Fair to say that I stand corrected. On your last point, wouldn't the strength and conditioning guy decide about weight? We've got the world-class former Saints guy Geoff Evans with us, who got the players in outstanding shape ahead of the 2010 season (sadly without the performances to match).

You've cracked on under Simmons, but with Potter you still made 2 Grand Finals and a challenge cup, and made a massive transition in offloading Long. That was surely Potters call?

Seemed to be a lot of hype about him when he joined the club and he's highly qualified but the players don't -IMO- seem to be any better in terms of stamina when defending towrds the back end of each half than when Clawson was around. Against Leeds and Salford this gave the opposition a) the ability to get quick play the balls in and b) penalties and missed tackles to take advantage of.

I'll declare a bias here, he's allowing me in on sessions etc. and helping me out in my infancy as a conditioning coach. But as I'm in the industry I can tell you he's very highly thought of, I wasn't exagerating saying he's thought of as "world class" in his field.

To cut a long story short, we found ourselves playing catchup to the Leeds, Hudds and Saints of this world, who carried on the revolution our own Carl Jennings started in Rugby League. His methods were enhanced by sports scientists at other clubs. I'm pretty sure the errors you have mentioned are down to poor play and not that the players Evans has to work with are not in optimum shape.

Oh right. Well your more qualified to comment than I am.

Not under Potter, no. Chris Flannery stated categorically in the local newspaper this season that Potter insisted they put on weight. Simmons said just as he arrived here that our conditioner had asked him (Simmons) for a fitness and conditioning plan but Simmons said that it was up to him (the conditioner) to sort that as he (Simmons) wasn't the expert. While we appear to have picked up a ridiculous amount of injuries this season, they are almost all athletic style injuries - groins, hamstrings, ankles. They aren't the quads and other upper body muscle problems we had under Potter. We also can come back in games now whereas we would always fade in the second half, often hanging on for grim death! I prefer our sleaker, fitter, pacier Saints than what grew under Potter. But each to their own and maybe Potter has learned stuff from his time with us.


Not really. We made it to three Grand Finals on the trot under Daniel Anderson, but only won the first one (and we were knocked out of the CC semis both years under Potter). We still had Keiron Cunningham during Potter's time here plus Longy for the first season. And there was Leon, plus a raft of edge players who had been around for a few years. This season we have had to do it really new. Aside from Roby (who has been magnificent), Graham and Wellens, we have been relying heavily upon a lot of the young players as Leon has only played for three minutes and Kyle couldn't be bothered when he was on the pitch. To me, Simmons has shown his credentials as a coach because he has had to actually coach. He hasn't had what he called 'six internationals' to rely upon. He has had Roby, Jammer, Wello and TP. Gardner has had to be fired up and Meli is as lazy as always with the odd spot of brilliance. All the rest have either been crocked all season, young or new to the team.