This is exactly it. Our lack of a quick ptb, runners, support play, etc. all make our attack so ridiculously simple to read that teams contain us relatively easily. This is where it makes it so difficult for our halves, because they then have to work even more to fashion any opportunities. I would say that in relation to the other halves in SL, they probably have to work harder and be better than the rest just to look as good, because they receive so little help from the team and (lack of) organisation around them. How often do they get to attack a scrambling defence with multiple pass options inside and outside? Instead they are left with either dropping the ball off for someone to trundle in, pulling off an inch-perfect low-percentage pass, or just kick it. All of which makes them look aimless and then highlights when they make a mistake.

Nail on head. As others have said its not even lack of effort. Just needs to be channelled in the right way with some direction and guile but we simply are not clever enough, either on the pitch or off it.

thanks for the contribution - i actually see nothing on this thread but regular posters whose opinions i largely value


apart from you of course

Agree with a lot on here but he has a point. Some only come on here when we lose and seem to revel in it just IMO of course

the effort is there but its not that that's the problem. we need fresh structure and ideas. amateur teams get beat 80-0 in the cup and put a lot of effort in

Speaking for myself, I've started to post less when we win for 2 reasons:

1. I'm not confident enough it's more than just a one-off week to be optimistic and get my hopes up that things might turn around (back-to-back wins once in 30-odd games has done that to me). I therefore wait in the hope that we will back it up over a few weeks before commenting too much.

2. The board tends to be quieter as well, so there's actually less to respond to.

Not afraid to admit that I tend to post more after disappointing defeat. It's human nature I think to be exasperated and driven to make some valid criticism as long as it's reasonably constructive and you say it as you see it. Maybe it's a cathartic thing for the long suffering souls of FC supporters to get some of the angst off their chest. Certainly nothing to revel in, personally just spoils my bloody weekend.

Just looked at the stats and once again, had more metres, less tackles and more plays than the opposition and lost, that's the same as the Warrington and Salford losses. Forwards all made good metres forward.

Our main problem is that we don't have the skill or power near the line, we have no players capable of breaking the line, our centres are average, backrowers workhorses, we are missing those players with the X factor. The halfs are trying but don't have those runners or line breakers.

Be interesting to see how we go with Shaul back at FB and Rankin in the halfs, which I expect to see for the derby.

Reading this one sentence it's screamingly obvious where the problem lies.

The players we have aren't great but better structure would make us much, much better. The whole of SL is bang average now and it wouldn't take much to be consistent top 8 performers. pearson needs to either bin radford now or bring someone more experienced in to work with him. We also desperately need an attacking coach with some experience. radford and last as our first team coaching set up is pitiful

Bookies got it pretty much bang on, unfortunately!

Must admit I'm coming round to that way of thinking. Going forward we look clueless. I said on Twitter that we're not that far off and the stats show that, but we have nothing when we need to turn the stats into points.

AP needs to exercise his authority and either get rid of Radford or force an attacking coach on him. There's an ok side there that can't convert pressure into tries and that cannot be allowed to continue.

We are just so predictable in "attack". There's no craft, skill or spark. It's barge and then kick for the vast majority of the sets. Our passing is pedestrian - the opposition has no trouble in tracking where the ball goes.

You watch Castleford with the ball last night and they looked dangerous. We didn't look like scoring even with a fresh set of six on their 20 yard line.

I'm also thinking that way in that there isn't much fundamentally wrong and its this strange paradox (carrying on from last season) where the stats show Hull to be a 7-8 place side but the actual points total is bottom of the table stuff. Perhaps in a different season you could hold on and see if this sorts itself out but there isn't that luxury this season. You can be unlucky - but only for so long and that time is upon us. If there is no return from the Easter weekend then a big shake up of the coaching structure becomes imperative.

So given Snyed is injured; guess we'll go with Pryce and Rankin in the halves and Shaul back in at full back. That could be interesting, at least Rankin looks to be trying something different.