I dont think that the game tonight is as hopeless as you guys are making out:
Even with all the injuries weve got weve still got 4/5 of our backline plus ferres and Cuthbertson who are better than their opposite numbers

Lets hope the team dont have that attitude or it will be like Saints last year, there is no reason we cant win even if it is unlikley
If every player commits everything and defends switched on and to their capabilities then weve got a shot
If we get beaten by a last minute effort like Brisbane last year then so be it, but I wont except that it is a forgone conclusion and if the team are looking at it that way they should take of their shirts as they wouldnt be fit to wear them

I can say I can vouch for this, as seen him first hand, and his team play. Very highly regarded is Seth at his club.

And to answer Sal from earlier, I do accept there is some not so good ones out there, but to give another example of getting it right. Last year Kippax under 13's started off the season in division one of their age group, and hammered everyone with ease for the first 8 games. Then Yorkshire juniors decided to change the split in the leagues at all age groups, so the Kippax coach requested that his team be put in the under 14's league for the rest of season. He explained to all the parents who were concerned, that winning every week so easily was doing their development no favours. He told them all, that yes the age group above is more physical, and therefore they will probably lose games, but he made a commitment that the style they would play, by the end of the year they would beat these under 14's teams.

That team learned to pass and move with speed. The physical side did not become a problem, once they knew they would beat teams by passing. That is a skilful team with some very good players. Those players were not poached from other teams, they have developed. It can be done right.

The RFU effectively banned that. We were all warned not to do it because one kid got hurt by an "enthusiastic" coach who pushed back. Yet still the muppet who was our self appointed head coach tried to do it every week. Every week I would have to stop him.
I tried for 5 years to progress skills and eventually gave up after one too many full on shouting matches. In every one of the six minis age groups at our club we had a self appointed head coach who ignored the club coaching structure (designed so all the kids got to 16 with the right skills, calls and club patterns) and did whatever their bull***t personal "rugby" philosophy was - usually shaped to fit the limitations or perceived strengths of their own kids.

To be fair my lad switched to swimming full time last year and our experiences of the ASA and the people who have taken positions of responsibility (most in our county are well over 70 and never swam at all) make other sporting bodies come out as superstars.

Good luck tonight chaps...

This weather is getting a bit rough.

I might stay in and watch it at home on TV sat in my armchair with the central heating on.

Just like several others on this forum

The drill in itself is bad enough, my bigger issue is with coaching things in relays, queues of 18 kids and only touching the ball once every 5 minutes. A good reality check would be for someone to focus on say 2 kids throughout an hours training session then report back on the number of minutes out of the 60 that those children were actively engaged (touching the ball) for.

Unfortunately with all the coach education many coaches don't have the patience to see it through or even buy into the principles in the first place. Their weekend (and ego) lives or dies on whether their u10s won, and if they didn't the players 'will get it in the neck'. Theres another principle that's unfortunately not adhered to; as a coach if things arent going right with your team, reflect with complete honestly about your practice and strive to provide an environment in which the players can reach their potential.

i dont even think we should be keeping score at u10's, the focus needs to be executing skills instead of winning games, and lets be fair, its not just coaches. Many of them would be getting it in the neck from parents if the team loses.

Our game has its own little fiefdoms with their own individual interests where success, tomorrow, for them is the only thing that matters.

Conveniently left out 1 from the spine but I take your point
For all the talk of thurston he isnt the biggest threat, though his ability to put second rowers through holes will provide problems
the biggest threat will be granville breaking from dummy half who is lightning quick for a 9 and even skimmed GI last year so we cant rely on Hardaker to stop him 1 on 1 like we could most hookers, the only way to stop him is slowing the PTB, weve got 5 props out there tonight and if they stand up weve got every chance imo

Swimming has the same issues funnily enough. Swimming is an early developing sport so there are coaches who literally flig kids to death. Kids don't have an issue with lactic acid so you can theoretically work them almost to the level of adult internationals. We had such a coach when my son started swimming (a bit late at 10). When he was 11 he was regularly doing near 40k in a week, 13k on one day. His technique and his skills were awful. We moved him and all he did this last year was skills. There are British WC medalists - one in particular - who don't kick properly off the wall in turns (the fastest part of the race) and their turns are awful. That person funnily enough swam as s youngster at my son's old club.

No its not just because they got in a world 13 doesn't make them world class - there isn't a world class performer in every position but there more than one in others. My idea of a world class performer is say Sean Johnson, Greg Inglis, Jonathan Thurston, Cameron Smith, RTS, these guys are few are far between, I would there are 10 max. - the fact you think Watkins and McGilvery are even close to that standard is a difficult to understand. I would say Ryan Hall is nearer than both of them. Watkins has the potential to be a world beater but as last season showed he needs to up his game if he is to considered even as good as the likes of Jennings who I wouldn't say is world class.

JP was a great player but to suggest he is a better player than Matt Scott again I cannot agree with Matt Scott has been the best prop in world rugby since the retirement of Webke. JP has been passed his peak since 2010.

James Graham hasn't played in SL for years - we are talking about now not what happened 6 years ago. Graham was a class player when he played here as was Sam Burgess but the competition was better in those days. Who are your world class player currently running around in SL?