St pete wrote:
We have played a better brand of rugby this year which has made games more enjoyable than the last 4 years of boredom.
Until Good Friday I would agree with you, yes. We had been playing a better brand of rugby but then we have also had a 7 and a pacey backline, which has helped in that regard.
Has Brown improved us, then I'd say yes he has, we are winning more games than we have on the past.
Are we? Last year ended up in 5th, the first time in years, and had spent a sizeable time in 9th. Under Brown we have been nilled for the first time since 2007 and we exited the cup at the first round since God knows when (having made it to the semi finals 12 consecutive years previously). We made it through to the next round this year thanks only to playing against 12 men and a dodgy penalty! So how are we winning more games exactly?
I also think some saints fans get really carried away with our squad when in reality it's not so great, it's full of weakness and players that are not good enough.
Our forwards are lazy (bar Wilkin and Robes) but there's nothing wrong with our backline or our halves. So we have the same problem we've had since James Graham left but Brown hasn't fixed it with his recruitment has he? We can't even get one of them on the field!
I don't think we can win anything with this squad even if we had the best coach in the world. Potter, Royce, rush and now Brown have failed (if he don't win anything) so maybe just maybe the players are just not good enough.
We are a totally different team now to when Potter was in charge, even to when Simmons was in charge. You can't compare because most of them are different players.
I could list the players that IMO isn't good enough and honestly it would leave us not being able to field 7 a side team.
Most of this team are good enough. It's their attitude which isn't. And that attitude isn't helped by the tactics (tinkering, in the main) and attitude of the coach and possibly the club too.