It wasn't that good.

Could not get across the hills in time tonight. So had to listen in. At about 50 mins the radio 5 commentators where saying that Catalan's forwards where out on their feet.

But Some how they came back into it and ended up making progress down the field, I had 2 thoughts. Before the comeback I was thinking if Catalan are out on their feet surely Lance will come on to run them ragged our fastest man with a pair of fresh legs.

After the comeback, my thoughts came to the great debate we always have which is the back on the bench. People who back Royce on this tend to say point out when it does not work. Which is hard to do.

But if the catalan forwards were out on their feet from 30 mins to 50 mins. Then surely part of the explanation for our drop off in defence is our 16 gaining fatigue.

Like I said I did not see it and yes it maybe just adding 1 and 1 and getting 3, but bringing Lance on with 5 minutes to go seamed to be nothing more than just ticking off the usual substitution timing.

Another matter is if the comments are true and fosters side got battered. then can we pin poor defence on meli every match or is there more too it.

In the end hopefully we have been beaten by a top side, but they were there for the taking tonight, sounded great for the neutral but a worry for a Saint that we have had large leads go 2 weeks running.

Your defence wasn't the best at times. That missed tackle from LMS was poor... but Catalans are a damn good side on their day too. We play them at home next weekend and I see them as a big threat.

It's called a great big fat Jammer hole.

For 50 mins our defence was good.

However we wilted visibly in the pack. I really think the none return of Puletua killed us, as it messed up the squad rotation and against a big pack with fast mobile backs and great halves you are then going to get destroyed.

I also think the 5 day turnaround isnt ideal preparation. At Knowsley road, i remember it being the short rotation games where we tended to come a cropper.

The defence was poor. But far worse was the lack of leadership and direction. nobody other than Wilkin occasionally took the game by the throat and drove us.

Given that info, does it not beg the question why Lance on the bench for so long? He may not be Puletua, but he would have been fresh legs at a time when the Catalan pack where described as out on their feet.

Bringing him on when he did for who he did was a waste of a sub. On at 1 with cats getting tired to run at em .. yes or on at 9 with Roby doing a spell at 13 again may have helped plug the TP gap but on as a like for like with Gaskell for the last 5 minutes is just pointless

I know he (Lance) was only on for 5 minutes but in that time he managed to do a pretty good impression of a headless chicken (along with most of the rest of the team).
I was not a fan of him being signed and its too early to judge but from the evidence so far he offers nothing special - he is a half decent No1 but no 6 or 7.

Apart from what people are saying about wello being poor - my main concern was his inability to show leadership; he just looked lost / shellshocked.

I was never in favour of Wello being captain because I didn't think he had the right head on him at all.

On one occasion Wello got all excited after we had scored a try, jumping up and down, and Roby told him to calm down (using his hands). That is poor.

We seriously, seriously missed Jammer tonight. All around the ruck, under the sticks after we had conceded or scored ... everywhere in fact.

The defence functioned. But let's not forget that Catalans played a [ivery conservative[/i game in the opening half. They didn't want to throw the ball about - as they clearly can - and run the risk of being burned and out of the game as they did when Wheeler fortunately intervened.



I don't think the pack wilted at all. Our problems came when they started moving the ball outside of ten metres either way of the centre spot. We couldn't cope with their speed and our defence was completely bamboozled by their dummy runners.



Give over - it's the start of the season. This is a very young side and they are mostly free of injuries.

The sooner Foster is axed the better.His drop of the kick turned the game and then the next try came form him being in no man's land.Makinson can ntake over kicking duties.

For me Wilkin would be an ideal captain. He has the head for it game wise and the head for it personel wise. He knows when to talk calmy and when to smash heads together.

Other than Wilkin, I'd probably look to an outsider like La Franki, but we have who we have, and that's not going to change. In the end the crumbling defence does need someone to take hold of this, but a change of captain would not stop this happening week on week.

We are not going bad and I'm sure it was a great game for the neutral. But why are we so good and so poor in the same game?

I know people say give Catalan credit, if it was a close game yes sure, but it was not, we where dominate even 10 mins into the 2nd half, but then fell away.

Full credit to them for not giving in but we have gifted them that game tonight. Foster has had an absolute nightmare, really bad. Our defence at times was amatuerish. LMS attempt for their 1st try - poor, Foster's positioning for Blanch's try poor, Foster's attempt at catching the bomb pathetic, Foster's positioning for Catalans next try terrible. Our defence for Sa's try shocking. Their last try was class, but everyone of their tries could've been stopped and it's a reflection of how bad we are defensively right now. Really, really poor 25 minutes in the 2nd half.

Wilkin, Roby and Soliola are the only consistent forwards we have. The others can be a bit hit and miss really, even Puletua.