Yeah, for once I don't think we majorly disagree. Have a lot of sympathy with your pragmatism and it may be that we curse the points the Hull clubs picked up yesterday by the end of the year. But stand by my point that being 3rd now is not totally inconsequential.

Looking at Hull FC this season it annoys me that we lost at their place when we were well capable of winning. Beating them at Odsal is a must.

I would not say that this is "glass half-empty" at all Cibaman - it is a realistic post and agreed with by a few well-respected posters on here, and me too.

The Realistic Tendency has been formed...

If we had played them on friday as was arranged before it was postponed i think we would have won, but the players getting there pumped then waiting around then having to leave and come back, i think knocked them off their game, we should also have beaten widnes but they showed some resolved non of us saw coming and bradford sat back and didnt really press on from the sending off.

It past now and all we can look is look forward to our other games and where we can pick up points.

We've also been lucky with injuries to the main three props who have hardly missed a game. These guys take the main impact and in a light squad an injury to one can cause a domino effect where having to play longer minutes causes fatigue/injuries to others.

Having said that the overall quality of the league is not what it was. Saints have let Gaskell go on loan and yesterday played Wilkins and Wellens in the halves which sounds weird.

Maybe next week against Wigan will tell us a bit more. With Gale back and not many out, 8 days prep we should show what we're made of.

Next week will be a real test, majority of their tries over the past few weeks have come on the wings, if we can get through their line we will score a few tries watced tomkins vs wakey and he didnt seem like he could tackle for toffee, he may be the best attcking FB but his defence can be suspect and if we can exploit it we should be able to have a real go.

3rd best attack in the league (only 3pts behind hudds) who would have thought it.

We've struggled at times when camped on the opposition goal line. Getting down there hasn't been that much of an issue but cracking a tight defence has sometimes been one. I'm hoping having Gale back will sort that out. Scoring isn't going to be a problem for us.

The way we're pushing the pass late in the tackle is compressing opposition defences and drawing extras into the tackle to wrap people up. An unfortunate consequence is that we're going to put a lot of ball down doing that, especially against the better defences.

I worry a bit about our defence going in to these next three games and our ability to mop those situations up.

Our general defence has been reasonably well organised this year - it is the gifts we present the opposition like the ones from Kear and Kearney against London which would open any side up. Our attacking play and support has been much better this year but do wish we would tighten up a bit on these high risk plays - especially when Kearney has come up into the line as if the ball goes to an opposition winger with pace like Dixon it's 6 points against.

Yeah, we're not all that bad. I think we lack a little bite though. A side like Wigan or Leeds can hit the ball up poorly for a few consecutive sets and it won't matter too much because they'll still concede less with their defence if they keep it together. I don't think the Bulls can say that. To be expected with a small lightweight squad, but it's what I'd be working on the most over the coming weeks.

When we're in the right frame of mind out goal line defence is as good as any e.g. Leeds away.

I am a bit concerned about us when we concede a few penalties or make mistakes in our own 20m. Against poorer sides we've managed to force an error before being punished but against the better sides our ill discipline has cost us the game e.g Saints (H). Similarly slow starts Hull (A) and 2nd Half at Widnes were poor.

Still in the main we've been good and thankfully have avoided injuries to the props, apart from Langley's brief period out.

The next few games are much tougher so I think in another 8 weeks or so we'll see a truer reflection of where we stand.