My thoughts are on the fri squad list thread

And.

Toulouse defence very well organised.
London back to there old ways of too many penalties, and not respecting the ball.

Our attack looked very disjointed with one up plays and none of the flair shown from previous game. Defensively lots of dropping off tackles and allowing the offload. Toulouse ran some really good lines and hit the ball at pace something that is missing in our game. A well deserved win for the French outfit, poor performance from london

Disorganised. Players not expecting the ball, slow directionless passes from the ruck, number of players were pretty much anonymous in attack. Started to panic a bit when behind and lost composure. It was wet and miserable and we didn’t play the conditions, no plan B. Lack of nous in the ruck which slowed our play down without benefit of penalties. Goal line defence was at times all over the place. Picked up a little at the start of second half but died off very quickly against a well organised and disciplined defence. Far too many yards made by Toulouse forwards going forward, we failed to put them down rather too often. Though that also appeared to be the case with even their smaller players.

Bad day at the office? Thought it was going to be a breeze? Minds more on Monday than the game in hand? Got parity in the second half, but Toulouse didn’t need to do anything and didn’t really try.

You might have got the issue SR, at home so far we have been dominant with the main “ challenge teams” not stretching us. Toulouse turn up I think we maybe went into this over confident, assuming it was going to be business as usual.
I was pretty impressed with the French, I suspect this year they will not fade like last year.
Easter can be the defining point of a season, Mon we need the points, two losses would not be good

No it wont. Not the best but frankly, beat the French at the Bash and away, 1:1 with the challengers and no slip ups, we'll be fine and that is completely conceivable. TO took us on a bad day at the office.

Finish first or second makes little difference.

Toulouse were big, strong, well organised and fired up. We hung back in defence and gave them bags of time then couldn't cope with their size and power coming at us with pace. Toulouse also completely controlled the ruck speed and we didn't get a quick ptb all game. Very impressed with TO especially in the conditions.

Looking at the Easter results, the perceived weaknesses in the squad is now coming to bite us.

The wheels have well and truly come off in the last 72 hours

Two tough games and we came up short. Still sitting in a good position. Before the season started the top 4 was the aim for me and that has not changed. Championship is really tough this season and one side is going to have to miss that top 4 (out of the current top 5)

Well ...wheels coming off is a bit of an over-reaction...but we certainly need a retune and some tinkering....We have played some great stuff up until Good Friday so its up to Wardy to remind the lads how good we can be and get them back on track..

If we had lost to Sheffield I would be concerned. But we lost to Toulouse who have a bigger budget than us, their squad has plenty os Aussies.
Us, we are blooding young players promoted from our Academy. Which has to be good for our club and the game.

3 wins will sort out the jitters.....unless Ward has hit the Towell Wall.......

Confidence is a big issue. I know my team (Leigh) were completely lacking in it, for those first six games. One scrappy win in the mud of Batley (plus a new coach) was all it needed for the confidence to start to come back. We now have an opportunity (which we mustn't take for granted!) in our next three games (Rochdale H; Sheffield A; Barrow H) to exert more pressure on the top four.

Your next three games could be tricky, at Halifax, and Rochdale, and at home to Dewsbury, but I would suggest that just one victory, at Halifax, would set you back on the right track. A start of 6/6, averaging almost 50 points a game, would suggest that you were doing something right. We are aware, at Leigh, that we still have a mountain to climb to get into the top four especially when you consider we have to play you away, Toulouse away, Featherstone away, and Toronto away (if their stadium is ever ready!) and at Blackpool!