Prescott is three years older and has 40 odd more appearances than Mossop, I'd expect him to be doing better than Mossop had they been of comparable ability. Prescott should be coming into his prime about now, he's not much better than he was when he first broke into your team.

I'd take Mossop, I agree with that, but not Prescott.

not necessarily an excuse but something to consider, i believe prescott was doing a law degree along side playing which he finished at the end of the 2010 season and i personally believe he has become a much more mature player since, but well see what he does this year.

I think what he's saying, is that the top three of four teams (I am counting us in this due to last years finishing position ) players are of a similar standard. Squads are better in some areas than others, but on the day each team can beat the other. However, Wigan's current set up (not much changed from Maguire's in reality, but sometimes the best management is not to change things that are working) gives you that edge. Players are comfortable in their positions and what they are expected to do, plays have been worked on and everyone knows what they are doing. We just look clueless at times.

Fair enough, but I've not seen much in his game to make me think that there's potential there for him to get much better than he is.

Some amazing bury your head in the sand posts on here. The facts of the matter are James Roby is the best hooker in superleague but he makes your side one dimensional. He isn't one dimensional but the Saints side reliance on him is beyond belief! Wigan are laughing their paps off at the minute knowing if they close him down the game is won.

As for my original post about who'd get in a combined team if I had to name them like I say it's a Wigan 1-7 and in the pack Roby would get a start and Soliola and TP may scrape bench spots but that is literally it.

Things need to change starting with having a player who's miles better then Hohiha in Gaskell starting at 6! If you guys can't use him I'm sure we'd find use for him.

I'm confused! After what you have said above, are you now admitting our 4th choice halfback would get in your squad.

Well I suppose that is a more logical post than what some have come out with today.

I understand your point, but when a side has been coached into playing to plan A (the ruck area) with no plan B then it will always be their 'comfort zone'. Lesser teams have real problems round the ruck, so when that is exposed we come out of our shell and play some decent rugby. When we come up against quality teams (like Wigan) and we don't find it as easy in that area we panic and sit in that 'comfort zone' as that's all this set of players know. We aren't coached in a way to express ourselves and test the edges, so when plan A fails....we continue on with it.

Rush isn't a full time head coach, so he is not expected to coach us out of this habit, but when Brown comes in we should see a real difference I reckon. I think one of Roby's strengths is his clever and instinctive distribution (something that is rarely picked up on) and that is an area that can be looked at IMO when Brown gets here; he is far from a one trick pony.

The Saints TEAM as a whole is one-dimension; I wouldn't shift all the blame onto James Roby,

To make it simple for you I'll state it [iagain[/i - Our players are underperforming because they have been poorly coached for a long time and our tactics are predictable and one-dimensional. Our players are of a generally higher natural standard and of a greater level of talent than yours. Stick a quality coach in charge of our current squad for a few months and things would be rather different. If roles had been reversed and you'd had Royce instead of Maggie the last couple of years you'd have done well to make top 4 and wouldn't have had a sniff of any trophies. Warrington (by some distance) and Saints/Leeds (rather more marginally) have better squads than you do at the moment, but none of them have done as good a job of sow's ear maximisation as you have the last couple of years. Depressingly.

it does actaully and well done for admitting your not far superior in every way. And i am not trying to writte your team off you do have a very talented backline and when coached right will play some fantastic rugby but player for player RIGHT NOW you aren't as good as wigan and i would argue the same case for most other teams. its hardly a bad thing really its not as if wigan are a terrible team.

Where was Saint's kicking game yesterday? Power play after power play.

Do you actually believe the that you post on this forum? Being well coached is one thing, having the players to execute it is another.

we are playing no better now than when Simmons was in charge.Totally clueless in attack.That brief spell after Simmons was sacked lulled us into thinking that Rush could do a decent job-how wrong we were.