Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 12:47 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

I thought I'd better start a new thread as the Leeds one seems to be getting derailed.

Thoughts on approach to this game? Do we rest clearly fatigued players or go for a win and rest against Hull?

I'm not sure we win this one anyway so I think, on balance, I'd rest players with a view to being back to our best come the end of the season. If French isn't playing I think I'd even go Farrimiond and Field in the halves with Eckersley at fullback. Maybe look to swap defensively.

It won't happen but I'd go:

Eckersley
Douglas
Keighran
Wardle
Marshall
Field
Farrimiond
Byrne
Leeming
Dupree
Farrell
Walters
Mago

Hill
Harvard
Forber
Ellis

Rest Farrell and Wardle (at least) against Hull. Maybe start Ellis and bring Mago on but, either way, Mago to play bigger minutes than he has been.

It’s a difficult one Phuzzy.
Personally I want to beat Saints come what may which may mean we play a very depleted team against Hull and go with as full strength as we can against Saints.
I think we’ve just got to trust Peet and his team on their selections against Saints. They know the players, they know who are playing with injuries and they know which players really want to play.
A difficult time but I’m sure that Peet has learned a great deal over the past few months and hopefully he can steady the ship.
I’m not a Mago fan. I don’t rate any player, unless he has an injury, who can’t do more than 15 minutes in a stint. The substitution rules allow players to play at weights way above their norm. For me once you have been substituted then you can’t return. I’m a bit of a lone voice in the wind on this one but I’m comfortable with it.

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 1:30 pm  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

It’s a difficult one Phuzzy.
Personally I want to beat Saints come what may which may mean we play a very depleted team against Hull and go with as full strength as we can against Saints.
I think we’ve just got to trust Peet and his team on their selections against Saints. They know the players, they know who are playing with injuries and they know which players really want to play.
A difficult time but I’m sure that Peet has learned a great deal over the past few months and hopefully he can steady the ship.
I’m not a Mago fan. I don’t rate any player, unless he has an injury, who can’t do more than 15 minutes in a stint. The substitution rules allow players to play at weights way above their norm. For me once you have been substituted then you can’t return. I’m a bit of a lone voice in the wind on this one but I’m comfortable with it.

I never want to lose against Saints, Itchy, but I feel we're in a "bigger picture" situation at the moment and losing Doris the tea lady (see other thread ) has tipped the balance in Saints' favour again.

Being serious for a moment, I think that, were it not for our form, this would be a bit of a banker. I know we have players out but Saints' losses are probably bigger than ours now. It's just that, looking how gassed we were on Saturday and knowing how the week after Easter used to go, I don't feel the players we have left will be at anywhere near their best. I hope I'm wrong, of course and maybe the fact that it's a derby will raise them.

Regarding Mago, I don't agree he can only do 15 mins mate, and that's my point. His defensive deficiencies are overstated in my opinion and he did long minutes several times last season with no drop off in quality. It's worth checking out what was said on here during that period as most agreed that he tended to look more gassed than he actually was and his performances bore that out. I haven't seen anything that suggests he couldn't do 20 minutes either side of half time at the very least.

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 1:34 pm  

2 games for Knowles

Smith referred to tribunal- Grade E

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 1:38 pm  

Stu M wrote:

2 games for Knowles

Smith referred to tribunal- Grade E

Not going to complain too much as it was stupid from Smith but was it really any worse than Hiku on Field?

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 1:52 pm  

A break won't do Smith any harm, if French is back in the next week or two then him and Farrimond together for a couple of matches will be something to look forward to

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 1:57 pm  

apollosghost wrote:

A break won't do Smith any harm, if French is back in the next week or two then him and Farrimond together for a couple of matches will be something to look forward to

True but I'm not sure he needed a month or more break which is presumably what he'll get.

Has anyone seen if he actually makes contact? Unless I've missed it, no one seems to be posting anything which suggests he didn't.

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 2:13 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

True but I'm not sure he needed a month or more break which is presumably what he'll get.

Has anyone seen if he actually makes contact? Unless I've missed it, no one seems to be posting anything which suggests he didn't.

I dare say the club will be checking the camera angles, if they don't appeal then we can safely say Smith connected

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 2:36 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

Not going to complain too much as it was stupid from Smith but was it really any worse than Hiku on Field?

It was deemed Hiku didn't make contact
From Fields lack of reaction and what I watched 10+ times I would just about agree

Only seen Smiths back once, looked like he made contact to me albeit I don't think there was much force

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 2:45 pm  

Don't think there's much of a defence unfortunately. I'd guess 4 games but hopefully we get lucky and he gets 3 and can make the Hull KR game.

5 wins out of 6 would likely get us in the top 2 as long as one of those wins is against Hull KR. Makes this weekend's game so crucial - looks like it will ultimately come down to a battle between an experienced playmaker in Mbye and a young talent in Farrimond.

No lineup out of what we have let is deal but on balance would probably go with Keighran and Farrimond in the halves.

Re: Saints (Magic Weekend) : Mon Aug 12, 2024 2:49 pm  

Jukesays wrote:

It was deemed Hiku didn't make contact
From Fields lack of reaction and what I watched 10+ times I would just about agree

Only seen Smiths back once, looked like he made contact to me albeit I don't think there was much force

I've only seen it during the match as chose not to watch it back for some reason On the multiple replays on the day I didn't see any contact and you would normally get stills flooding social media if there had been and I haven't seen any.

I'm not going to complain too much, as I say. I thought Hiku did make contact, albeit minimal, and was worthy of a ban regardless of contact as the intent was clearly there. They don't punish intent though, so if Smith hasn't made contact I'd hope they would at least be consistent*

*I know... consistency and the disciplinary don't belong in the same sentence!