There isnt many senior players left so he wont hae to much to worry about for 2010. Decent play offs will secure him some kudos, continue to play like we did on friday night and he can slick off back to france.

Ridiculous suggestions about Potter being sacked. If we say that finishing second and a cup semi-final isn't good enough then that means we require a first place finish and/or a Challenge Cup Final appearance every year. That is setting our expectations too high.

Our ambition and objective needs to be realistic and reaching a final every year is an impossible objective to deliver year-in, year-out. Reaching a final every year should be our objective, however, we also have to assess how close we come to achieving that target. If we were in sixth there may be a strong case but even then our season's success has to be measured in the context of what's gone on e.g. injuries.

I seem to remember Daniel Anderson not reaching a Grand Final or Challenge Cup Final in his first year despite having a side that remained relatively injury free (with the exception of Sculthorpe and Long). He wasn't sacked.

Ridiculous comments on this and t'other board.

As a top team and club our on field targets each year should be top 4 and cup semi. They are very high standards and i think only we have managed it for the last 4 years. Top spot every year is a ridiculous target as is cup final.

On the face of it that seems really sensible.
I can only speak from my point of view and my big gripe is about the style of rugby we are playing.
Friday night was mind numbingly boring,we had nothing,no offloads,no movement,one set piece which they read and smashed the reciever all night. We didnt even have the nous to change our one move to fix that problem.
Ive witnessed more of that this season than I ever have we are boring and thats not acceptable

I agree with the sentiment, and i dont know if its the coaching or because longy is finished, his passing was woeful, and attacking options missing as well, again i think we've made the right decision with him.

No matter what people think of Potter from the outside, he is still a good coach.

Yes, I would say that probably by his own admission (such as a certain half time "team talk" that was broadcast from the dressing room) he has made some mistakes since he tool over, but RL coaching is a learning process, no matter what level you are at.

Saints are in a transition phase, no doubt about it, but it was always coming at some time or another. The club have made some strange decisions, particulary with the lack of signings in recent years but maybe these were forced on us at a time when finances are tight and the new stadium is around the corner.

I think Potter has been put in a position where a large number of young players have been forced into the team when drip feeding them would have been best, but you play with the hand you are dealt. The number of players leaving at the end of the year must have an effect on moral or on attitudes to the coach/club, but Im sure he will be able to turn things around. Alot of teams have improved, Saints have remained static over the last two seasons (if not taken a step backwards) but thats the beauty of SL. The team will perform in the playoffs and all the bad performances from this year will be forgotten.

How do you know? He's only coached Catalans at first grade level before, hasn't he? And a lot of work was done at Catalans by the previous coach.


How did Saints take a step backwards last season? They probably remained static, yes, in that they won the Challenge Cup and hubcap on both occasions but having reached the Grand Final, failed to beat Leeds. But that's at least maintaining a standard, certainly not going backwards. We have undoubtedly gone backwards this season.


If by some miracle we perform in the playoffs - good enough to beat teams, I mean - then the bad performances will not be forgotten. They'll be forgiven; but not forgotten.

Because I do, lets leave it at that. He is well respected by people within the game (players and coaches) and comes from a stable that has bread some very successful coaches - Millward and Anderson to name but two. He wouldnt have got the job at Saints if they didnt think he was good enough for the job. Do you think that other coaching staff at the club dont have any input into the person who replaced DA?



I didnt say that took a step back last season, I said they had remained static for two seasons, my reference to a step backwards was aimed at this year but in context of my post, can be understood due to the lack of player signings to replace departures and the number of young players having to be dropped in at the deep end. Be honest, do you think that with the injuries (and player departures) we have had this season, there is any coach in the world that could have retained the standard of rugby (and results) that the fans have expected?



I remain to be convinced about that. Lets see how many people are slagging off the team or Potter if we beat Leeds twice before the end of October.

That's rubbish. It took Potter three years to get his team up and running. They were rewarded with their patience by finishing so high up the table last year, not forgetting their Challenge Cup outing the year before. IIRC in their first season they were pretty poor although they should some good touches when giving the ball some air. Catalans may have been a forward-orientated team but whenever I've seen them at KR (which is every time they've been here) they've always shown that they can give the ball some air. In fairness to Potter he did have players who could pass though there

Well, according to our chairman, he got the job to bring on our young players and from what I have read of Potter, that is where his reputation lies. I haven't heard a thing mentioned about his reputation with regard to first grade, presumably because we only have his stint at Catalans to go on.


I have no idea who imputs into what at Saints as I don't work for the club.


People seem to have forgotten that our performances, a handful of games excepted, have looked iffy all season. Some folk like to make excuses for abysmal performances, others prefer high but realistic expectations. We haven't had injuries for the last three weeks or so, so there has been no excuse for the performances IMO.


That is such a silly comment it really isn't worth responding to.

He plucked them all out of thin air did he? There was actually a coach there before him, you know.

By that token, I am blaming Daniel Anderson for the "mess" we are in now.

So the fact that they improved out of sight from his first season to his last is due to the coach that preceded him?

And I assume the fact that they seem to have gone backwards a bit this year is because he started the rot too.