I wasn't far off with the prediction for tonight. It was clear once Hull's recruitment was complete how things would go tonight. Tonight wasn't a shock, they have a stronger team than us, faster backs and bigger forwards. Unless something goes massively wrong there they are in for a great season. I think they will be my second second team after Catalans, I love their fans and hope they can win something this season.

This time was always going to come when the modern greats left and the team had to be rebuilt. McManus and co haven't made that good a job of it so far. The choice of coach was poor and the lack of investment in players over the last few years is now coming home to roost. If the rot that has been allowed to set in is related to cutting back because of the stadium investment I'm okay with that, but I'd like them to admit it.

You lot will probably deny it and claim we're still headed for Old Trafford, but the truth is that we are now in a large group of teams scrambling for position in the play offs. Leeds, Warrington, Hull, Hull KR, Huddersfield, Wigan, Catalans and Wakefield. There are a lot of very good sides in SL now, all of which have recruited better than us for three or four years now. I'd be delighted with a top 6 finish this year personally, satisfied with top 8. I can't see us winning many against those teams mentioned away from home and trips to places like Cas and Salford are hardly going to be easy for us either.

Which brings me nicely onto good old Harry. Why is he there? Finding his replacement has got to be the big priority in terms of playing matters this season. Another sub-20 points score for us, again failing to do it at home. His influence on the squad is now complete, all of Anderson's plays are gone and everything we do is down to Harry. To make the play offs we are going to have to improve our defense massively as we're going to be averaging around 12 points per game. The excuse a lot of people used was that he was here because of his skills in building a squad. But there is no investment into the squad so that cannot be why he was brought in. Sport is cyclical to a degree and we are about 5 or 6 years overdue a lean spell, but it just seems we are not putting as much effort into it as could be as a club.

Completely agree, we have an average squad based on that performance. We are now at the same level as teams that in the past we would have put 50 up against.

That makes them your 3rd team.



Thanks for the kind words towards Hull.

i think your biggest problem is your pack.... or lack of... graham apart you dont really have one (maybe thats a bit harsh)

you were massively outplayed down the middle tonight,,, ive not been a big saints basher.. i thought you would have a good season again.... after tonights display im not so sure though.

oh yea... i think the quicker you get rid of price the better... he isnt going to help eastmond at all.

More to do with tactics than talent imo.

Potter does not have a fu*king clue! Same old, boring crap from last season. You can read our plays like a picture book.

I truely believed we would of worked on a couple of different moves in pre seasom, however we have not!! Every set is like deja 'fu*king' vu!!!!

Well played Hull, monster of a bench.

i think wellens is too slow gardener pryce and faasavalu have no heart and havnt played well for two years and flannery been one of our worse singings i really feel for graham playing with them and potter who just boring

The pack is our strength! Our backs are really slow and in this modern game, you need fast backs.

I wish we have a player like Lauaki who could come off the bench and make an impact, unlike Fa'asavalu.

So it's Harry potter and the temple(knowsley road)of doom then?

Sad one, i have read many of your posts in the past and you often make sense in what you say. But do you really expect the board of a club to come out in public and say we are cutting back because we have commitments elsewhere.

Your pack were very much second best tonight and that could well happen against wires,wigan,leeds,etc this season too.

who has no heart

really?

i would beg to differ... you're almost a one man front row.. graham as good as he is cannot do it all on his own..... fozzard looks like a massive step backwards..... cunningham is playing on past reputation...... no impact from the bench.... maybe im wrong...... i suppose time will tell.

Indeed it could. We could lose some this season. Oh the horror

Our pack made more metres than any other team last year and it hasn't changed.

The problem is definitely with the backs. We have a slow full back, slow wingers, a 2nd rower at Centre and a half back who hasn't played well for a year.