Tonight at the game I heard all the usual excuses, the most consistent being that we're saving ourselves for the play offs and the weekly rounds don't matter and even a few idiots blaming the referee. Truth is the club's pathetic recruitment and lack ambition has left us with another season of mediocrity looming.

The main problems I moaned about last season are still there. We have no half backs being the main one. When Long and Eastmond went we needed to sign an experienced half back. We still do, the signing of Hohaia was up there worst pieces of sporting recruitment business I've ever seen. We are also still lacking a leader, a Captain. When those tries starting raining in, there was no one rallying the troops, demanding a response and an improved effort. There is no voice on the pitch, this side is a soulless shadow of the club we used to be.

Tonight exposed with brutal efficiency just how average our 1-7 are. Huddersfield's had an absolute field day. Another aspect I mentioned once or twice last season was how we're lacking at fullback. Wello's not just over the hill, he's fallen down it into a ditch and his carcass is being chewed on by passing animals. He was, as ever, terrible in attack, contributing absolutely nothing again tonight and also a complete liability in defense. He is perhaps the only player than can be stepped from 20 metres away and not be able to even start to change direction before the player has strolled past him laughing at him on their way to the line. He is also making the embarrassing mistakes rookies make, only he's not got anything to learn by making them. He has to go, he cannot be allowed to meander through another season purely for sentimentality's sake. The club needs to grow some balls and do the Maurice Lindsey thing. Convince him he's played a game too many and find a cushy backroom job for him as a reward for his efforts over the years. Give Lance Hohaia a one way ticket home. It might cost a few quid, but just do it. Get an experienced half back in and play either Makinson, Gaskell or Lomax at fullback. You might say we don't have the money, but it will cost a lot more when the crowds are 3-4,000 below their potential levels because we're not in the hunt for trophies or exciting to watch any more. A new fullback and an experienced half would transform us.

Tonight really hasn't changed anything, we already knew we need a halfback and the back's are poor. We'll still do alright, top 4/5 is pretty guaranteed in this league. But the club needs to do something about that performance tonight. That was 17 players going through the motions and not caring one bit when Huddersfield (Who were excellent both in execution and their approach to the game) gave them a royal spanking. The attitude and approach wasn't acceptable. I would suggest flogging them in training, but judging by how skinny they all were tonight, that's probably not a good idea.

.

Best of luck in your search for a quality half back, we have been looking since Kev Brown left , but there are simply none around. Luckily we had Robbo who used to play there so he was drafted in.

I thought Robinson was very good tonight.

Who was the number 16 for you? He looked very good.

Jason Chan.

You have one. Brough is class. Luke Robinson is also a lot better than our half backs as he can organise and lead.

That's exactly what Simmons said to McManus when McManus asked him to look for a halfback and he (Simmons) could only come up with Hohaia who he thought 'could do a job' for us (with his utility role being of added value).

We can't get halfbacks who aren't there. We need to raise our own. That takes coaching and it takes patience from fans.

The last players on the pitch today I would criticise were Gaskell and Lomax. Both were royally screwed by Rush last season: Gaskell by being dropped completely and Lomax by being forced to play with Hohaia who didn't complement him in any way. Had Rush not been so dense and played them throughout the season, building on the potential they showed in 2011, we could now have been looking at two players who were developing well as a partnership and growing in experience and confidence. Instead, stupid Rush put the players and the team (in this respect) back a season by doing what he did.

Brough is 'class' when he wants to be. When he doesn't want to be, he can be awful. He was useless for most of last season, if memory serves.

He will play his butt off every game, but if things start going wrong he sort of loses interest, but if things are going ok he will carry on to the end and can be devastating when on song.

I guess it's a question of making hay while the Brough shines eh?

Well done on breaking the hoodoo by the way! I think you were the only team with a hoodoo left to break. Some impressive play from your team tonight.

I could have crowned him last season, and not in the royal sense of the word either.

Very true the same donkeys were guilty again except for Flannery who has his best game in living memory not one tackle missed and had his usual game in attack!!!



I have to say I thought it was our pack. Perry and Laffranchi are just not physical enough for starting props. We looked good in preseason with some of the big kids like Greenwood and Walmsley but we went back to a small, weak pack in the first game. Hard to understand.



It may have been 3 or 4 but who is counting. Wello showed his true colours tonight even the most biased Wello fan couldn't defend him tonight. If Wello was my dog I would take him to the vets and get him put down. We are just making him suffer, he is never going to retire. We need to put him out of his misery while he still has some of his dignity left.

Wello put in more effort and commitment than the rest of them out together tonight, and if the rest cared half as much as he did, we would be a far better team. He was under so much pressure tonight it was ridiculous, and although he was poor, he was certainly not our worst out their tonight.

I dont subscribe to that, if i played for Saints i'd put in all the effort and commitment but i'd still be rubbish, the difference is i know im past it and rubbish, Wello doesnt

Disagree. I don't think he put in any more or less effort than anyone else and he was just as rubbish as everyone else. He was a great last line of defence. How many tries did they score again? I don't think he was anywhere near the attackers for any of them was he?