rolling up to last nights game I was hoping that we scored and the roosted scored less than 40 points, so from that aspect I was happy with the result.

however, on seeing the roosters lineup and the saints lineup, I was disapointed with a few basic errors as a team.

Firstly, the roosters where not as strong as Souths last year, they don't have the all star line up and looked a bit rusty.

Secondly, they chose to play a safe game, standard one out football looking for gaps around the first man in and nothing special, they clearly understood the consitions, respected the opposition and patiently waited for Saints to make mistakes.

Saints too went for one out football to start with and the first 10 minutes were bright, they made it look like it was going to be a good tough match.

Then, sadly our backs didn't read the 'tough it out' script, they pushed the ball on too many occasions, they kicked on the 4th to the full back when there was space either side, 2 restarts went out on the full, there was no patience from them or the senior members of the squad, and time after time ball went to ground or into the roosters arms due to our mistakes.

I would much rather see saints play a game of chess, and go for repeat sets on the opposition line than throw speculative passes out wide or panic pass on the last to try and score on each set.

The roosters stuck to a simple game plan, and turned over on our line if they had too, they never looked like they were pushing the ball and always had patience and respect for the ball the conditions and the opposition. They got to the 5th and the put up a high ball turning us around in our own 10 every single time almost.

It would be interesting to see the stats on completed sets and the error count. I think our forwards did enough yards, but we gave them far too much ball and not in their own 10.

I think if I want to see anything come out of this I want to see Keiron instill patience in the team, and ability to simply play out our sets of 6 early on to enable us to wait for errors and work out were the gaps and weaknesses are and to stop the panic pass football late on in the tackle count when there are many minutes left on the clock.

we have the players to compete this year, but until we get them playing a simple game plan the off the cuff stuff won't work.

That's pretty much how I felt leaving the ground last night. They did not need to do anything special to win. Our lack of respecting possession gave them the opportunities to exploit

Excellent post that. I would add though that when every one of their backs had at least a yard or two of pace over our backs, and size too, that they can be patient knowing that they can punish any mistake.

Saints lack pace. Apart from Swift, if we picked up a loose ball or interception near their (any team) line, how many of our players would you back to go full length of the field? If you match up to our forwards, play out the sets of six and have Saints picking the ball up in their own 20 consistently then you will get a win against Saints.

Yeah it has to be made note thqt the aussies are coming in after training in summer tekps and sts in winters shoite.

Thats a yard or 2 difference right there.

Saints trained at Rivington in deep mud, hail, rain and freezing temperatures, while Roosters trained on hard ground, beach with the sun on there backs. It didn't matter that we were 2 games to the good Roosters were fitter, faster and better conditioned without playing a game.

Could write a book of excuses on here to why we lost. Simple fact, they are better than us by miles. I predicted 56-6 to roosters so we did better than I thought.

Let's see how Wigan do tonight. They will have trained in mud and they will be handicapped by the NRL bigger salary cap.

People need to realise, we are miles away from the NRL.

Do you really believe that we have the players needed to be successful? No strike players, awful half backs and a pack with no backbone? We don't have the players or the coaching staff required to be a top SL side.

I said "compete."

We won the grand final two years ago, surely thst should have been a platform to challenge for trophies rather than just compete?

I don't think you can differentiate from excuses and facts, yes there are many factors why Sydney Roosters are much better than us. Sydney Roosters beat Canterbury Bulldogs in the semis last year [size38-12[/size does that mean we can be excused by having experienced the same outcome, no its just a factual occurrence.

The fact they flew 12,000 miles, played in cold wet conditions and haven't played one game since the end of the NRL season makes your comparison laughable.

Also they are not the same team as last year. Only Tupou was in the same position as last year in their backs. Their Captain didn't make the trip and JWH didn't make the trip .

In comparison we didn't fly 12,000 miles, we have played to super league games plus 2 other practice games, we only had percy out injured and we are very familiar with the weather conditions. In fact we had Richards and Theo who didn't even make our 17.

Nah, I'm not buying into this at all (20+ years ago maybe), you make it sound as though they have driven here in a mini bus, don't know each other and haven't held a rugby ball for months. Roosters would have been professionally well prepared for this match, fit and well conditioned, they would have used the journey over here as a recovery phase from hard training sessions and probably would have used the trip as a bonding exercise opportunity with just one single focus on the game, Robinson covered it on the Sky interview calling it removal of external distraction. They also wouldn't have been here long enough for the weather conditions to kick into there mindset.
Roosters are obviously not match fit and neither are Saints unless you think after a couple of games we hit the supreme match fitness button. Roosters played steady basic rugby and fed off most of our errors, there was only the roosters stand off who went full on as he had very much to prove for future selection.

Yes your right. Obviously 12,000 mile flight, the jet lag, the freezing conditions they ain't used to and the fact not had full contact game in 5 month worked in our favour.

We should be asking to play the next world series games in Australia as it's not fair they have the advantage of travel, jet lag and unfamiliar weather conditions every year

The roosters wouldn't have suffered any jet lag on two 6 hour flights going east to west. Jet lag is suffered going west to east as you are flying against time not with it. They will suffer it on their return to Australia as would any Brit team going to Aus for a WCC. Even then jet lag lasts a maximum of 72 hours before the body is adjusted to the new time zone.

Australia to Britain in 12 hours, what's that in, a Tardis?

They would have jet lag both ways. One way is worse than the other but they will still get it.