Our discipline has been poor in the Wire friendly and on Friday. Some of that I’m putting down to eager refs, who only seem capable of reffing one side but we also need to improve what we can control.

It’s a shame in some ways that Bentley will likely miss Friday with a ban, as he’d be good for a penalty or three. It’ll be a tough game. Leeds look strong and should’ve got home in that game yesterday, even with 12 men (and 11 for a spell). If we talk about our front rowers and what they did or didn’t Friday, we know one thing is for sure and that is that they’ll face a bigger test this week. There aren’t many better sets of middle forwards that Prior, Tetevano, Oledzki and Smith, so it’s a step up.

Stats tell part of a story but for example if you compare Bachelor to Batty they are more or less the same one gets MOM other he didn't do much. It was same last year regarding Knowels and Batty's stats wise.
Take Walmsley who has been easily the best prop maybe the most influential player out of the stats and most weeks it becomes more level.
I imagine Micky Mac's stats don't measure up well but the sum of what he brings are bigger than the parts, similar with Knowels.
Happy enough with the first outing from the pack lack of ball scoring twice on first tackle, and a lob sided penalty count ... The worse offence on Thornley wasn't penalized for example and so on.
Plenty to work on but I think we will.

When you look at the stats and I remember thinking at half time when the stats were shown, our stats looked like that of a team that should be losing, lower possesions rate, making more tackles and less carries would usually convert to a losing score yet we were comfartably in front and never really looked like going behind.
I never really like looking at the figures for forwards and how many use them to diss a forwards work rate, I have always said in the past, without further information like how many times we actually had possesion when a forward was on the field and from what field position we had possesion, you can't compare a forwards carries/meters made. If every set we had was off a long kick chase down field and therefore the outside backs were there to take the frist 2/3 carries then a foward may only take one drive in the set

Every prop should watch JWH play for Roosters as a benchmark to playing prop. He takes it in twice a set, makes well over 100m a game, boat load of tackles and brings the intimatory presence with him without punching folk.

Really? He's one of the dirtiest b******* in the game. He might not punch folk but he does everything else.

I'd take him in a heartbeat

I think he is a player that will be available after this season to SL.

The way the game is being tightened up over there he is a penalty machine. I seem to remember he as dropped because of the issues around penalties last year.

I love to watch him play though but I think the game is moving on beyond these type of guys, which isn't a good thing in my opinion. His work rate is fantastic too.

The way Tetavano struggled to fit in last year is an example of it.

The other thing to consider is in the NRL they measure meters very differently so us in SL. I think we only count from crossing the gain line in SL however in the NRL they count from when the player receives the ball.

Exactly, hence why JT at NQ makes 300m a game. Post contact metres are a better indicator of how effective they are.

Those stars don’t spark confidence no but equally it was a tough, aggressive, tight game with defences for both uncompromising. I don’t think it was a game particularly for high meters so I’m not paying any attention to them whatsoever. I think you can get far too caught up on how many meters a forward makes when there’s so much more to a forwards game than that. Sometimes the tac might be to take it up and hit the floor, quick PTB and get a roll on. Get the opposition on the back foot to create space and chaos in their defensive line. Metres made is a huge red herring stat.

We got the win, we looked improved and I don’t think any one player had a poor game. Singleton isn’t inspiring but he’s solid, will take the goon balls in and is decent in defence. He’s exactly the type of prop any successful side needs IMO. Whilst he won’t tear it up or knock the opposing teams pack into next week; he won’t let the side down. That being said when Havard is back I don’t expect to see him starting or even in the 17 every week.

Mago was impressive. Reminded me a lot of Adam Cuthbertson when he first signed for Leeds. He just needs to reign in looking for the offload or at least make better decisions to retain the ball. It’s probably a case of trying too hard as opposed to stupidity.

Ellis was solid, pretty much like Singleton. Didn’t do anything wrong, didn’t set the world alight either. No criticism from me.

The rest gave performances I’d expect them to. Like I said on another thread, the real marker - especially for our pack - will come against Leeds. Are we capable of dominating against a strong pack? Jury is still out for me and I think it will be for a while yet.

Leeds at home

Singleton 5 carries for 30m 35 tackles

Ellis 9 for 90m 26 tackles

Isa 7 for 60 25 tackles

Mago 9 for 72m 18 tackles (a try assist!!!)

Byrne 12 for 87m 14 tackles

Smithies 5 for 34m 27 tackles

Partington 2 for 13m 13 tackles (limited game time)

Faz outstanding again 18 for 152m 33 tackles

Bateman much improved 15 for 108m 37 tackles.

Singleton second straight week under 35m but getting through work in defence, he could be in trouble when Havard is back.

Fair point on Singleton re his contribution to attack.

I’d rather it was Partington dropped when Havard returns though…

Like last week, that pretty much matches what we saw on the pitch. I was really impressed with the shifts that Ellis and Byrne put in.

Can't get away from the fact that Isa, Partington, Smithies and now Singleton are very similar i.e great work rate, but limited go forward. Havard will a big return for us, as he regularly gets 100m+ games.

Singleton just isn't good enough. We don't have a lot of other options at the moment but I'm not sure what the club is seeing to think he should be one of our starting front rowers. 30-40m in two successive games?

Ellis and Byrne looked promising, Mago has definite X factor but I hope he builds his fitness over time - at the moment he's playing the 'Feka' impact role with 10-15 minute stints.

When you look at the ease the Saints players are eating up the metres it shows just how far we are off them.

We're obviously different teams. Personally, I think we've got more dog about us and they've got serious size and skill. I don't think we're a million miles away in the backs.

We're one, big & experienced forward off having a great pack imo. That's either another prop and Ellis to 13, or a standalone 13. Either extra size as a counter to the excellent, but small, back row, or another prop instead of Singleton.

It's just one player in Alex Walmsley that's the difference for me. We're not going to find anyone like him and that's why it's so important that all four front rowers chip in with a good contribution. Replacing Singleton with Havard and moving Ellis to 13 is probably our best option.

Hull are doing just about everything you cant do against Saints if you want to have a chance. Their discipline is woeful and their tackling technique just as bad.