I agree with you agreeing with him


I went to Dewsbury and london game today. Dewsbury look very good, everything is done at pace, last pass sometimes let them down but they looked very well drilled, as we saw at Odsal a few week ago

Nathan Conroy was only on for a short time at the start of the second half but looked pretty good until he got a bit of a knock to the head then didn't come back on. If he had been given a fair crack at the whip I think he could of definately offered something for us this season

I like Jimmy but the team selection last few weeks is baffling and why we have signed another winger at this stage of the season is even more baffling

We were terrible today for 65 minutes. Not sure if it was worse than the performance against Featherstone but it wasn't far off. How many times did we drop the ball on our spread plays? Almost every single time we switched the ball from left to right we knocked on or put the ball into touch, Henry and Uaisele being the main culprits. Our attacking moves are not fluid, they don't attract defenders, and far too often we end up with no overlap and thus we don't break the line, or we end up coughing up possession.

Our tries came when we started playing with a little more freedom. At 30-6 down they probably thought the game was gone and they chanced their arm a bit. We then scored a few more in similar fashion, but the tries didn't come from set moves, they came from individual pieces of skill to break the line. If this is the best way of scoring points, for us, then why do we insist on spread plays that barely ever come off? I know it works for a lot of teams (Wigan are the prime example) but I'm not sure it's working for us. When we look to offload and play instinctively (O'Brien running from dummy half, Mullaney jinking his way through, etc.) we look far more dangerous.

It wasn't the attack that's the problem, though. I'm confident we can score points and we're scoring a decent amount even without our main playmaker. The defence is a bigger issue. It was obvious against Featherstone when they tore through us with simple plays, and it was the same today in the first half. The tries Sheffield were scoring weren't wonder tries, not by any stretch, just players brushing would-be tacklers off the ball and running through the holes our players had vacated. If we defend like we did today against a team like Widnes or Hull KR then we'll get slaughtered.

As for the team selection, I didn't understand it. Why rest Clough today against the team in third, but play him against Hunslet? Why does Jimmy keep naming outside backs on the bench rather than a second hooker. If O'Brien gets injured and can't continue, who fills in at hooker? Addy? We've been playing for too long without a recognised half-back because Gaskell and Siejka are injured. We could have used Brook, our young prospect, but instead he's been shipped off to Keighley and is playing well for them instead. Why haven't we seen him this season, at all?

Perhaps we've already settled for second before the match and that's why a couple of players were rested, but if we'd have won today, first place was still a possibility. Maybe we're happier finishing second. Either way, with this defeat, I'd throw the Leigh game completely. Don't play Gaskell. Don't risk Mullaney if he's tweaked his hamstring. And for the love of God, please give Adam O'Brien a week off.

Have we assembled THAT good a squad though, with 2015 in mind? Most of our decent performers played for us last year - albeit some of them on loan. Only off season signings I've thought have made any real impression are Mullaney when he's fit and Clough who IMO always puts a shift in. Was also going to say Williams but he was on loan the end of last year I forgot

The squad is good. The way we've used it hasn't been.

Doesn't really matter who was with is last season as the day we got relegated, we had NO players. Ferres had to effectively resign Gaskell, O'brien, Ferguson etc

The squad is good enough.

I'm torn whether to throw the leigh game. We're in a bad situation that we shouldn't be in and Lowes has to take reaponsibility.

On the one hand we throw the next two games and rest Gaskell, O'brien, Pitts etc until the middle 8's. Problem we have is we'll get murdered by Leigh and most likely lose to a red hot Fax team. We then go into the middle 8'a in awful form, the crowd (who have been brilliant all season, who are vital to the teams success, they can really lift a team when they get right behind them) are on the backs of the team and coach because of the form, and the team has no confidence.

But some players clearly need a rest, if we play them against Leigh, they're that tired they'll get murdered anyway.

Lowes should have used his squad fully and rotated so he can play his strongest squad right now and we start hitting form. Instead we have key players who are worn out, and we're in poor in form.

So frustrated!

What's even more baffling is that we've signed Caro because we apparently had no pace on the flanks. He wasn't perfect, but when Ulugia played he looked pretty fast to me. Instead he's been shipped out to Oxford and now Batley. It's like we've realised we need pace and so we've signed the fastest free agent we can find. Pace on the wings isn't the only issue with our team at the moment.

Hmm - bit of a technicality there, I'm not entirely convinced it doesn't matter who was and wasn't with us last season, as it's easier to talk to players who are already at the club, SL contract or not and papers over the cracks that - IMO - recruitment for players outside of the club has turned out to be a bit poor (even allowing for the Gareth O Brian Situation which was just bad luck). I agree we've done well to keep the amount of 2014 players we have, but I don't think much that has come in since October has really complimented what we already had.

The subject of purchasing a team that on paper that should win does not fit. Look at the Salfords team sheet. Failed!! Great and good players just exist without a coach having to "Train them" If we had got Leon Price, what a massive difference he would have made. Going back at some greats in the game Peter Sterling, Big Jim Mills, Barry Seabourne, even more recent Paul Deacon, the Paul brothers the list goes on. Yes they play within a game plan BUT the strategics embrace the natural flow of the players talents. We are not a fly on the wall and don't know what is going on. However the Philosophy should be that players should be able to bring there natural skills and utilise them freely. Credit where credit is due and not wanting to sound like a Judas, Leigh are maximising that potential and can be clearly seen.

JL mentioned that he wanted players to express themselves, well that's not happening is it. It was mentioned that the club would prefer coming second, Pathetic, Winners go out to win every single time anything less than that is unforgivable.

Forget and Ignore the excuses ... this club has some really quality players and should be winning comfortably in the championship.

If players are being used in a way that dilutes there ability somebody in authority who knows the game should step in and sort it. Somebody take some leadership.

Snippets from Lowes' reaction:
Rubbish ... first half we were a disgrace ... not interested in stats, I know we dropped too much ball ... don't talk stats to me, I know what the problem is .. we lost the game in the first half.

Also sounded as if he thinks Mullaney has a pretty concerning hamstring problem.

If he deals with the players like he deals with the press it's no wonder the team isn't firing. He's sulky, petulant and full of attitude - all of which you could forgive if the coaching pedigree was there. But it isn't. You can call me to order but I'm going to be bold and say Lowes is WORSE THAN McNAMARA.

There are obvious issues with the squad around play making options; injury record of signings, relative youth, no back up 7, no real captain etc.

This doesn't really explain why our forwards have consistently lost the arm wrestle in the first half of possibly the majority of games. We are regularly out enthused and the opposition who have apparently worked all week are more aggressive. Sidlow says in the paper that he is tired on the pitch which would explain why he has been so poor. As others have said the only prop who has regulatory won the collision has been sent to Keighley while we can't get out of our own 40 metre area for 15 minutes at a time.

The players look exhausted but apart from the front row who he has inexplicably run to water the other players haven't played too much. Are we over training? Has he upset them. They look like they don't want to be there. He repeatedly says we are turning over too much possession and therefore don't have the energy to compete but we are 2nd best from the whistle. His attitude in the press conference to perfectly reasonable enquiries is also unnecessary.

Missing from yesterday's team:
Gaskell ( our main attacking threat and organiser)
Purtell ( our best centre)
Olbison ( the most improved forward)
Clough ( with Pitts , the most consistent forward)
Williams ( top try scorer)
All of these players would be in my ( and I suspect the coaches) starting team.
Leigh without their equivalent players might not struggle to win but would not be winning so easily.
If/when these 5 return I still believe we have a decent chance in the Super 8's.

I can't believe Mullaney is injured AGAIN. Seven tries in two games and now he's crocked again. That's probably him done for the season.
I find myself wondering how this season might have turned out if Mullaney's hamstrings weren't made of tissue paper

Is it just a bad run of luck for Mullaney or is he just one of those players who picks up more injuries than most? He's looked good when he's played but it just hasn't been often enough and I would haves some reservations about signing him up again for next year. We need our best players fit for the big games if we are to stand any chance in these ones sided middle 8's promotion dream.

If it's true that we're after Roberts from the NRL then I can see us releasing Siejka and not giving Mullaney or Purtell (or both) new deals.
Mendieka will probably be our 1 for next season, and while I don't think he is anywhere close to being as much of an attacking threat as Mullaney, I think that will be our level next season and gradually while we remain in this league, that is how the rest of the squad will go as well.
Purtell will be on a decent wedge I reckon, and the reality is that he's just not good enough. For a centre, his pace and agility are way off. Even his defence has been poor this season. I respect the guy for what he went through and came back from, but there's no room for sentiment in sport. I'll be disappointed if he (and Walker) get new deals.