The only positive thing I could say regarding Mr Paleaaesina is that he managed to play 21 mins from the start of the game and played I believe his most minutes yet.

The fact that it has taken until round 14 to achieve this merely goes to support how poor the coaching is at Salford and in particular the pre season conditioning.

People slagging DJ of after a bad game, I've heard it all now. Holdsworth is the best scrum half we have had at Salford for a long time and anyone who cant see what class he adds to the team must be blind, yes he may of had a bad game but to come on and start a thread about him "losing" us the game is nothing short of sad. The changing point in the game was when the team bothered coming onto the field. That first half was absolutely shocking straight from kick of we fuc*k up and that just set the tone for the game. How can holdsworth possibly do anything when our forwards get battered week in week out? We could of started a thread up about most players tonight take Anderson for example what a mare he had.

Look im not saying i dont think DJ can improve he can every player can improve, but how fickle can you get saying hes gone from hero to zero in one game. If DJ was in Wigans/Warringtons squad he'd be awesome because hes got the players around him, and the forwards to make the yards.

I cant comment on what went on in the second half if IM honest, for the first time ever i left a game at half time, (which isn't like me) IM 19 years old and even im sick and tired of getting built up and let down why cant we possibly win more than 3 games on the row is that to much to ask? I've not missed a game in 3 years (barring Catalan away with the ash cloud) and i wont miss another one for the next 3 either but last night i had to go it was so frustrating watching them and knowing they can play better and they fu*ck up again.

On another note i thought Fekka had a decent first half ran it hard and got more game time than usual out of him.

Lets hope we get of to a better start at KR next week.

I've said it for a while, he isn't playing as well as we know he can. He isn't miles away from being a top player, its just a few things he needs to do. Bend his back in tackles, run with the ball and learn that if the pass isn't on then the best thing you can do is keep hold. If he does that he'll be a miles better player. At the minute though we need much, much more from our captain.

Holdsworth was responsible for 2 key errors that may have turned the game, but you can't blame him alone for our loss. It wasn't him who missed the kick off or who missed the tackles for the tries we conceded.

Too many errors by the whole team, both on attack and defence cost us the game. Cashmere's/Patten's kick off error. Patten's knock on. Jewitt's knock on. Ratchford going in touch. Anderson's missed tackle. Gibson's positioning.

On a plus side I did think Matty Smith was superb and was the best player on the field. Controlled many aspects of our attacking game, took on the line, handled and kicked well and tackled excellently (by going low instead of wrestling!). I hope for more of the same.

I was watching a game I'm making observations about. Surely your sarcastic
(not ironic) question answers itself. And I beg your pardon. I was referring to kick offs not attacking kicks (my bad) and excuse my tone. I was genuinely annoyed that for a once we looked like serious contenders to revive a comeback after our usual first 10 minutes. And yes my topic title is a little off the mark but I'm referring to "zero" for that game, not the remaining superleague. Talk about taking things literally.

Possibly one of the most contradicting comments and ill informed post's i've read.

You call me a fickle fan for venting my frustration and you're the one throwing in the towel at halftime....pathetic. Fans don't come more fickle than that. At least I had the loyalty to see it out and witness a half hearted attempt of us getting back into the game. The going got tough and you showed how little faith you had by spitting your dummy out ? Were half way through the season, are you not aware of our inconsistent form? or do you simply have prematch visions of us putting 60 on a well drilled side ? lets be realistic for a second.

And more to the point it was the second half we endeavoured to make a come back, the half in which DJ came up with more mistakes and rash decisions. And as mentioned we won the second half on points. Ok my topic title has come across a little rash, I was really trying to make a point of how quickly his form has declined from a decent run of form. I wasn't chanting "DJ OUT" when the whistle blew, I can see his talent and class, but I do think as mentioned, he does need to bend his back a little more in the tackle and take a leaf out of Patterns book when it comes to attacking the line.

I like the bloke and like you think he's the best scrum half we've had in a long long time, but I do think his leadership qualities need a bit of a polish if were going to make a good attempt at the second half of the season in our last year at the Willows. And your right, he isn't at Warrington or Saints were he'd have good cover from the forwards, and with that being the case surely he realises he has to put that little extra work rate in, not sit back and disappear for 20 minutes, which seemed to be the case last night.

No he didn't single handedly lose us the game, but he had a 4/5 good opportunities to win us the game, opportunities which turned to dust and halted our comeback.

Fair point on the sarcasm.

However I cannot vent my frustration only at Holdsworth. I do not like to vent anything to individual players on here (bar one, recently, and now very regretted) but one player referred to in posts referring to this match did cop a lot of loud criticism during the match.

When I see Clay, Smith and other backs running their blood to water, when I see certain forwards obviously hurt and tired but trying to fill in for others ,, it's the others who get my ire. And there were two who did.

The only comment I'll make about Holdsworth is that he is not leadership material and the decision to make him captain is merely one in a long line of dense decisions at the club.

On the pitch he neither leads by example or by communication. He comes across as a follower. Friday night was a prime example of where a leader was needed. The poor start and the mounting scoreline in the first 10 minutes needed him to stand up and tell a few home truths and get the players going. Instead he looked like one of the players who needed someone else to lift him. A captain motivates himself as well as those around him.

Holdsworth is a good player but he's not a captain.

I think that if Adamson were a certain start he'd be the ideal captain, very elloquent off the pitch and vocal on it. I don't know but I think that next year Patton will get the job and take some of the weight of DJ's shoulders.

FFIW JD had an average game but unfortunately he wasn't the only one to do so. Do though disagree about him being the scrum half we've had in a while as i'm not convinved he is a srcum halve as he seems to be very slow getting around the park.

Luke though seems to have regressed and plays like a prop rather than a second row. Good lad mind and agree should he up his game.

DJ I feel would be better suited to #13 and bring Ratch into #6 with Matty @ 7. Would be an excellent attacking force I feel with that little triangle.

Like the idea of DJ @ 13 as he always strikes me as being a little on the large side for a halve back, but then you think the fact DJ isn't the best tackler would stop him being a really good lock.

I like Neal and Wilde for the second rowers and Adamson for lock personally.

Never mind the kicks weres the chase on one example i sore ratchford chaseing the kick while the other lot were wodleing towards the ball. And when we are turned around and patten, broughton picks up the ball from a kick there is no support.

Hey, come on now, he's not that ugly

lets get a few things right luke cant pass steff his going

Not much wrong there ste - I said had regressed - earlier it looked like he might make a decent 2nd rower/centre as he ran at the gaps - now h4es a different animal. Stefs not going anywhere this season.