I'm not very optimistic about beating Widnes looking at their London result.

I do agree that "don't panic Mr Mannering" is the best approach but IF we are humiliated again against Widnes with Hull and Bradford to come - hardly the most intimidating of fixtures normally - (although we lost both games last year) then "something" needs doing.
I am also not encouraged with Brown's comment:
"I thought we'd do a bit better than we did"

A bit? Thats hardly reassuring - it sounds like he expected a mediocre performance not the worst for many a year!

Agree with that,they are quick enough to take the plaudits when they play well.When they show 0 effort and comitment then they should take the booing and use it as motivation to improve.

Have an opinion by all means. But do not state as a fact that he was useless for most of last season when you hardly saw him play. For what it's worth he was excellent for most of last season, although I cannot comment on the 2 games I missed.

I think this sums it up for me.

There's not a lot of point in talking about the (half)backs when our base was so comprehensively out enthused up front. Conceding that try from the scrum base show how below par our team was.

The opening fixture is a big day, and Hudds brought a big game attitude. We were beaten in a similar fashion to those awful defeats we've suffered to Wigan over the past 2 seasons - because they wanted it more.

That is what is unnacepltable to the ticket holders.

I'd bring in Ade Gardner, for a bit of purpose when retuning the ball.
I'd hope that Clough can come back in for a bit of hard graft and, after I'd defended him so many times, I'd drop perry, start LMS or Tony P and bring in someone like Walmsley/Hand who might actually play with a bit of passion.
I'd also give Flash, who was one of the few to look respectable, more game time.
Curiosly, I think Sia and Manu were both guilty of "trying too hard" - Manu coughing up possession and Sia missing too many tackle trying to ring bells.

No focus at all.

I agree with The Chief and Offside Monkey. We can only get better lol.

I think we read far too much into comments and press statements. Do people really want the coach to come on and lay into his players first game out?

He has to manage the squad for the season, not game to game. He has to go into training and get the best out of them. As shocking as that performance was, Brown can hardly call them a waste of space and expect to hold their respect for him for the next 3 years.

If my manager called me a waste of space no matter my performance I'd have issues with him from then on. It's a professional game and he has to act professionally. If it was 2 games from season end then he could call them what ever he felt like as he could get shut in 2 games.

Lets just see where we are come the Leeds game, before we all jump off the pier.

As each season progresses Saints fans far and wide will find a scapegoat to blame; for this ill or that ......early last season against the run of the mill, it was Foster.Then Meli surfaced as the arch villain once more, and so the circle is again squared. Nothing changes and its only round 1, but should anyone remember........Never write off the SAINTS

Not a game to find scapegoats.
As every Saints fans on here knows your team was outplayed from 1-17.
Widnes is the type of game to get back a bit of form. The pack have to work harder and if they do then they have a good chance of running the game for the halves and backs to exploit.
Saints should win by 12+, if they don't then you'll have more to worry about than you do now.

Think you will be favourites but you only snatched it last year in the last play of the game. We've improved a lot since then, however you have strengthened your squad with Manu and turned. Should be a good game

I hope and expect to see a fired up saints, fancy we'll win comfortably.

I agree. If he'd come out slating the players, what good would that do? What he really thinks will be said behind closed doors - as it should be.

Think we'll still be favourites, but it's one of them where we could either win by a small or large margin!