Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 11:33 am  

But Ferguson did ok, got into the Opta "team of the week". Pitts was laid low by injury. Matt Ryan is brand new, and I wasn't that impressed. Olbison didn't play as well as usual, but not through lack of effort. And because we had Siejka on the bench, we were missing a 2nd row man.

It was the 4 props who underperformed horribly to my mind. And we don't have a lot to change around there.

At least we have a couple of back row men who could slot in if changes are needed. Mellor should be fit again I would think. And he was coming along very well before his injury. No questions over his enthusiasm. Just match experience I suppose.

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 12:13 pm  

Well, if we don't get promotion, i suppose we can take a man in the Opta team of the week as a close second best.

Listen, if a team defends for 79 out of 80 minutes then some of the tackling stats are going to be high. Wakefield thrashed us, yet the stats won't show big defensive numbers for any of them, not because they couldn't defend, but because we couldn't find their end of the pitch, and because they selfishly kept all the ball.

I have been mulling over the Wakefield debacle for reasons ever since the game, and I have concluded the biggest issue likely was a fear and a total lack of self-belief. They feared they would be mullered by the Wakey pack, and gave them too much respect. Lack of effort? that is contentious territory. But yes, extremely clearly there was a lack of effort. They were not playing as hard and as aggressively as they could, or anywhere near. They needed to start by getting right into Wakefield's faces and hitting them hard, quickly and in numbers. They did none of those things, instead just stood back and watched.

if we come out strong and hard against Salford, getting right into their faces and hitting them hard, quickly and in numbers then I won't be bothered if we lose, because we will have made them know they were in a game, and we will have done our best.

That at Wakefield was nowhere near our best. Or if it was, then we may as well pack the sport in right now.

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 12:26 pm  

Think some line speed in defence would be a start this week, after that, some defence would be good this week

The line speed of the defence was woeful to say the least, it was a throw back to last season when we getting hammered every week

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 12:30 pm  

Jimmy on radio yorkshire says Lee Gaskell out this week

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 12:58 pm  

Of course he is. After that impact on his ribs it'll take another week before he can breathe without pain...

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 1:07 pm  

Not really a surprise and if conditions are heavy as predicted maybe not a bad game for him to miss. Interesting decision re half and FB now. Persist with sjieka addy with Mullaney at FB, or addy Mullaney with a.n.other at FB. Clare didn't really standout as a better option than either shaw/mendieka last week but maybe not fair to judge him on one game where we were constantly on back foot.

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 3:11 pm  

We tried Siejka/Addy before, that doesn't work. So either Siejka/Mullaney or Addy/Mullaney. But we all know Siejka is going to play!

[Bulliac]

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:09 pm  

mat wrote:

Not really a surprise and if conditions are heavy as predicted maybe not a bad game for him to miss. Interesting decision re half and FB now. Persist with sjieka addy with Mullaney at FB, or addy Mullaney with a.n.other at FB. Clare didn't really standout as a better option than either shaw/mendieka last week but maybe not fair to judge him on one game where we were constantly on back foot.

To be right, Odsal doesn't really do, "heavy", though these days, and hasn't since the 1980s. It may get a bit slippery underfoot but that should certainly be the worst of it. To me, Lee's either fit or he isn't, and if not he shouldn't play.

I don't feel Shaw or Mendeika will be brought back and I guess Mullaney is still a doubt? I agree about not judging Clare on last weekend, so I guess, if Mullaney is still out, it will be either Clare or Caro at FB for me, leaving 'Super' Danny Addy in the halves with Siejka. There is also the debut of 'Danger' Dane Neilson and despite what has been said by the player himself, there seems to be a few who are suggesting he may be missing again - have to say, I hope not, and not only because it would open a whole new can can of worms regarding the inside backs.

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:27 pm  

But we should now rest Gaskell, and everybody else we need, except for the Leigh and Fax games, because they are the ones we might realistically look to win.

Sunday? let me see. Given an even share of the ball ... (yes, I know, but stay with me) ... they have Rangi Chase ... we have... Siejka.

I don't see it ending well.

[Bulliac]

Re: Super 8 Qualifiers Game 3: Salford at Home : Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:39 pm  

Well, no, I'm not going to argue that one.

There is the point though, that often there is more lost in resting fully fit players than there is gained by not playing for a few weeks [which is what your plan entails], and not least the fact that we have a few new players who could really do with game time to enable them to complete [and in one case, start] the 'bedding in' process. Also, many players do benefit from continuity, as no doubt Lowesy would argue....