Why did you comment on his level of fitness if it wasn't an excuse?

Spot on.

A lot of peopel are. and there will be a lot more when they get from tonight's game, he was dreadful. Rather than Mellor, though, I'd prefer Sam back at #6 (and with better studs!)

I'd agree, Sam back to 6 is the best option. Just pointing out that Mellor's performances have been outstanding albeit at a lower level. I wonder what he has to do to get an opportunity when the team is under performing and the current halves don't seem to be working effectively.

I don't like to pick out a scapegoat or anything like that BUT.....

... if Madge means what he says about the best players playing and nobody has a place if they are not playing well... Finch should be dropped next week.

We miss Deacon bigtime!

Oh dear, next week we may not be able to get 17 available men onto the field

So what if he wasn't fully fit? You must have had a reason for making this comment?

my mate watched finch a couple of times when he was in oz two and four years ago and said he didnt rate him that much then,he also watched hoffman and said he was quality so some work out well over here and others dont and tbh we have had our fair share of crappy imports so this post is in no way meant as a dig,just a general observation and btw we were garbage tonite as well!!!

from what iv seen of him so far he is bad! defence is rubbish he seems to fall off most and he seems to be out of posistion alot. his attack is even worse!he seems obssessed to give it hoffman at every chance and when he doesnt he sticks a horrible flat ball out for some else. since hes come into the team we look all over the place in attack. deacon cant come back soon enough for me and failing that sam has to go back to 6 and he should be made to earn his posistion in the reserves!

also it makes you wonder now why daniel anderson told him he could find a new club when he took over at paramatta!

You get the feeling that Madge doesn't really know what to do with Finch, Tomkins and Lulu. We also seem to be missing Deacs an awful lot which is a bit worrying.

Nothing wrong with Finch in my opinion. He's still settling into the team. He wasn't the reason we got hammered today - our inability to tackle, hold onto the ball, and catch the bomb (and it was team wide) were.

I still think our best combination is Finch, S. Tomkins and Leuluai at hooker. It's night and day with Leulaui playing #9 - lifts the whole team going forward.

Maybe this Madge going business has also cast doubts in the players minds due to uncertainty ?

Isn't there a very good winger in the U20's? If so should we be up in arms he's not in the side over Goulding who could not catch to save his life tonight despite getting hands on the ball first for two of the early Les Cats tries?

Most people don't have the chance to watch the U20's so wouldn't know anyway whether a winger or half back from there is any better than either player. Noble got slagged off for dropping young players who had done exceptionally in the first team when his hand had been forced to play them.

As to Finch, we were chasing the game after 18 mins and were sh 1 t all over the park. It wasn't his fault and anyone who puts most of the blame at his door is deluding themselves about how bad the rest of them were.