So if we are fit enough the problem is that the players couldn't be bothered? Kear seems to think it's an attitude problem.

You can blame a lack of possession and field position as much as you like but that was down to our weak defence allowing Sheffield to make 10m per carry and us taking the ball at walking pace and running laterally. If you add a kicking game that is on the back foot because of the lack of go forward we end up surrendering field position. They could put in attacking kicks and we couldn't.

As for expecting Crossley and Walker to be size zero - nobody is expecting that. However both players have been slimmer in the past. No team competing in SL or seriously competing to get there has players in that shape. This isn't the 1980s. I happen to think we have more "go forward" with them on the field, Baldwinson and Fleming aren't as good going forward.

We have an opportunity to show better attitude next Monday. It's the perfect opportunity really as Leigh will be hurting. Refusing to allow ourselves to be embarrassed would be a good start. Get stuffed and we go into Barrow match with 1 win from 3 and we could after that very easily be 1 from 4. Kear could be on a sticky wicket soon.

I always find Fleming infuriating. He's like Chris Feather, with his size you'd expect more impact but he seems to stop a metre before contact.

As for the question of fitness and conditioning. It's always telling when you see a player from an SL side take the field with us. They stick out like a sore thumb in terms of body shape. I know we aren't full, full-time but if you are carrying a spare tyre you're going to pay the price in terms of mobility and fitness. That's just natural, you're carrying weight that adds nothing to your performance and on a bog of a pitch that's going to tell sooner rather than later.

Couldn't agree more.

If you've just retaken the lead with 13 minutes left and then let in two converted tries and two penalties at home I don't think that's fitness. I think that's an attitude problem.

They weren't defending for 20 minutes. In fact if anything they were on top and gave away penalties in Sheffield's 20. Whilst I don't really believe it but surely if the team has turned up not prepared to try that is an even more damning indictment of the preparation.

Kear's interview after the game talking about having smoke blown up their backsides and disrespecting the opposition is embarrassing. They won one competitive game and lost the last few of last season. Players like Gill, Wallace, Doyle, Miller, DFJ, in fact all 17 individually and collectively turned up to play with an attitude of 'we're better than this'? That's just not remotely credible.

Agreed. We field that kick-off, complete the set, put in a reasonable kick & chase, Sheffield start their set 80/70 metres from their try line, the forwards have to get back. Instead we messed up the kick-off and Sheffield start the set 40/30metres from out try line. That instantly gives them energy and drains ours.

We can be as fit as we want, but fitness can be in the head too. You feel more tired if you have to jog back to your own 20m line to start your set 80metres away with 10 mins left. If you start 40metres after the opposition made an error, you feel less tired.

That's why I think its an attitude issue rather than fitness. We don't bite down on the gum shield and complete those tough crucial sets. We consistently mess up and put pressure on ourselves and give the opposition a lift.

There is a reason he has had so many clubs. He is one player who even since he were a youngster at his community club, he has been signed simply because of his size and coaches thinking they can get something out of him.

Whatever the reasons, it is undoubtedly now John Kear's team albeit on a budget. There needs to be some significant signs of progress in the next couple of months. At the moment it feels like the players change but the same problems persist, so the blame lies with the coaching staff whether it's preparation, tactics or recruitment.

We'll find out in the coming weeks if last weekend's result was an aberration or exactly this.

Thinking about it in context Kear did ok with the 2019 side and if that hadn't been broken up we could've been more genuine contenders by now. As it was 2021 was almost another rebuild. That's not to downplay the way it ended. The key now is to see in the coming weeks whether that poor form at the end of last year was a trend that's continuing now or not.

Problem for me last season was the players leaving seemed to give up once guaranteed playoffs
Brown,Hallas,Oakes especially all poor in last 4 defeats.

Part of me thinks peoples frustration with John is down to other clubs progressing.

We had our highest placed finish in six years last year; and we’re 40 mins from 3rd place.

That would’ve been essentially ‘top’ of the best of the rest. Surely he deserves the year, if results improve?

That was the year he got rid of Dane Chisholm for being exciting.