Reading that. Nothing's changed. Sometimes people play bad when others make them. Completion stats may indicate something if they are available.

I've been blessed to have been in coach's boxes with some serious people in RL over here. I've spent years seeing teams not doing what they're told and losing. Then reading on forums about the coach. This gives me a slightly different, cautious view on coaches performances. On paper, his results are poor after the great start to last season. What happened then?

Is he a good coach? I really couldn't say. But at the end of the day. Results and table position is what they'll get judged on, naturally.

The interesting thing for me is what DOES make this team tick. If he's that shıt, why have we won, what's changed? Anything or nothing? For example, this week:- Did the players do exactly what they were told? Did they stick to the game plan? Did they listen to the dozens of messages sent out during the game? Did the tactical switches that happen during the game work? Were they strengthened by a couple of players returning to match fitness? When these things happen, the coach is brilliant, when they don't he should be sacked. The thing is, all of these suggestions are things we will never know about, as fans sitting watching a game.

Won the last 2. Beat the leaders! Why? I ask myself. And no doubt loads of you lot on here who go to see the games are probably asking the same thing.

My hunch is that the injury scenario really did have a MASSIVE impact on our less well equipped club. Are those one or two coming back having a great effect?

After the HKR game I thought Mac had shot his bolt-2 in 25 wasn't acceptable. It would now appear with players returning and a little motivation he is turning things around.

Credit where credit is due.

I think Rooster Booster has got it about right. The key point is that our squad is thin on quality with a very big gap between the top players and some of the back up squad. As a result we suffer much more than the top teams when our quality players are out injured as too much is expected of the rest of the squad.
In the last few weeks we have seen Purdo, Dorn and Tamata back plus the arrival of Penny. It may not sound like much but it adds up to a big injection of pace, experience and class which rubs off on everyone else and makes the whole team raise its game.
Also, never underestimate the extent to which the game is played in the head. Confidence and self belief get you a very long way in professional sport and these qualities can spiral up and down very quickly. In Quins case it is often the presence or absence of a couple of key players which change the mindset of the team. At full strength and on form we can beat anybody on our day, with an injury crisis we become strugglers.
To be realistic for the rest of the season, if we can keep the stars fit we may beat Saints and have a good cup run. Otherwise we are likely to remain in the bottom half, winning some and losing some depending on who we can put out on the field and whether they are 100% fit.
In either case, I will keep turning up at the Stoop and support the team for 80 minutes.

I suspect what you are saying is true- I would simplify it somewhat and say each team has vital players that you cannot lose- Purdham is one for us, Sinfield is one at Leeds(Burrow and McGuire didn't step up recently), Possibly Long/Aussie 13 at Hull, Brough at Wakey(past tense)

Leeds are a better team with Sinfield back as are we with Purdo-You only had to see how Clubb played with him stood next to him in the line against Wakey.