This is the key month according to Mr Potter and we started it by losing to Salford.

What is the chance of Long being back for the Semi final? And KC?

Will he be able to transfigure someone into a long term replacement for

I think Mick Potters pre emptive was that he knows he's going to lose games this month.
I reckon we will lose another 3 games, 2 more losses this month 1 next month.
We also need KC back pronto the game before the semi.

This is also the big chance for Kyle Eastmond to step up, 8 weeks at no 7 will decide if he is going to be good enough.....I hope he succeeds and creates the next future partnership with Pyrce.

He did say about three weeks ago that we would be increasing our intensity from then on in, and we have actually managed to play some pretty awful rugby over the last three weeks. I'm wondering what on earth us playing at low intensity means now!

completely agree.
My only concern is if kyle does what matty smith did a couple of years ago and has a great run of game doing a good job and then is dropped for the playoffs because Long is back, that was very unfair IMO, but a tough decision either way.

from an external perspective; Potter won't be able to judged for a couple of years as he is coaching a team under transition.

He is reforming a team who will be minus their most experienced key players, which is a challenge on two fronts; he has to get the semi-senior pros to step up to replace the vacated players and integrate the young players, probably the easier of the two tasks.

Plus I am led to believe that a few of the senior pros are not "too supportive"

I started the season with the thoughts that it was a transitional period for the team and the coach. How can you expect a coach to perform a quality team rebuild, given only a two year contract. With all the players currently injured/resting or out of sorts with the club, the season, for mine, is progressing far better than I had hoped. I understand the desire to play and thats why so many are out on loan, but it is difficult to see where the replacement forwards are being "schooled" or even who they are. Key players will leave at the end of the season and to all that go I would wish every success were and when they play, but am mindfull of those words..... "You win nothing with kids"

External or not I'm glad I'm not the only one who can see the bigger picture with regards to Potter and his Saints.

I strongly suspect one of the major reasons Mick was brought in was because of his ability to 'build' a team as he did successfully with Les Cats. We have to look beyond what happened last week, what is happening this season (even if we end up winning no silverwear) and realise that the club's management and as part of that Mick Potter, have looked at the new rules being brought in and the format and systems of the franchise era, and have formed a long term plan. This plan, like the stadium project, won't be completed overnight.

In a strange way I won't be upset if we don't win anything this season, if it means people lower their expectation level a bit, ease off with the uber-confidence some seem to have that is often seen as arrogance by others, and realise that we can't reign supreme all of the time but that by supporting our team week in week out in numbers, showing dedication and determination and a will to win we can enforce those same principles on the players.

Name names and tell us all you know then.

Just like some weren't happy with Hanley/Millward/Anderson but oh how the trophies rolled in.

I.M.O






the jury was out when we announced him as our next coach and its still out as far as i'm concerned

I'm a fan of Potter.

We don't have a left centre, Cayless has been out all year, Longy is picking up knocks and has been awful at times and we have blooded lots of kids. Yet we're top of the league and in the semi of the cup.

Not sure what more we can ask the bloke to do.

I get the impression some people won't warm to him because he isn't grinning and cracking jokes in interviews, but I'd rather have a good coach than a good clown.

He'll do for me.

doing a good job - if at the start of the season you had offered me the current position: top of the league, in the cup semi (after destroying Leeds), only 4 defeats and brought in 5 or 6 young lads; I would have been delighted.

Admittedly, we havent played well every week - and some of the performances have been as bad as I can remember, but on the whole its going well.

We have to remember that we are a club in transition on and off the field, and Potter probably has had the hardest coaching task at Saints since Eric Hughes. He has 3 years to completely rebuild the team, and the signs so far are good.

If Roguey is right (which I doubt), and some fo the senior players are not happy - i'm not too bothered, the young lads are the ones that need to be kept happy not the likes of Sean Long.

Christ dont buy into his little dreamword where he actually has inside info.
He's just a p1ss poor troll.