It's a Friendly, meaningless.

We looked good last night (Cas) although I took nothing from it really apart from fitness and no injuries, if you beat us next week or vice versa I wouldn't give a...

This suggests maybe fielding the kids against Sheffield wasn't the greatest decision!

Hmm, shame really but tbh it doesn't matter, what matters is the game against Widnes and I hope you guys get your s in gear before then. Cas will probably beat you next week but don't get worked up about it, only a friendly, hell we lost to Keighley last year 46-12.

I just hope Catalan don't put a score like that past us in Week 1 -_-

Catalan have the benefit of warmer weather, playing on the surface week in week out, being at home and let's face it they have recruited well and I have them as top 4. Just putting a little perspective there

All depends on what they did in training over in France. They may well have been busted before the game. As long as they're ready for the first game of the season, when we play for points, then no one will remember this (apart from the fans who travelled over to watch it, if there were any).

Friendlies are about learning from them. The result is meaningless (and can perhaps lead to false confidence).

If we work on the assumption that it will take a while for the team to gel, I would just like to point out how well Leeds were doing in June under their new coach and who is currently holding the Super League trophy. I know we won't get that far, but give Agar a chance. If the second half of the season goes well, 2013 might be the year when we start to shine.

True.
To be honest I keep forgetting the simple fact that we have a whole new squad with a new coach. Someone on another thread was wary saying maybe we should expect similar results to newly promoted teams who have also just been recruiting, I think they might have a point. I'm looking forward to finding out though and i'm sure it will all come together at some point this season

It's a bit disappointing obviously but in the grand scheme of things like everyone else has said the result is not important, it's only the second game this lot have played together, seen as the game against Sheff was a different and for a few the first game together, so it's very understandable that they came up well short of a very good Catalan side who will have had great preparation down in the South of France and they're also a side that knows each other inside out. What matters is what they learn and take forward to the next game and hopefully each time they play together improvements are made. Shame we picked a few injuries and Wildie didn't even make it to the game with a illness and neither did Mariano, add that to Southern and Wilkes, we must have been well light in the pack.

Only a friendly a brand new team against an already established top SL side. It will take time for our team to gel but we will we will get there just need abit of patience. On the 5 drives and a kick comment our style & brand of rugby can't be worse than last seasons which was a chore to watch & when hull f c visited Belle Vue last season they were one of the most entertaining sides we played against certainly threw the ball about and ripped us apart.

Am I right in thinking that teams train differently between games than in pre-season? I know Catalan will have been doing their pre-season stuff as well, but I assume that the game was on the back of a pretty intensive week, perhaps more so than Catalan, because we will have been making the most of what they always have: the weather.

This is very true, if Agar gets us playing like Hull played against us at BV last season then how can we complain ? I don't think Hull F.C fans know the tactics we had to endure under Kear last season, if they did I'm sure they would shhhhhhhh and get on with their own projects instead of snearing at us at every given opportunity. I get the feeling Hull fans will be on here gloating every time we post a loss, ban them all !!

It also suggest picking up injuries in that game would not have helped this game.

Would the result have been that much worse with a few missing?

You can't protect the team all season Al, pretty soon they all will be playing every week! I think we have the quality, they just need the experience of playing together and they missed an opportunity by fielding the youngsters.

And if Agar had not fielded any youngsters in pre season the give the youngsters a chance brigade would be hounding him.
He cannot please everyone.

Other positives.
As I said straight after Agar was appointed, a few early season thrashings and Agar will be out before it's too late to spoil the whole of 2012.
As above for Kyle Wood.



Although I agree with the swap coaches idea, how difficult is it for any coach to just tell the Cas squad to "Just give the ball to Rangi!"

Try to keep a lid on the positivity old lad!

here is a little bit more perspective for you mate. we went there last year with a team that had just come out of administration and didn;t know if they were going to get paid or not , including the coach. a load of young boys thrown together on a shoestring budget from the academies and lower league clubs. wrote off by everyone, against all odds, pulled off a great win with gritt, determination and a lot of bottle. i watched that game. thats perspective mate. this season we go there with supposedly a better side, a full weeks warm weather training behind us, new coach, spent up to the cap. never mind defence around the rook rubbish. the catalans front row dominated and rolled straight over us.that mate is going to keep happening unless something is done . there is no substitute for grunt power and determination.imo , the score flattered us.

Lovely (not) use of 'perspective' how about you go and learn the meaning of 'context'!

wow!glad you let me know . not really bothered though , only interested in rl. english and grammar . no interest at all but thanks

The point about our front row is a valid one, it lacks presence. We could really do with a destuctive prop to get us going forward and to give the opposition something to worry about. Right now our props are much of a muchness and against cas next week without wilkes, raleigh and possibly southern we look threadbare.

To put it in perspective, we got well beaten by a very good SL side who have made a few changes to their squad and quality changes at that. Salford got well beaten by what will be a very good championship side in Leigh (which was put together late in the day and without an appointed coach.

If we were in Salfords position with a relatively settled sqaud from last season and getting beaten by Leigh, then I would be more concerned.

There is undoubtedly something pyschologically about friendlies in any event. These are competitive athletes were talking about and knowing there is nothing at stake is bound to affect their approcah to the game whether we as fans like it or not.

The time to start judging is when the season starts. I personally am not expecting everything to click at once given the large number of new signings. I will be happy with gradual improvement on a week to week basis and as long as I see the team putting the effort in to make that gradual improvement, then they will get my full support.

For the last 10 years I've been saying I'm not going to any more friendly matches as they aren't a true reflection of what is to come for the season. Year on year I've stood freezing watching two teams give about 65% effort. I'm sticking to my words this year and will make judgment of the team in the first match against Widnes.

Personally I'm happy to lose friendlies as they mean nothing other than they provide training. You want to start your winning run in matches that count. It also means we won't start the season thinking we are better than we actually are.

Result from Catalans

Catalan Dragons 44 London Broncos 22.

Puts our result into perspective

I beg to disagree on that score.

that's the problem where do you get the confidence to take into the first match of the season if you can't think you can compete with the rest.

you should only take a defeat as a learning curve to analyse where it went wrong