Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:06 am  

Zoo Zoo Boom wrote:

Surely you expect elite players to perform at an elite level most of the time. You expect a club the size of Leeds with its resources and access to youth talent to be amongst the better sides. It is difficult to enjoy under performing players at a club that gets most things right apart from the one thing that should be the whole focus of the organisation.

Let's get things into perspective.

Spot on.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:42 am  

Zoo Zoo Boom wrote:

Surely you expect elite players to perform at an elite level most of the time. You expect a club the size of Leeds with its resources and access to youth talent to be amongst the better sides. It is difficult to enjoy under performing players at a club that gets most things right apart from the one thing that should be the whole focus of the organisation.

Let's get things into perspective.

I think that's a valid criticism of the last seven years and frankly a couple before that. However, I don't think you could apply it to Fridays game, which was comfortably the best seen in SL this season. The result was a disappointment, but the level of entertainment wasn't. I can accept that level of performance and lose, not without frustration, but without complaint. The club were in a massive salary cap hole in 2021 and it was always going to take time to rectify. Think we are almost there and if we nail our recruitment for 25 we can justifiably expect to be challenging for top spot. Till then I'm afraid we'll be heading into games with Wigan and Saints as underdogs.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:45 am  

[imgur][/imgur]

ArthurClues wrote:

I think that's a valid criticism of the last seven years and frankly a couple before that. However, I don't think you could apply it to Fridays game, which was comfortably the best seen in SL this season. The result was a disappointment, but the level of entertainment wasn't. I can accept that level of performance and lose, not without frustration, but without complaint. The club were in a massive salary cap hole in 2021 and it was always going to take time to rectify. Think we are almost there and if we nail our recruitment for 25 we can justifiably expect to be challenging for top spot. Till then I'm afraid we'll be heading into games with Wigan and Saints as underdogs.

Was a bit easy for Saints that second half though. We were at home, and didn’t look like scoring if we were there all night!

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:01 am  

Shabino wrote:

[imgur][/imgur]Was a bit easy for Saints that second half though. We were at home, and didn’t look like scoring if we were there all night!

Give Saints some credit Shabs. Their defence has been awesome this season, and they'd be my pick for the title. They're the equivalent of us in 2009 - murder to play against. You keep saying that it will never be like it was, and the standard has dropped, but the facts don't really back that up do they? Saints beat one of the greatest NRL sides of all time in OZ last year, and Wigan (with a bit of luck) managed it this year. They are both elite sides who just aren't going to role over for us. TBH even the "goldens" lost more than they won against them in league games. Going to have to be patient.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:11 am  

Yep we forget sometimes that the Goldens didn’t have great league form all the time, and we lost games like Friday fairly regularly even back then.

We are clearly moving in the right direction but we haven’t moved far enough to be king of the castle.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:22 am  

ArthurClues wrote:

Give Saints some credit Shabs. Their defence has been awesome this season, and they'd be my pick for the title. They're the equivalent of us in 2009 - murder to play against. You keep saying that it will never be like it was, and the standard has dropped, but the facts don't really back that up do they? Saints beat one of the greatest NRL sides of all time in OZ last year, and Wigan (with a bit of luck) managed it this year. They are both elite sides who just aren't going to role over for us. TBH even the "goldens" lost more than they won against them in league games. Going to have to be patient.

I do and think they are a very good team. Don’t think they are as good as some think though and they had 3 of their best players out, and a lot of young kids in who they’ve developed. They had weakness’s that we didn’t even try and exploit. Anyone put any footwork on Hurrell? Did we think outside box and try and switch Newman for a bit to go against him? We made Bell look a world beater, again a young kid making his way. But anyway let’s see what CC game brings. I think we’re very unlikely to win after that, but let’s see….

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:23 am  

ArthurClues wrote:

Give Saints some credit Shabs. Their defence has been awesome this season, and they'd be my pick for the title. They're the equivalent of us in 2009 - murder to play against. You keep saying that it will never be like it was, and the standard has dropped, but the facts don't really back that up do they? Saints beat one of the greatest NRL sides of all time in OZ last year, and Wigan (with a bit of luck) managed it this year. They are both elite sides who just aren't going to role over for us. TBH even the "goldens" lost more than they won against them in league games. Going to have to be patient.

Oh and those WCC games are basically good pre-season friendly to the Oz teams. You can’t gage much on that.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:45 am  

Shabino wrote:

I do and think they are a very good team. Don’t think they are as good as some think though and they had 3 of their best players out, and a lot of young kids in who they’ve developed. They had weakness’s that we didn’t even try and exploit. Anyone put any footwork on Hurrell? Did we think outside box and try and switch Newman for a bit to go against him? We made Bell look a world beater, again a young kid making his way. But anyway let’s see what CC game brings. I think we’re very unlikely to win after that, but let’s see….

Maybe you should be the next coach Shabs. From where I was sitting we sent a lot of traffic down Hurrell's side. Miller was constantly at him. Saints were troubled, but they hung on (just barely) and adjusted like champion sides do. Sending Newman across and down the left is standard part of our game plan. They all hung back for Newman on the first try and as a result Roberts got in the corner. As for the world CC - Saints went down their and beat Penrith on their own turf. That's a major achievement. You might not think Saints are that good, but that's your subjective opinion. An objective view of the facts says they are the greatest side in the history of SL. But anyway, it's fun to debate.

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:52 am  

christopher wrote:

Edgell was meant to be 18th man, Ruan was ill, so Donno was meant to be 17th. Croft wasn’t 100% (think there's been illness through the group) so we needed cover in the backs.

Oh makes sense now with a week on the lemsip should be fine and the addition of the wrecking ball try machine Wus we'll take them apart

Re: RD 5 | St Helens (H) : Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:58 am  

Shabino wrote:

I do and think they are a very good team. Don’t think they are as good as some think though and they had 3 of their best players out, and a lot of young kids in who they’ve developed. They had weakness’s that we didn’t even try and exploit. Anyone put any footwork on Hurrell? Did we think outside box and try and switch Newman for a bit to go against him? We made Bell look a world beater, again a young kid making his way. But anyway let’s see what CC game brings. I think we’re very unlikely to win after that, but let’s see….

Bell a young kid making his way? He’s 29 and a good player.

You do seem to be downplaying Saints so you can have a moan at Leeds.