Yes because the players in the middle have done their job!

The backs won't rush out of the line if the defence has moved as one. There is nothing special about the NRL wide players you refer to, they would panic just as much if they were caught out 2 on 1 every set of 6.

You seriously don't think Chester knows that? It is not Chesters job to teach players the basics of the game, the middle players know what they have to do or they shouldn't be SL players and when they don't the results are that we are exposed out wide.

Why people bash the backs every time we are beaten out wide is beyond me. Occasionally it's the winger or centres fault but far more often it's poor defending in the middle. It's those players who should be getting the grief IMHO.

He was poor in his first stint and missed an incredibly easy tackle that let in a try. What you have to remember is that DF is our highest-paid player and with that comes a responsibility to play above the norm. More money less leeway I'm afraid.

In the same way superstar, TJ can't afford many mistakes in the backline the same applies to Dave. Relative to his ability Dave had a poor game,

My point is TJ did the special things we expect from him, DF simply didn't regardless of stats.

That's not to say DF should be dropped, he wasn't that bad but he wasn't the Dave we need or the one we had 2 years ago. We need Dave back ASAP, he's vital that's why we pay him so much, stats alone don't cover that IMHO.

He's also far from alone, he just happens to be the top forward we have which is why I zeroed onto him.

Agree ,apart from it not the Coaches job to teach the players that .It is the Coaches job and should be done every day in training .What's the first thing a team improves at when a coach comes over here from OZZ the defence

That's my point, I'm 99.9% certain they do those drills week in week out, that is why CC and so many other SL coaches look dumbstruck when the players don't do it in the game, You can see the pain in CC face when it happens.

You can't each speed and athleticism as per TJ etc etc but you can teach defensive patterns and we do, I know we do. The failure to implement these basics fall totally at the feet of the players IMO, if they can then they shouldn't be taking money from the fans. More so than any other facet of the game.

However let's not get carried away, Saturday was hardly Dunkirk, it was a tight game that we could have won with a little bit more composure. Overall I was more pleased than displeased, especially for a first run out. There is no player I'd especially drop, perhaps Crowther back in the pack because personally, I don't think he's a hooker, no other reason. Lino will be a game into it which will help, I see him as a Finn type player so it will take a few games for him to find his feet.

I'm happy enough, we just need a bit more ticker in the middle, not suggesting that anyone is especially lacking it, it's more an attitude than anything else.

Vastman I agree we have both said ,with a bit more though in attack we should have won .Do we both agree we are short of a good prop ,and a 9 that can move us forward beside K Wood. At the end of the day it's a game we should have won ,and that's the difference between finishing in the top 8 and bottom 4

I don't think we are short of good props, I just don't think the ones we have are performing, most notably Dave who on his day is the best in SL. I think Battye will make a difference especially in attitude but he's not fit to play so we will have to wait.

I'll hold back on the no 9, I think we need more than one game before we can make too many judgements but K Wood is a miss. That said by the time josh came on we had lost momentum so it's a bit harsh to judge him, by that point, there were no runners.

So sorry but I don't agree with you, It's not more players we need it's the players we have who need to start performing again and that can't be judged at game one imho.

For what it’s worth I can’t understand why he left josh wood on the bench, he should have started, like has been said previously by the time he came on we had lost all momentum

If you can keep relatively injury free then i think you will shock one or two of the top teams this season

Agree with this

I still don’t get why josh who is an out n out hooker only played about 20mims

Bizarre

The most logical conclusion is he doesn’t really rate him given he played a stop gap instead

So why did he buy him 9 is one of the main position in S L

Only if that theory is true, the other far more likely explanation is that Josh is returning from a very serious injury and CC is being careful.

Only from memory but I seem to remember a few times last year Chester making decisions around Wood and me wondering the same, that he had doubts. And if he was fit to be on the pitch at all, as the only number 9 surely he starts?

We can only surmise the plan. I thought the idea might be that Josh came on against a tiring Leeds? Either way I don’t think it worked but I don’t believe Chester has an issue with him.

I think the problem lays with Crowther, who is a great player but isn’t a hooker. Kyle is attacking and Josh is defensive, works well. Crowther and Josh are pure defence and neither are genuinely attacking players, it’s a bad mix for 80 minutes.

See how it pans out.