Seemed that there was always a problem with Wheeler and Jones was always going to play.

For me it was a great decision to play him (as the risk paid off really) he did go for Hodgson's dummy, but they had a man over so it's understandable for him to have taken it so easily - although I have seen experienced players take them before!

To take him off when they did was brilliant coaching, it wasn't rectifying a mistake (as alluded to above ) but it was reacting to what was happening at the time in a period of Warrington dominance.

SaintsFan: The players didnt agree with Royce's style of play and monotonous out the back predictive style of play he enforced. I have it on good authority senior players asked for more licence to play in a less structured way and one senior player in particular shot down. LMS made reference on interview last night to enjoying rugby again & been given the scope to play and the squad have responded. We were modelled on West Tigers style of play which didnt suit us & was becoming predictable...we never looked like scoring at times.
Longy was critical & voice his opinions just before the sacking...and thank god, nice bloke but Royce was turning the likes of Gaskell & Lomax into one trick robots.
Criticise the players all you like but that clowns pig headedness cost him hid job, the change of style has brought a change in attitude but in any job you need to be enjoying it. I know i was bored senseless at times this year.

I understand what your saying as the players are paid to play and fans pay to watch them so they should try their best no matter what they think of the coach.

On the other hand, if players are unmotivated due to things their coach does then I can see how that would effect the players performances.

I know they found training boring and some didn't look forward to going work. We will all have been in that situation in our jobs or in sports.

It seems McManus took the right action and it's loke to have paid off.

It didn't affect James Roby's performances. It shouldn't have affected anybody's performances. That is what being a professional is all about.


Diddums. Frankly, I have no sympathy at all. They stole a living for the first seven games - with a few exceptions (Wheeler and Roby spring to mind).


We'll see (although I believe he used a sledgehammer to crack a nut although with this lot maybe he had to). These are the games Saints have always risen for, regardless of who is in charge. Post Wigan will be interesting. Especially if the games are - dare I say it - boring!

I can seen both sides of the coin.

Roby ain't human tho, he's a machine.

I'd be happy from one win from the Easter games. I hope it's Wigan but 2 points from the Easter period after the last two games would be very good.

Stop saying this please, it's a ridiculous thing to post about a club that rarely sacks coaches.

Anyway it doesn't seem to have put Nathan Brown off.

We didn't rise for these games last year. Apart from the two Leeds games (who by their own admission were terrible all season apart from August onwards) we lost to all our rivals including bad 'home' defeats to Warrington and Wigan. Whilst I have a small degree of sympathy for Royce, who is a nice guy, he didn't get the best out of the players and that was his job.

This Saints team is currently playing to what it knows and what it is capable of, Rush and KC sense that, without beign tactical masterminds. The lads never really looked comfortable under Simmons especially this season and the difference is massive.

The jury's still out yet. The real test will come once we get the Pies out of the way next week. We were always going to be riding the crest of a wave for the first 3 big games post-Royce, but we need to see how they do come the weekly grind that starts after that, and how we adapt to the way other teams start to play against the new us.

So far so good though

I wouldn't bother mate. She'll only spend the whole date going on about her last fella, saying he definitely was the one for her (even though deep down she knows his performances left her completely unsatisfied)