We’re on downers

Tothers are on uppers.

No one covered themself in glory, but some of the stats are grim reading, the main low-lights are:

Longstaff, 2 drives all game for 5 metres, along with Lane who did 5, so the backrow manged 7 drives, whilst McIntosh does 16, how is allowed to happen, is this coaching or laziness from the players?
Satae taking 6 hit ups, our best go forward prop and one of the best in the league that is poor, is it fitness, all the Saints props do 15 to 20 hit ups, what is our obsession with our backs doing all the work, worked ok when you have the likes of Fonua and Talanoa, but our backs are pretty lightweight so use the forwards more.

Jordan Johnstone did an 18 minute spell, now ok, it was the time when Saints were really dominant, but in that time, he got tackled 0 times.

Either the players aren't fit , the tactics are wrong or they aren't listened to the coach, probably a combination, but this is the coaches job to make sure they are fit and the tactics are right and been followed, otherwise he has to take action.

There is even an in balance in the amount of work the backs are doing, McIntosh is probably our weakest go forward player, yet he takes the most drives!

Need some serious changes with our coaching and conditioning.

Agree with all you have written, think Shift is good the yards too, as he is strong.

Mitch
Carlos
Sutcliffe
Swift

Looks a lot stronger than our current backs, but agreed better organisation and coaching needed to use our forwards more.

Walmsley & Paasi - 367m

Taylor, Evans, Satae, Fash, Lane, Johnstone, Longstaff, Laidlaw & Houghton - 332m

Just disgraceful

I'm 80 years old and just had an invitation to join the Walking Rugby team for a game against KR. I've politely turned it down as I didn't think I would be up to it. However, I saw lots of people yesterday who I could possibly have replaced. I would certainly have shown more urgency than these overpaid and under-achieving bunch.

I mentioned at the game that even in the first half hour when we were in the game the difference in go forward was noticable. Wherever Saints started their sets they pretty much always ended up in our 20 at worst whereas we just sort of plodded up field.
The speed at which they do everything is light years away from us, especially at the PTB.

That 21 minute period either side of halftime was the worst I've seen.

29 mins into the game it's 6-6 fast forward to 50 mins and it's 6-44.

Hodgson talks about fatigue as an excuse but at that point in the game, it shouldn't be a factor.

The crazy thing about that result is that you had your full strength spine playing, yet it seems you still had no structure or direction,

We could have had the Queensland spine yesterday and it wouldn't have made any difference because of how terrible our forwards were with the ball and the starting position of our sets, we were in the 'cage' all game after 25mins.

The surprise maybe that fans are surprised. We had a must win at Wakey and lost - shoite at Rovers ground and many others.
BH is not a head coach

Highlight of the match was Taylor running across the try line and getting pushed back after the Walker try....

Was disgraceful that. The guy is finished and should never play for the club again.

Spine is a problem and it looks like the whole spine will be changed next season, but I'm more worried about fitness and tactics than the spine.

He shouldn't be but he will be selected again on Friday, especially if Fash & Mitch do pick up bans.