Howarth's just a scapegoat!!

Shame on you all!!

For all of the chat which has gone before, the sad fact of the matter is that, for the second week running on Sky TV, Salford Red Devils failed to play to their potential. Forget the injuries! The fielded players ought to have been able to make a better fist of it than they did.

So why didn't they? Is the conditioning right? Is the coaching right? Is the motivation right? If you assume that the players themselves have the requisite ability, the fault must lie in one of the above.

Oh, and for the record, while I am led to believe that Howarth is one of the hardest trainers at the club, I don't believe he should ever be used as a hooker. His distribution is far too slow, and dangerous for our players because of that. But where else would anybody play him?

I heard similar things in pre-season, Howarth was training hard and impressing the coaching staff etc. As you say, Howarth isn’t a hooker, never has been and never will be. His distribution is poor and slow. Has he scooted once yet in his spells at 9? So far McShane, Roby and Clarke have all dominated us at the ruck area. In answer to your question, I wouldn’t play him let anyone play him anywhere else. Fact is he isn’t good enough.

You make a valid point re the team’s performance, but you’re forgetting this is a new team. The bulk of the work we would have undertaken in pre-season would have relied vastly upon Rangi & Smith, that partnership lasted no longer than 40 minutes. We’re now having to play two scrum halves at 6 & 7 which isn’t ideal. We look devoid of ideas going forward and whilst I felt Theo and Smith looked better vs Widnes, apart from Theo’s off the cuff play we were still generally poor. Add into that Howarth’s spells at dummy half and you can see why the opposition are scoring more than us.

Other injuries haven’t helped. Rapira, Hock and Griffin have left the forwards lightweight. Meli and Sa’u have disrupted the backline and we haven’t had a settled wing/centre partnership once.

In all honesty, I’m dreading the Warrington the game this Friday which I didn’t think I would. Our defence is a massive cause for concern and I can see the Warrington backs having a field day. My head says Warrington by 22.

why all the negativity? we played well in spells in the widnes game showed some real class at times. Enjoy the ride it will have its ups and downs, Im looking forward to friday and hoping we can turn over an under performing team

It’s difficult not to be at the moment. After all the positives at the back end of the last season/pre-season then to start the season and lose so many key players to injuries.

I have every faith in the group of players we have, the coaching staff and the owner that it will all come good (I always said we’d need 10 weeks to gel) it’s just disappointing/frustrating that we’re enduring the setbacks we are.

Its not difficult. We have had lots of injuries and still won 2 from 4. We are in the top 8 still and the future is very promising. We are always going to have set backs. The players clearly havent fully gelled yet but as i say played only 4 games give it until may when players are back with a good few games under their belts. The devilution will be in full flow.

Think that pretty much nails it, you can't expect 14 virtual strangers in a playing capacity to start off like a house on fire, then to start to lose these players to injury so quickly can only disrupt what you can only imagine would have been carefully orchestrated plans and routines to facilitate the team gelling.

I'll be much more concerned when we are mid way through the season and the same types of results are still happening.

What is a worry though is the possible effect this will have on the psyche of floating (or returning fans) who will look and automatically think same old same old which in reality couldn't be further from the truth.

It’s the Widnes game which has disappointed me the most. I genuinely felt 3 wins from 4 games was realistic and for me we should be on 6 points now. We went in at half-time 12-8 up, but capitulated yet again in the second half (as we did against Wakefield and St Helens) to gift Widnes the win.

Luckily I agree with you about the injuries and the team gelling, the sooner they return the better.

Bloody hell!! You lot still going on about last Thursdays defeat??

Accept it. You were second best on the night. You lost to a better team and a far bigger club.

There's plenty of chances to make those 2 points up between now and September.

Think also a telling factor in what looks like a weakness in the second half is that when you lose players mid game to injury like we have been doing you also then have less options with your interchange.

Pretty certain in the first game Chase would have stayed on most (if not all) of the game, at Widnes Rapira would have played more of a part, Hock would have stayed on till the death at Saints and likewise S'au at Widnes.

why pick on howarth?
most coaches with the full salary cap to spend would spend most of it on building a strong spine to the team of which the hooker is one of the most important components. you seem to have gone for cheap options at full back and hooker and wasted the money on high profile injury prone has beens else where in the team. very good high profile signings for making an impression at the ridiculous pre season launch but some one must be feeling silly now the old men are predictably coming up short. well predictable to every one but the man with the cheque book.

What do you know about Jake Mullaney that makes you feel he is a "cheap option"? He's been one of the better signings do far.

As for the injury prone has-beens, the current injury list is:
Junior Sa'u (age 26)
Francis Meli (age 34)
Rangi Chase (age 27)
Gareth Hock (age 30)
Darrell Griffin (age 32)
Steve Rapira (age 25)

Now, with the exception of Francis Meli (maybe Darrell Griffin, although 32 isn't particularly old for a prop), which of the above would you class as has-beens?

You obviously havent watched much of Salford this season have you? Howarth has been absolutely awful, he has never been a hooker in his life (or at least until he joined Salford) as far as I know he played his junior RL as a loose forward. His distribution from dummy half is slow, he gives the opposition defeence at least 2 metres more than they should be getting and doesnt have the brain required to play at 9. Rarely does he spot a flagging tackler and run at him, infact I bet you can count on one hand the amount of times the lad has scooted from dummy half in the last 4 games.

As for the cheap option at full back, I cant imagine Mullaney was cheap considering his pedigree. He's also been one of the better signings and looks very lively in attack.

Which our of new "has been" signings have been injured yet then? Chase isnt a has been, Hock isnt a has been, Griffin isnt a has been, The only over 30 injury we have had this far is Meli as far as I can remember.

Next time you come on here trying to make a point, know a little bit about the subject before hand.

I'm really impressed with how many morons from other clubs we seem to be attracting to the site compared to other years. Obviously doing something right.