I've not seen a thread dedicated to this but I think that some of the issues will probably have been discussed but anyway. Am I the only one that is really concerned that we very rarely finish games off? It seems to me that no matter how well we do for 60 minutes, the opposition most of the time seems likely to come back into it.
The first game we played a terrible Wigan side, and we really should have put about 20 points between us if we played to our best.
Second game against Celtic, we seemed to be controlling the game but still let them in with sloppy tries.
The third game against Catalans was probably as close as we have come to closing a agem out and is really example of what we should be doing in the games we dominate.
The forth game against Hudds we always seemed to be letting them back into the game despite dominating them all over the field. Their last try typified our problem.
The fifth game against Bradford, we were 30-12 up with about 15 mins left on the clock (give or take) we let them score a couple of silly tries and although we got the win with another try, still we looked very shaky.
On Friday it is where we got stung and this issue finally caught up with us. We were 18-12 up, 4 tries to two, kick to come, a very vocal crowd behind them and they end up throwing it away. We didn't dominate this game but the game was there to be won with 2 penalties in front of goal and 2 attempts to get a drop goal (one which was fluffed by Horne iirc). Our defence also let us down and we didn't hold on and lost.

My main concern is that while we are winning most games, this could really come back to haunt us come a cup semi-final or final, and nailbiting play-off games, and even the Grand Final. Look at the past few Grand Finals. Leeds got their noses in front of Saints and killed the game of in 2007 and 2008. Saints went in at half time against us in 2006 and ended up killing the game off in the second half. Saints also did this in the cup finals of 2006 and 2007, and to an extent against us in 2008.
We are generally playing well this season. The effort is much higher than last year and so are the peformance levels, especially from many pack members. Do others think that the inabilty to kill off games could be our downfall? What needs to be done to improve this?

Our attack isn't good enough to turn posession and field position into points. Likewise, our defence isn't as good as some would believe. 11 tries conceded in the last 3 games isn't great IMO.

We lack leadership on the field and until that's sorted, we'll continue to lose games we should really have won

We seem to be lacking a cutting edge in the backs, a bit of pace or a threat to attack teams and look like we will score every time we get into the opponents 20. Hopefully, when Raynor returns, and we start to use Calderwood properly, this will sort itself out.

You been watching the same Raynor and Calderwood as me for the last 2 years!?!??!?!

I don't think we lack cutting edge in the backs tbh. I think its more that they don't really have the chance to show much skill

I'd agree with that, although I think I'd insert the word 'consistently' into the first sentence. We can produce good attacking moves and score points (our 'points for' tally is pretty good so far this season) but we do seem to lack the ability to really put sides under sustained pressure.

Well, we have a half back that can't pass right, a centre that won't pass, wingers who don't see the ball and a fullback that knocks on a lot.

'part from that, we're fine!

our half back can pass right, he just manages to pass it a foot behind our right winger!

FWIW we arent as bad as it feels currently. We were 8 or 9 dropped balls off hammering Cas on Friday!!

we were awful agaist Cas mate!

Have you not read any of my other posts this morning? (and did you not detect the mickey taking in my post)

Our speed of passing across the line of play has to be the slowest in the league. Untill we address this problem and our consistant determination to play down the middle when more expansive play would be more fruitful, i fear we will struggle to finish in the top six

your posts are set to "ignore" fella!

The point in bold is what we were lacking on Friday night. The performance levels were that of last season imo. After we had scored the early try, I am convinced that a large proportion of our team thought the game was already won. As a consequence, we did not do the things that we had done in the previous 5 games and ended up losing.

It is all about mental toughness and having the ability to put the same amount of effort into every play, every game, regardless of what the score is. When a team has that type of mentality that is when you see a ruthless streak develop, and teams all of a sudden start to win big.

If we want to develop a cutting edge, then this week’s game is a vital point in the season imo. Are we going to be a team, who fights for every inch, every week and ensures nothing is left in the changing rooms when we enter the field, or are we going to be a team that tolerates the odd poor performance as long as we win more games than we lose?

I share your sentiments about not killing teams off, but with the parity that we now see in super league any win is a good one imo.

We had one bad game, not worried just yet!

me neither, still fancy us for top 3 but we need to get back on the rails on Saturday.

I still think that nobody in SL is playing that well, anyone can beat anyone at the moment, we need to see where we are in 12 games time.

Thats something that is sticking in my mind. I feel we were the worthy winners of the first five games, and although debatable I think we were worthy enough of winning on Friday as well. This means that we should find ourselves in a very gopod position by the end of the season, but in the games that matter (cup games, play-off games) our inability to kill games will cost us no matter where we finish

Ive been watching Hull 30 years now and you can probably count on one hand the amount of times we have ruthlessly finished teams off.

we have drastically gone backwards since 2006, the GF appearance and our league position should of been the catalyst to greater things, instead it was more - we've won the cup and got to a GF that's enough.

Edited for accuracy

so one player ruined 2007? bad recruitment and a lack of ambition.

Well it certainly did not help. It took away one of our pivotal players, and broke up what had been a relatively half back partnership of Cooke and Horne.

But to be fair, I think it was the circus that continued for the rest of that season after judasgate, with the weekly rumors of washy, yeaman, king, horne etc apparently signing for the dobbins, that had the biggest effect. I think the side did brilliantly that season to still make the play off’s, and we were knocked out by a Wigan team that looked like they were going to go all the way and win the GF. We still played some decent stuff with the away game at Leeds towards the end of the season sticking in my mind. If we could have got Mathew Head on the field each week we may have even gone a little deeper into the play off’s.

Everyone know’s what happened last season, and I would suggest that we copped as well as any other club would have hoped to do in similar situation.

To suggest that we have shown a lack of ambition since our GF appearance is ludicrous imo. We have signed Berrigan and Crocker, both in the prime of their careers and if the club continues to make similar signings over the coming years then I will be happy.

If you were talking about the club showing a lack of ambition after our 1991 Premiership success, then I would agree with you, but in this instance, although I am disappointed we have not got back to the GF, I can see the reason why.