I’m not overly surprised with our last 2 or even 3 performances but what has disappointed me has been how slow defensively we are plus we are too slow at ptb. I think the lack of tempo puts us on the back foot which in turn leads to errors which then leads to indiscipline.

Not sure if a short turnaround will be good or bad for us this week. I just hope our heads don’t drop because we are very much improved on last season and I think most fans want improvement in standards and attack,which I think although the last 2 games we have been poor, is being delivered.

As you say we will be a lot better come spring and summer when we can play to our strengths. We’ve got some tough games coming up against teams with better packs and I can feel it in my water that we will get a tough draw in the CC so the coaching staff need to get back to some basics over the next few training sessions.
I’ve got a feeling we will draw Leyth away or even worse Saints.

I'm really not sure our pack is a big problem. It's not great but it seems a lot better than the last few years. Off the top of my head Mago, Byrne and Ellis all had good carries where we got on the front foot.

For me it was all about the errors and Catalans playing the conditions better. They took advantage of position we gifted them and we built no pressure.

People criticised the starting front row against Leeds but that was a similar story. Knock ons and forward passes in our own half put them on the front foot, I don't think it was like last year when we couldn't make yards no matter what we did.

We've started this year with a much more entertaining attacking style but it seems like it's come with the downside of being more risky and prone to errors.

Hopefully they can iron this out. I don't think we need to overreact with big changes but it does seem like we have a long way to go to be a threat to Saints.

If we can put in more performances like the Leeds one, with errors but great tries, I'll take that for now.

I don't think discipline in the main has been a problem until Saturday, certainly not in terms of penalty counts, sin binning's, bans etc but there were signs on Saturday that the frustrations shown last year by somebody like Isa could rear up again when we're put in a poor spot. It's something to keep an eye on for sure but my bigger worry is the absolute basic and lazy errors we're making. There have been far too many cold drops of the ball, lazy play the balls, forward passes and poor attempts at defending kicks. I don't know if we lack skill as a team or concentration but whichever one it is, there needs to be a lot of work put in to improve. A team that wants to move the ball and play open rugby needs to be able to do the basics to a really high level. I can live with the odd offload going wrong, the odd lost ball in contact here and there but I can't live with the amount of errors being made under no pressure or people not concentrating playing the ball.

Saints are obviously the standout team followed by Catalan with rest very much in their wake.
Wire and Leeds are like us. A few decent players but not enough quality.
Not sure on the depth of the Huddersfield squad but won’t surprise me if they make the top 3 or 4.
Hull could be anything and KR will keep plugging away.

Our front row isn’t fixed and a lightweight backrow just compound’s the issue for me. Will be interesting to see what the 17 are on Thursday. Hopefully a few dry days will help preparation and on match day.

Sorry NK, I probably didn't make myself clear there. By discipline I meant both with and without the ball. Not just penalties but, as you say, cold drops and errors, particularly early in the tackle count. We've been awful, even in victory, in relieving pressure on the opposition. It's actually testament to our improved attack that it hasn't hurt us more.

It came to a head over in France where most of our problems in Toulouse were caused by our inability to retain possession and build pressure and the same faults were punished by Catalans as they probably should have been by Toulouse too. The senior team leaders need to step up here and start to lead by example.

I'm not one for throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We are significantly improved on last year and this will only improve (injuries notwithstanding) as the weather improves and we can play to our strengths. I don't think many will live with our pace on the firmer grounds providing we can get on the front foot. High completion rate and low error/penalty counts are an absolute prerequisite for this.

Absolutely correct. We really need to up our concentration levels. I look at Catalans nowadays as a great sense of hope of where you can get to over time with a good coach and by bringing in the right characters who drive standards. As bad as we were on Saturday, the way they held the ball and played so professionally was a credit to them and totally against everything you used to think of a Catalans team.

I think some people were shocked with our display, as though a new coach comes in and can just rid a side of all its previous faults but that takes time and Saturday highlights that. You get the odd coach, like a Maguire or Holbrook who come in and turn things almost instantly but in the main there will be bumps in the road and it will take time. It’s taken time and investment for McNamara to get Catalans in this position and it will take the same here if Matt Peet is to bring back success. I think Saturday can help us in many ways as long as the players don’t let their heads drop.

That last sentence is the crux of the matter. Thursday will tell us far more about were we are than Saturday did. It's a shame we'll be missing Ellis as he's been very solid in the early games. However, the squad as a whole have to respond, particularly the leaders and senior players. Put in a good performance on Thursday and I'll still feel we're on the right track and will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. A bad one and it'll suggest we still have some of the same mental frailties that plagued us last season.

Thursday is a potential banana skin. Cas are now desperate and Radford won’t be giving the game plan talk to his players this week - it will be all about pride, the badge, honour and doing the basics right. He won’t confuse them with tactical stuff. I expect them to come out with his message ringing in their ears. We will need to be steady, patient, fault free and disciplined. We cannot allow them to build momentum.

What I've seen of Cas this season, they've been pretty ordinary, but Jake Truman is a bloody good player. As Wigan have found out in the past.

Hope it's not raining.

IL and KR must wish the fans forum had been scheduled a week or two earlier. Il be going to this one - be interesting to hear their thoughts.

It will indeed. I still think they can sit reasonably comfortable given the overall positive start but I’d love the tone to be one of them being fully aware we still need to improve the squad over the next 12 months if we want to bridge the gap.

Traditionally, 'Cas' have been one of our bogey teams.

judging by some of the posters response to defeat on the warrirors fans forum, i dont think they'll be getting an easy ride

this thread is exactly what is needed on the other forum. A reasoned conversation between fans with different views that are respected (and input from other clubs too), not just doom and gloom as some constantly post.

i'm very much with the majority on this thread, disappointing defeat, but not unexpected given that Catalan are one of the 2 best teams in the league at the minute, but also that it is now for Matty Peet to demonstrate his coaching credentials and to show that he can get a reaction / performance out of the team. He cant just change the culture that has been in place for the last couple of years overnight, but we are seeing signs both on and off the pitch that things are moving in the right direction

as you've said, i think the tone should be, we are making progress, things have changed but we still have a way to go to where we want to be and highlight where they see the changes and improvements. The feel of the club is completely different to 6 months ago, so it still needs to be a positive evening and leave fans feeling really good about where the club is going

The thread title question of ‘what now’ is simple to answer.

Stop dropping the bloody ball.

It is a completely different game against Cats if we didn’t give them 6 or 7 free sets near out line in the first half. The first couple we repelled, it was only a matter of time before they scored. Repeater that several times and that’s where the game went.