Aggression and an attempt to get up and hurt the opposition in the tackle would be a start. Requires a 'can be d' mindset unfortunately.

Hall
Calderwood
Whiting
Yeaman
Briscoe
R.Horne
Thorman
Dowes
Berrigan
Cusack
Radford
Tickle
Washbrook

Thackray
Manu
Lee
King

I'd go with that.

Try watching a game and not what people tell you to say about Calderwood.

This has been the case for a couple of seasons now, and you have to ask why. You also have to ask why we seemed to be able to overcome it for the first 5 games of the season.

Depressing and puzzling in equal measure.

Attitude mate. Why that should differ on a match to match basis only the players and coach could answer. As you know I'm an eternal optimist and always try to be balanced but yesterday our pack in particular rolled over and died against a more enthusiastic but not particularly powerful (no disrespect) Salford unit. One player showed the necessary intensity the rest, right across the field, were pathetic.

Until the players' attitude is sorted we will continue down the same route. If it needs another coach then so be it although I'm starting to think a mass clearout is required whenever contracts permit. I'm sick to the back teeth of making the effort up the motorway only to be let down by effort on the pitch.

One of those on the bench and Kingy/Thack to start

And as you know, I'm naturally inclined in the opposite direction but generally rise above it. This time, however, my new avatar is an accurate representation of my state of mind.



I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've posted there. The signs have been a round for at least two seasons, and were thrown into sharp relief last year by our inability to rise above adversity on a regular basis. I said at the time that PS was sacked that appointing Agar was a bad idea if for no other reason than he was too much an integral part of what had been happening at the club and would be unable to instigate the necessary changes (contracts allowing). That seems to be being borne out.

Nothing is fundamentally different from last season. I still think that with fewer injuries we will finish mid table rather than at the bottom, but we won't be challenging for silverware unless there is a miraculous turnaround in attitude and application from the players and, TBH, the coaching staff.

Agree totally. I don't travel as far, but twice now I've cut short a family weekend to traipse to the KC to be served up garbage like that. If people like us can be bothered (and we're not the only ones), why does it appear that the players can't be?

I don't undersand how we can be aggressive and enthusiastic for the first five games, and completely flat after that.

I was watching Danny Tickle yesterday, and I am not singling him out for criticism because I rate him, but in the games we won he was flying into tackles with real venom. When he carried the ball it looked like he was capable of breaking the tackle or getting his arms free every time. Yesterday it was if he was going through the motions. I know this can be said of many players, but I noticed it more with Ticks.

Within 10 minutes yesterday it was obvious which team wanted it more. Salford were winning the collision in every single tackle in both defence and attack. Thats not a question of ability, its about attitude and ours is lacking. The players need to realise this is their career and they are taking the pi$$ out of the fans everytime they dont give 100% on the pitch.

Summed up perfectly.

Cant believe people accept dross

Spot on.

That is why IMHO, I would play the same 17.
I would let them know it is their reputation on the line. It is they who should be embarrassed with their performances, not the fans and not the club.

The players should not run the club. If they are giving a 100% and loosing, then it is the club and coach at fault.

With the right attitude and approach, that's a winning team.

Put Whiting in as G.Horne is a turnstyle at the moment ,Whiting will shore it up and may actually get a pass to Calderwood.

With the right attitude and approach, so was yesterday's.

And therein lies the problem.

Said exactly the same. You could tell the way the game was going very early on, I think they thought it would be a walk in the park and at any stage they could pull it back.

Every player had a off day so I'm not just having a go at a couple but Moa wouldn't be anywhere near my team. He was 3rd man in on every tackle and is extremley lazy imo. I also want our coach to have a word with Thorman and quickly because he chooses to kick the ball rather than go through hands to many time for me. The last play when he kicked it on the 2nd with four tackles remaining said it all for me.

he was poor yesterday especially when it came to decision making.

I was livid when he did that. It's the mark of a player with no confidence in his ball handling skills and exactly the sort of thing TL was getting criticised for. On top of that it was a crap kick and we were lucky to get a repeat set out of it. Didn't he do a similar kick in the first half when nobody was expecting him to kick? How are the backs supposed to run from deep when they have no idea if the ball is going to go through hands or not?

I disagree there, I felt that Moa going in to help his teammates in a tackle showed he was making an effort, rather than just stand back and watching.

I agree with what people say about his lack of fitness and lack of game time messing up the interchanges, but i do honestly think he is trying.

Hall
Calderwood
G.horne
Yeaman
Briscoe
R.horne
Thorman
Dowes
Berrigan
King
Radford
Tickle
Washbrook

Thackray
Houghton
Cusack
Manu

Yup, the last 3 games could all have been different but imo the Cas and Salford games were down to the player and players only.

I disagree as Salfords pack is a good unit in defence IMO and their main weakness is their flanks however we played the type of game Salford would have wanted and i think the blame in that regard rests on Agars shoulders.

When Thorman signed I thought ok, although he's NOT a SH he does have a reasonably good kicking game and he'll do a job for us.
He had very good kicking game at Headingly but has steadily declined in all aspects of his game into mediocrity now.
I feel he thinks he's in the comfort zone on selection, TL is proving a lot of his doubters wrong as back row interchange, but he will lose his spot once Lauaki gets here (and he will), unfortunately TL wasn't the answer last season at 7.
Whats wrong with Houghton, is he injured? if push came to shove would it be unrealistic to give him a go at 7? afterall he did sign as a 7 from East Hull and didn't he get honours in that position, he has a good kick on him, is sound in defence, good hands and knows the job.