Quote: Early Bath "Just shows how little you know about things Terry.
Steady improvement seen today against the International Xiii from Leeds. Good efforts from Chase, Fages, Lee and .....................Howarth too. Mullaney a worry. Has missed 5 on the trot and this is unthinkable at this level.
Good turn out from the Devils.'"
Certainly a good turn out, but that's where we cease to agree. That was a lethargic Leeds performance from where I was sat, but an even worse one from SRD. I thought Chase was awful. His kicks through were only for himself, off which Leeds scored at least one try. And he gave away a number of penalties, which gave Leeds good field position. He is not a team player and his rare moments of brilliance do not make up for that in my opinion.
Fages was ordinary at best. He attempted nothing and created nothing.
Lee did ok, but is too small for a modern day loose forward while, though not a fan, I thought Howarth did alright. His distribution is still too slow though, and having been tutored last year by KC, I don't quite understand why, unless it is that he is just too tall? We would have been better with Lee as hooker and Howarth at 13.
The scoreline says it all. Defensively we were appalling. The basics of a single defensive line seemed to have been forgotten. On their good day, Leeds might have posted twice as many points.
I know it must have been difficult backing up from Friday night, but I sensed a lack of enthusiasm which, in front of a 14000 crowd, does not bode well.
Adam Walne spent little more than 10 minutes on the field. The lad is better than that and needs to have game time. His heart and soul is SRD but the club seem to be treating him with disdain.
It's interesting to note the teams who are successful seem to be those with a wealth of home-grown players. One Friday night recently, I counted from Leeds, Saints and Wigan, 11, 12 and 13, not necessarily in that order. In comparison, SRD had fielded 2! There are lads in their early 20s who have been sidelined for those who have been brought, but who have been dual reg'd and loaned out, possibly for the future, but surely that has to be the way to go?
I agree, to a point, with another contributor who suggested that we have assembled a team of journeymen. I think that Hock and Hanson are better than that. Others who have been, are beyond their "Best before" dates, while others are completely over rated.
Dr Koukash has spent a lot of pennies on this team. He deserves a top 8 place, but on the last couple of performances, does anybody realistically see it happening?