Just a little gripe here.

We have threads re the team bashing already and I don't want this to head that way but I need to ask the following?

Why has our attack dissolved into the three basic moves?

Inside pass - we have done this to death and udually the forward on the end of them is running into 2/3 defenders and gets planted on their botty. The odd few close to opposition line is acceptable butif it's not on then all it does is limit our yardage up field.

One up - dummy half, pass to forward. Drives in for 5-10 yards. Gets planted. What's this all about? Predictable and far too much of this on display. What's wrong with the ball going through some hands with an aim to create space in the defensive line around the centre/ wing area. Our strength does not lie in running it up the middle 4 tackles a set.

Reverse pass - again over used and predictable drive in from a forward on end of a reverse pass. Why not have a back on the end of a reverse pass looking to give the ball some air should there be defenders ready to make the crunch.

Yet again in the last 10 minutes we started to give the ball more air which resulted in more yards gained and the odd half chance.

We did not see this basic rubbish in the first few games but seem to have nothing but these in our locker now.

I hope that the next few games we see more enterprise. I'm just curious as to whether it's the coach who has instructed the style of play or the players who are low on confidence and just revert to basic rugby.

Or maybe i am being overly critical, not 100% settled down from the last 2 games.

Just painful watching my club do so well on every front but the playing side.

Well I must agree the first few games we threw the ball about and gave it a go in the London game and last night we didnt and could be read like a childs book.In the first few games we looked like we could match any one the last two we looked like we could not match any one.

A gripe of mine is our refusal to catch the bomb or catch on the full. This was driving me mad yesterday. If Agar is to prove his worth then he has to treat the lads like schoolboys and get some basics going. Let's not waste time with dummy running drills etc etc.

Smith, Southern and John look severely unfit compared to the other lads. These three upstarts need extra fitness training and conditioning.

Next John and Smith are pulling defenders fine but their passing is lethargic and often players are having to reach back to catch wayward passes. They have no ability in their long passing which is killing momentum as they are throwing out quite a few Hail Mary passes that are hitting the floor or worse. Chase gave a master class at this last night but I've no clue how to address it if Smith and John are in fact the real deal.

We are not back to hogging the swimming pool down at total fitness again are we??

You would think having a small pack we would chance moving the ball more, on paper our outside backs look good, does make you wonder why we try to plunder in the middle at times.

And with that it makes us predictable to defend against.

Painfull at times is bang on.

Agree entirely with this thread. The number of "drop off" plays that Smith ran for Armor and Wilkes were predictable from the north stand so god knows how easy it was to read from down there on the pitch. The halves can only play behind the pack in front of them and sadly ours isnt going anywhere. People on here have been pointing out the lack of forwards - could Matt James be any worse ? Why sign Sykes when a prop is whats needed ?

When we gave the ball air it was slow and looped through the air allowing defenders to simply slide into position.

But for me the lazy defence has cost us in the last two. London and Cas had lines that rushed up to eet our forwards making it difficult to leave our own ten. By contrast our line is static, allowing their forwards the momentum in the collision and driving our defence back. London and cas were always finishing sets on half way, whereas we reverted to running sideways and kicked ( badly ) from our own thirty.

Tim Smith is becoming to look increasingly like Tommy Lee as each week goes by, lazy drop off balls, poor passing, little if any attacking the defence. We all know he's capable of more but he hasn't shown anything near the quality we are looking for, we need more from a vital position like this.

This has been a problem all season, you can clearly see our defence waiting for the opposition to run at them! Nigel Bell and the likes were 'up and at 'em' - get into their faces and show them their going nowhere. I noticed against Cas' that by the time the ball had been passed from the PTB the opposition were on the player at first receiver. Not offside, just quick and keen and doing what we should be doing. Basic stuff really -part of an attitude that can win games but we seem not to have it.