Once he confirmed he was off at the end of the year, I thought we’d see a different Roberts who was putting him in the NRL shop window, today proved he must be planning a stint on the dole

Like how he won you all those Grand Finals, Oh no wait a minute

Maybe Sandow has got him a job done the silver mines....his future certainly doesn't seem to be in rugby league

Exactly. We are leaderless. We look disorganised and then we panic.

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We don't pay peanuts either.

Roberts came up with some serious cock-ups today but at least he did so while looking like he gave a ####. I was less clear that this was the case with Clark and Brown

Yeah i'm surprised Gold coast have re-signed him as he's looked awful over here so i'm not sure what they see in him

I don't disagree for one second, SC
In fact, you could add the following to your list

A halfback pairing of Ratchford and Bridge,
Richie Myler
even Gareth O'Brien, could have won that game.

This stems back to Smith's apathy to recruitment, as well as the Briers situation.
Briers didn't really retire, did he. He was told to stop immediately, on medical grounds. If Smith was still coach, and Briers neck not done in, Briers would still be playing regular rugby for us NOW, despite his decline in his last couple of years in P&B.
Since that GF defeat in 13, we've sleepwalked into blandness in the middle of the park. An old Gidley, a bang average Brown (who we paid a big transfer fee for) and a urine taking Roberts, who (iirc) was signed when we didn't have a coach in place.

Yesterday, Cats tried their best to give us that game in the last 20 minutes, yet our halves couldn't seize the initiative. They created nothing. Our 3/4 line had to go hunting for opportunities, rather than 6 or 7 creating them. Livett, who can be devastating on his day, with ball in hand, was starved of chances.

Recently, we've blown big matches v Wigan, Saints, an injury ravaged Cas, and a draw against Cats. Big game players (halves) not doing enough.

It's time we admit that Brown and Roberts aren't working, and something needs to change. What's that definition of insanity? Doing the same thing all the time, but expecting a different result.

As Jean Jacques Burnell once grunted "Something Better Change"

Agree with most of the above. I personally think that Roberts put in a lot of effort yesterday and his kicking game got better throughout the game. Need to watch the game back but it’s hard to pick out many players other than those mentioned in this thread.

Our pack in the main was so far off yesterday.

On a side note, raps to price for sticking with T King, T Smith would not have done so and we all appear to agree on the fact he had a good game.

Flashback- I thought Goodwin put in a good shift effort wise yesterday and as per earlier comments came looking for the ball and work.

earlier in the season when I suggested we sign mellor from Widnes and Luis from Salford I was shot down with "we do not want second rate players!. We are now in the position of a half back who is obviously looking forward to his pension and another one who has no pride in the jersey and is ranked with Asotasi and Rahihi in our list of overseas failures. So disappointing to think that we could have been right up there instead of being a nearly team. perhaps it is time to modify overseas players contracts so that they receive their big payout at the conclusion of their contract, at least we would stop being a shop window or a recuperation period.l

Brains and composure. Both were missing on Saturday. Until we have a player who possesses the first and instills the second we will struggle in the big games.

I would also add in leadership because there will always be games or spells in games where brains and composure are in short supply. Players like Morley are not ten a penny they are all too rare but how much of a difference would a player like him make to any team more so than a Briers for me

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This is why i created this thread. There are "types" of big game players. The Morley's who will lead you into batlle or the magician's who will win you a game from nothing. We have neither and it was clear on Saturday that the players we would turn to, Ratch, Hill, Roberts just don't have it. They are good players in their own right, but you look at the game against st helens where ratch tried to snatch a dg on the 4th rather than set up an easier chance, or Roberts missing his attempts.

Sandow was probably the last one and he was obviously a crack pot.

I understand their are only a number of these players in existence, so rather than trying to make one out of a player who just hasn't got it, we maybe need to address our style.

Caveat - if any of the above win us the gf I'll HAPPILY show my on the town hall steps!

I disagree on Ratchford/Bridge/Myler/O'Brien...the reason we ended up with Kevin Brown and Roberts (via Sandow) was that these guys weren't able to do it. As regards recruitment and planning post-Briers, TS had a plan - it was Myler and Ratchford who were seen as the hot young 7 and 6 talent around, and we picked them up young and gave them time to bed in while Briers was still here. Had they been better it would have looked like perfect planning, but whilst they are decent players, they weren't halfbacks that could win you a big game. Same with O'Brien. Sandow could, but had other issues.



Sure but another definition of insanity is swapping Roberts for Patton and expecting a different result.

Then we'll agree to disagree, SC

Didn't duckie come up with a stat, regarding the Ratchford/Bridge partnership. When we used it, it worked to great effect, resulting in plenty of wins.

Myler was always a "one man band". Looking for the odd flash of genius, and always backing up play (that's how he got a lot of his tries, see Sean Long)

Ratchford played (iirc) a fair bit of his early days as centre. He certainly played it for Salford.

GO'B was never the answer (despite all his efforts) but is still better than what we've currently got

Replace Patton for Roberts? Why not? Let's die trying something different. If it doesn't, you can say I told you so. There's no point in Patton making smalltalk to the bloke next to him on the bench, whilst the game is on, and Roberts is wobbling around the pitch, chewing gum, trying to look [ithe cool kid[/i.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Brown Roberts ain't working