According to Radford they sent the message to the players in the last 20 mins

I'm intrigued by the assumption that our recent conservative style of play is on instruction from Radford. Let's examine the evidence...

In our pre-season game and the first two games of the season we played expansive rugby and won handsomely. We're expected to believe that Radford then told the team to completely change a winning formula. This despite denials from players. And as for today, Radford said he [ipleaded[/i with the player to be more expansive. That, together with recent comments from both the coach and senior players, indicates that the conservative style of rugby has actually been [icounter[/i to instructions from the coach.

Radford has many shortcomings as a coach, but I really don't believe that instructing the team to play conservatively is one of them. Far more likely it's down to a lack of confidence in the squad.

Whats worrying is the message he gave the players before the game if true. I just dont understand it at all. Whatever the message was at 60 mins it worked, so congrsts for that

As I've put above, if you look at everything that's been said by the coaches and players over the last few weeks you don't get the feeling that Radford has asked them to play conservatively. Teams short on confidence tend to play that way by themselves, especially if they have ineffective leadership on the pitch.

Foolish to leave it so late.

His 'playing safe to get the points' strategy for the first hour almost cost him dearly. And will if he tries it again on Monday. He's got the men this season, crazy to stifle them. Christ only knows what the likes of Frank make of it all. Can this really be Radford's strategy?

And not so certain our change in the last 20 came from Radford, if I'm honest, regardless of what he said in an interview. Seems far more likely the senior players just started to take responsibility.

*Sigh*

But none of it makes sense. Why the massive crash in confidence after Catalans? It would indicate that [isomething[/i changed behind the scene.

If your theory is correct, are you saying we suddenly found our confidence after 60 mins today, I personally felt after the 2 close defeats and then his interview in hdm afterwards stating we have to get bsck to basics, thats exactly what hes done, think it caused a bit of a rift in camp, hence the widness performance, followed by changing room fiasco. Radford under pressure, played it safe in the wakefield game, continued that for 60 mins today, before sending the message out to scrap the saftey first tactics. Makes more sense to me, then the players all off a sudden finding their confidence 60 mins into a game, when getting beat 20 zip.

It makes less sense that a coach would look at our first two win and decide to completely change the way we play.

I [isuspect[/i that the players got carried away and took Cas too lightly. Losing that game they way they did dented their confidence, and that was further exacerbated by the Wigan defeat. Then the Widnes fiasco happened.

Everything that the senior players and Radford have said in public indicates that the team has not been following the game play set out by the coaching staff. Radford's description of [ihow[/i he told the players to open up today further strengthens the feeling that this has been the case. On the flip side I haven't seen a single convincing argument for Radford suddenly adopting a conservative game plan.

conspiracy theories kosh

You're entitled to think what you like but IMO that's straying into tinfoil hat levels of extrapolation from the available information.

Agree.



But according to the interview bonaire heard Radford himself said he sent the instruction down to throw caution to the wind for the last 20 minutes. Indicating that caution was the instruction up to that point.

Certainly something seems to have changed after Cats but I don't understand why Radford would instigate that.