When was the Grand Final? 4 October, something like that? Hardly much out of September anyway. Besides, Wigan and Hudds were only one week earlier than us in breaking up for the hols but I don't see them struggling.


In the past we have had significant numbers on international dutyThe same also applies to Leeds by the way, who struggled against Celtic and were noticably battered by a Castleford side that doesnt possess anything like the firepower of Hull.'"

He's got a 2 year contract, let's see how he's going at the end of it.

Since we last won the title in 2006 we've lost: Lyon, Gilmour, Talau, Long, Scully, Baloo, Hooper, Cayless etc. Tell me that's not transition.

Potter's job was always to bring through the young players to deal with our transition. In his first year, the young players got lots of game time when fit and we reached (and could easily have won) the Grand Final.

We can judge the overall job by the end of this season, by which time the likes of Lomax and Wheeler will be first choices, Moore will have had a year around the team and Eastmond will have settled at 7 for a year. That is the time to judge Potter.

If the depths that our couple of transitional seasons plumb (between bringing through our promising youngsters and getting into the new stadium without spending full cap) consist of narrowly losing Grand Finals - I'll take that transition any day. It certainly beats the Wigan transition of near relegation and the Bulls' transition of missing the play-offs.

People talk about refreshing the squad, youngsters, patience . . . but when it comes to it - they're not prepared to accept it.

That's ignoring the fact that the league is far far better than it was when some of the same players we have now were racking up points for fun against dreadful squads.

thats right mate chases short kicking game was out of this world! Leeds ripped cas open enough times to win the game but turned the ball over and over again. We made loads of unforced errors, had a shocking completion rate and the kicking game was a non starter. If teams turn as much ball over as Leeds did against cas and to some extent Celtic they will get beat. I've seen a few fans point to the Leeds result to take the edge of their own but the fact is you guys and the bulls were never really in the game both hull and hudds were well infront and the games were never really a true contest. if the ball had stuck a bit more Leeds would have beat cas

Leeds were guilty of over playing, saints looked battered

So leeds were mistake ridden, sounds like an ill prepared side.

Also there are excuses for Hull over running us.
For a start we lost three players during the game due to injury, this effectively reduced our interchange bench to 1. It was therefore no coincidence that once interchanges came into play around the 30 minute mark that Saints dominance disintegrated.

yes they were mistake ridden. I'll prepared? I would imagine the triple champs prep is pretty good, but the warm up was very short. I think few players a still building fitness. Losing ablett on 5 mins and delaney on 50 Mins didn't help. But injuries are part of the game. There were enough positives from the game, Eastwood is gonna be a cracker, delaney looks like a real find(shame he had to go off) peacock looks really fresh as does jjb. We broke the line and punched so good holes in cas. We just bombed the next phase 3 or 4 times.

There were people on this site including me that never wanted potter from the start, and for me personally Ive not yet seen anything to make me want to change my mind.

Exellent reply,sums up my feelings exactly.

Saddened, we don't always agree, but I agree with every word of that. I need a lie down...

I agree with that.

They were well executed enough for us to reach and nearly win the GF. They were not well executed enough for us to beat a fired up Hull side who played extremely well, on the back of a tough derby match, in bad conditions, with injuries picked leaving us down on interchanges.

The "sympathisers" are not excusing the poor rugby on show. If we don't improve I will happily clear Potter's desk for him at the end of the year. But I won't be deciding he should be sacked one game into a new season and I'm pretty sure the board won't be either.

Which leaves us fans with a choice. Do we get behind the coach and the squad in the knowledge that the coach and squad aren't going to change this season? Or do we b*tch and moan at every little thing and act like spoilt children who haven't been bought the newest toy for the first time in a decade (behaviour we have mocked Wigan/Wire/Leeds fans for in the recent past)?