RLFANS.COM - The World's Most Popular Rugby League Website

Quote: ChrisH "So many of the players we had in that squad today are making up the numbers. They will never be good enough for SL and I'd include in that some that are supposedly going to be "stars". Today shows we lack quality , depth and class but more worryingly we once again lack any sort of power dominance or aggression in the pack. We're kidding ourselves big time if we really believe that Green and co will ever lay a platform for our backs. Today was just bizarre and our expectations managed incredibly badly. Why didn't Radford say that he was just fulfilling a fixture instead of implying that the game was meaningful. And Rich Whiting feeling he has to apologise to the fans again on a day that he was in his home town supposedly celebrating his testimonial!!? He must wonder what the hell he's doing here. I felt embarrassed for him especially after he'd been quoted as saying this was a game where SL places were up for grabs. And what's Arundel done wrong? I'm sure his confidence will be sky high now having been the only senior player left on the field with the 19's and having to play second row. Did he need the minutes in his legs? Thought that applied to Talanoa , what happened there? Where was Radford during the game? I saw him and Ellis walk out at the start but he seemed to disappear after that. I'd have thought he ought to have been on the sideline trying to persuade his players to be professional and to give some direct "advice". Maybe he was translating the playbook into English?
I'm sure that AP can't be happy. Regardless of the fact that it doesn't matter because there are no points at stake it's certainly not going to persuade any waverers about getting to the KC for the first league game is it?
I feel let down , disappointed for Rich Whiting who just doesn't deserve that but regrettably not surprised.'"

Radford was in the main stand on the gantry (not swinging from it as far as I know) for most/all of the game. Whilst the jury has only just left the courtroom in regards to his tenure as coach he must now realise that some of his so-called backup forwards are way below the required level. I thought Watts, Bowden, Westerman and to a lesser extent Green were embarrassing in the first 20 minutes and were totally owned by the opposition Championship pack. OK we had no hooker named in the side which wasn't really helping but these players should be fined for simply failing to do their jobs to anything like the required standard. Interesting that Radford is already questioning some players' 'lifestyles' - if so-called professionals can't see their way to doing their job to the required standard they should clear off. As previously mentioned we should have been in for Carvell before now as we desperately need more top professionals playing at the expense of some of the pretenders that pass off for pro sportsmen that we have in the squad.

To people who claim 'it's only a friendly' I would say that until Radford, or whoever, can finally find enough players who actually match the tag of being a professional sportsmen then the next 50 point plus reverse in SL will never be far around the corner. It seems there's more clear out work to be done particularly on the fringes of the squad in the prop/SR areas before we can hope that that elusive entity called consistency will ever apply to our team.

In regards to Talanoa he had a sore Achilles apparently - another potentially dodgy injury for us to contend with.