Half way point almost

I'm struggling to see where this idea of a great pack for Saints is coming from. I was watching Hull's forwards closely last night and I don't know of any Saints forwards - bar perhaps Laffranchi and of course Robes - who drives forward like theirs did. Their pack was immense. So was Wigan's against us. Both would flatten ours. We go to ground very quickly and don't appear to have the strength or drive or aggression or whatever is needed to push the opposition back. I'm not counting the last few games here because our opposition has been flimsy. I'm thinking of the games where we have played opposition who we expect to challenge us.

Personally I don't think we will get very far this season although hopefully I'm wrong. We have pretty much everyone fit with probably only Wilkin who we are really missing (TP tends to be hit and miss in terms of value to our forward pack). Having Meli on the wing, for instance, gives me recurring nightmares the minute the opposition drifts in his direction and with all our young players last season came a level of enthusiasm I have yet to see in our team this year, bar perhaps against Leeds (although whether that was enthusiasm or shock I don't know!).

I think we are still missing Jammer's fire and leadership on the pitch. We are prone to losing focus, playing to one side, playing one up and switching off in defence. Without his presence to reinforce our direction and kick the team in the collective pants, I just don't think we have it.

Unless the coaching staff manage to turn things around significantly in training this week, our performance against Wakefield looks ominously like a defeat on Saturday. I'm still going to the match, mind. But nothing that I saw on Friday night reassured me that we are a team chomping at the bit to bash Wigan into next week or indeed one that has the necessary ability to be in a position to do so.