On the journey back home to Birmingham where I now live I was trying to think of a worse performance I have had to endure since I first started watching Bradford Northern way back in 1964, and believe me I've stood on those terraces through thick and thin throughout the years. I suppose like most people I can accept defeat when i see the team making an effort but I cannot accept a performance like I have witnessed this afternoon. They were inept and clueless in all areas of play and sorry to say but there were periods during that game when they appeared to have thrown the towel in - and that is not on. If nothing else they have a duty to the paying fans to at least make an effort - what the hell have they been doing in pre-season? It was just the same as last year and the year before that - who is responsible for that I ask you?
PATHETIC, ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC!!

Not sure I totally agree here Adey. I think there probably was a lack of effort in some areas against Saints. For instance I thought we were very lazy chasing kicks against St Helens. That isn't down to lack of understanding we just didn't work hard enough in some key areas. We certainly upped our workrate against Cas and gained valuable metres by refusing to surrender on contact with the defenders. We had 6 or 7 men chasing kicks which meant Cas found it tough getting any sort of momentum. We worked harder controlling the ruck and got numbers into the tackle although I still feel we could improve our technique here.

There were certainly times when some players seemed to lose heart for sure...I guess my point was that it was by no means universal. I'd not disagree at all with "lack of effort in some areas" - not getting the markers set and allowing them so many cheap yards from the PTB was the one that again wound me up the most - but that is far from a "complete capitulation", is it not?

It just worries me that some of the usually more realistic and level-headed contributors on here appear to be losing hope when surely it is too early for that?

Indeed, I think we got the performance on Friday that we were all hoping for on Sun. It wasn't a perfect or completely polished but you could sense a real desire and togetherness of the players. They worked for each other and came out fired up. I suppose next week will be a fair test, can we match those intensity levels against a supposed wooden spoon contender.

I found it a little worrying that so many supporters apparently lost faith in the team after only two games into the season. I suppose the players have hardly kept their side of the bargain though in recent times. Some of our worse performances have been saved for Odsal! I think we genuinely have enough quality in the side to see some good quality RL at Odsal this year, I just hope people will come back and give the lads a chance.
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When players look like they can't be d to tackle, or chase then it looks like a capitulation to me. I have not forsaken all hope, of course not. I will be there week in, week out. But as I said on another thread, until we have competed with and beaten a "top" side, I am not getting carried away.

It all provides context. Today both Hull teams have been humbled. Justin Morgan is widely regarded as a talented coach but his side copped it pretty much exactly the same as we did last week. Doesn't make it right but it does make it less outlandish.