Great start, great impact early on - Stapleton & Cashmere look as good a front row combo as I've ever seen. Combined with Malc we really looked like a team who could do damage to the more established teams in the league.

But then...



Alker [u[im[/uust[/i play more than 40 minutes in a game. He doesn't need the rest - drop him into the second row for 10 perhaps, even bench him for 10, but for the good of the team he needs to be on. He provides drive & leadership. Once Nash/Big Phil & Robbie came on we looked a shadow of the team we were early doors. And to prove this wasn't just a case of a good start, when Stapleton/Cashmere & Alker came back on the last 20, again we took control again.

I hope the Coach is not too proud to show Alker his team needs him. Likewise I hope he can get more out of Nash, Big Phil & Robbie. I have suspicions 2 of these players are out of their depth at this level these days, but I don't want to be negative - a win, a decent crowd (considering the time, Valentine and the oppo) and some of the best footie I've seen Salford play in a long time in the first 20. Come on Salford!

All posts re the game were pretty spot on, only hope someone on the coaching staff reads them and reacts.

Re the interchanges:

There is no doubt the interchanges totally affeted the momentum we had built in the first 20 minutes.

I have a concern that Shaun McRae is far too rigid with his game plan, with all the players/coaches knowing when and who will be interchanged before the match, rather than giving himself the flexibility of adapting his tactical interchanges to the match situation? Just a bit concerned our game plan is too mechanical and doesn't allow for a plan B!

That said a good result and start to the season!!

Can't add much more to what has already been said, good first 20 minutes then after that we off the boil for the middle 40 minutes at one point when Celtic had the upper hand and pulled it back to 20-16 I feared the worse, but credit where credits due the lads stuck at it and finshed the stronger out of the two teams.

One thing I wasn't sure about was the option to kick the penalty goal to put us 20-0 up. IMO Celtic were on the back foot its 18-0 and we were in a great attacking position. Maybe just a little more confidence in our own ability was needed??

Perhaps. It was an easy two though. But negative.

I think if the 2 pts are on offer and you are in front you take them. I do understand your point about negative play though because after the first quarter we resorted to drive after drive up the middle and didn't look to offload or move the ball wide.