clear the ruck/retreat 10m.

I came to your match with Hemel Stags and watched your kids thinking "oh crap, these lads look sharp" ad I would be begging for a few of them to get starts.

However, I think you guys should judge Mr Agar on next week - if he gives some of those kids SL debuts against Wigan, he wants stringing up. These kids need confidence that they are good enough to play SL. It'd be no good playing them against a wigan team who are on fire in a team who seem to be at their lowest point of the season.

I'd write next week off, try a few different structures wth the current 17 and see what happens.

But don't forget.... you're still only 3 wins off the eight!!!! Not 7 like last season!