There will be plenty of post game chat.

As for our game tonight, I've no real problems with anything apart from the refereeing. Catalans are comfortably better than us in all departments and they thoroughly deserved to win that game. They game winning moment was the tackle on Theo Fages in the second half when we were mounting pressure on their line, it was an incredible effort. They are a good team and probably only the lack of discipline in their French players will hold them back. Their pack was much better than ours, they are bigger, stronger and fitter than we are. Their star players also make the McManus sympathisers look silly. While people on here bitch and moan about there being no players to sign in the whole world, Catalans have players like Taylor, Stewart, Inu and Carney running round, through and over us.

Whilst we had a brief flirtation with positivity after a good performance at Warrington, tonight is a massive return to earth. There has to be a realisation at the club that our current squad just isn't acceptable. McDonnell, Owens, Turner, Richards etc. They should not be at the club, never mind in the 17. They also need to look at the strength and conditioning side of things, our players aren't strong enough and aren't fit enough.

If McManus is determined to stick with KC, he needs to get an experienced NRL head coach in to help guide him. He also needs to find someone who can help with recruitment, it's farcical currently. The names being banded about as signings for both this season and next season are just not good enough. Time to think big McManus or the drop out of the 4 will soon become a drop out of the 8.

I can't leave this post without mentioning the referee tonight. I have never seen a worse showing from a match official. He didn't play the offside rule tonight, just completely ignored it altogether. Big Dave Taylor didn't get onside once all night and there were several occasions where they were 5 or 6 yards offside, he missed a knock on by Roby under our sticks because he couldn't see the play the ball because he had two men in his way. He also needed the touch judges coming on to give a penalty. His equipment clearly broke before the game, the two officials tried to fix it before the game but he waved them off, but then decides it needs fixing when Catalans are forced into a drop out. You can't do that, wait for a genuine break in play such as a try or an injury. He didn't affect the outcome as Catalans were so superior, but he made the game a mess. SL as a competition has to do better with referees. They need more of them and they need to be appraised properly and made to improve.

Where do I start?

I agree that the ref was poor and he only gave one off side - against us ironically. You are right, the Cats are fast off the line but not that fast.

Unlike you I thought our main Props did OK and Farges and Walsh did their best - but there was no movement or runners. Our second row were non existent and LMS, whilst I can't knock him for effort he hasn't a brain at least no rugby brain.
He cut inside all the time into the middle where our forwards had already had no joy. Why not go to the edge, why not try the left side for a change.?

Forward wise, we never really looked like we would score in the 2nd half and defensively you just knew when they got near our 20 that they would score. Only an off night by Richards kept the score to non embarrassing levels.

I thought Mc Donnell and Dawson played OK, but I have particular venom for Turner who was absolutely garbage in everything he did.
Did KC try him at SO for so long because he knew he was so poor in defence AND attack. I felt sorry for Spedding who was never going to get the ball from Turner and who was all over the place positionaly because Turner was wondering around. Get rid.

Did anyone see if Jack Owens was actually on the pitch?

Jack Owens "chasing" Pat Richards was one of the most disgraceful things I've seen on a sporting field.

Didn't see or hear the game but just read KC's post match comments. He seems to be excluding himself from responsibility for the performance. He might not be to blame, I don't know, but you've gotta show as a coach that you're all in it together. Talking like that is only going to isolate him from the players and create a very unhappy atmosphere. You can't talk about being proud of the lads one week then after the next match essentially saying a few won't be playing next week.

With out wanting to derail, the issue is not so much the players who are out injured as the ones playing through injury, as every one of the squad players are injured.

As a 'neutral' Catalan were great last night, it's just a shame KC couldn't admit that.

I seem to remember KC was blaming his senior players so for me that would be Wilkin, Turner and LMS (despite being workmanlike). Our front row put in a good effort, but Roby should have run out from dummy half a bit more because Catalan was so far offside the first receiver was getting very little time to do anything.
Catalans won this game with power at impact 37 tackle busts against a weak effort of 12 tackle busts for Saints.
.
Shirts 1 to 5 are sat in the stands at the moment watching the game so its obvious our weakness in defence and attack is out wide, its going to be a long frustrating season this year isn't it. Also KC is on a "sticky wicket" coming out with post match comments like that.

this happened right in front of me and i said the same thing to my dad. How old is Pat Richards and how old is Owens? is Richards approaching his mid 30's and Owens early 20's? not only did he get done for pace he gave up after 10 meters. How can a young winger get done for pace of a 30 odd year old winger in the 2nd half.

I really can't be bothered getting in to this again so here's my final comment on the Wires injury situation-

You've got one top player injured and that happened very recently. You've got a couple of potential bench players missing and the rest are average Joes who are filling your squad out or they're kids outside of your main squad.

I'm talking about proper injuries, injuries to starting players and good starting players at that. You Wires are having a fabulous trot of keeping your main players fit in comparison to Wigan, Saints, Leeds, Huddersfield (although they seem to be easing) etc.

It isn't the only reason you're up the top but it's helping.

Warrington First SeventeenSandow
Hill
Clarke
Sims
Currie
Hughes
Westwood
Westerman
Dwyer
Dodds

Thats only 3 players with any lengthy spell on the sidelines compared to some other teams who have 6 to 10 players out over a similar period. I think Catalans have the fewest amount of injuries and its showing in their winning sequence, they are a very settled side who can throw in a player outside their first 17 without much disruption.
Other teams are just struggling with structure, game plans and defensive reads with 5 or 6 fringe players on the pitch especially against a strong settled side.

After watching Catalans last week against Hull KR I rated them highly, every player delivering 100% and I expected a tough game last night and they delivered again. Yes Cunningham did in his after match press conference mention his senior players, but no way could you include LMS as not delivering, would a guy with a miserable face most of the time, sat in a silly hat and the largest headphones you could get inspire you? he would not inspire me! I still blame the statue, naming housing estates after a player, can St Helens sack him, I voted for Tom Vollenoven, who deserved it much more, someone like Roby is much better all round then Cunningham, does he get a statue? I feel for him he is giving 150% at the present time and being run into the ground.

Refereeing is bad, games are going longer and longer, how many video checks are we going to allow, but I think the crowd was a little bit OTT last night, there were offences Saints got away with, when will Wilkin get caught with lifting the leg of a player that is virtually tackled it is dangerous, Saints had two possible offence from Catalans put on report. I know they do not bring many fans but never have I seen the ground sound and seem so empty, on TV it sounded like a A team match used to.

Recruitment has been bad for a long time now, it is letting a top club down, the young players being produced do not see as high standard as once, changes are needed.

Not seen the attendance? last season was 12,008!

I actually spat my tea out when I read that! I also commented on that last night. He is the Coach of one of the biggest names in RL (it hurt to say that) and he dresses like a fan having a night out. As a leader of men, and the face of your club, he needs to think about his appearance, and how he is perceived.
As for what he said, plenty of coaches say things after a loss that they probably regret.

Only problem is he does seem to put his foot in it at press conferences a lot, not the brightest perhaps?

You are mistaken. Owens was not playing.