Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:19 pm  

Firstly I'd like to say that yet again I can't fault the effort of the team, they are clearly trying and playing for their coach.

I'd also add that the Refereeing performance was yet again an absolute shambles, and the lack of policing of the 10 metres ruined any chance the game had a spectacle.

BUT, yet again we are simply miles away from being even a decent team. Pedestrian, directionless attack, slow backs, poor kicking game...the same as we've had served up most weeks of Radford's tenure. Add to that tonight some baffling interchanges (Feka not introduced until 15mins to go, Watts & Paea both off the field for a good 20/30mins, Westerman not taken off despite clearly having the worst game of his career and his confidence shot)

the buck has to stop at Radford's door. What we actually do in training all week, what moves do we prepare, what opposition videos do we watch to try and spot weaknesses? its the same slow paced, badly executed moves trotted out week after week. The frustrating thing tonight was Leeds were in about 3rd gear, playing quite simple but well executed Rugby, yet we never even looked like getting the win.

Sadly I think we're too far gone in to the season for Radford to go, as Pearson will be hoping that we can still at least scrape a couple of wins and make the 8...but surely he has to now be looking for another coach and yet another clearout of the squad in the off-season, he's had 18months and despite the brief glimmers of something better a few weeks back, whenever we face a game that even has a slight amount of pressure (it was a Quarter final at home, not a Semi or a Final) we fail to deliver. We can't keep waiting for this revival in our fortunes that clearly isn't coming.

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:28 pm  

IMO...

Radford's taken us as far as he can, he's a good defensive coach,
but for mine, I'd see who is available at the end of the season.

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:29 pm  

Errors

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:30 pm  

Radford was never my choice but a player or players who train all week and do it for year after year should be able to catch a ball

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:31 pm  

The season has been dire, with a brief interlude mid season where we actually looked like we could play some rugby. Why that was I'm not sure but whatever influenced/caused it seems to have well and truly gone. Home form abysmal. You can blame the players all you want but where is the structure and organisation? I'm sick of seeing prop forwards standing still at 1st receiver in the opposition 20. We'll likely lose at least one of the games against wakey and 11th place beckons. Be surprised if we win more than 1 more game until the split

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:33 pm  

no matter who the h.ell coaches us a player should be able to catch a ball, blame the coach all you like that's down to the individual player,

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:34 pm  

We created several chances and bombed them. We actually created more than we did last week. Some of the individual skill levels were an embarrassment and Westerman needs to understand that all the effort in the world is totally wasted if you can't manage the basics. That's two weeks running now (Catalans) where he's treated possession like it's worthless. Rankin's effort for their first try was way below what was required and despite some good play in the loose his error put us right on the back foot.

Pleased for Abdull that he scored but his kicking and link play were way below what was required from a scrum half (not his position). I'd put him at LF for Westerman on Wednesday and give either HTW or Dean a go at scrum half. Whichever is the better field kicker to be honest.

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:35 pm  

I don't think tonight was ever in doubt even with our second choice halves and no Cuthbo. We were always gonna win by plenty. You have to be realistic about your own teams ability.

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:36 pm  

A one-eyed Radford bashing rant. Zzzzzzz

Westy made 6 or 7 handling errors alone. Two of which should've lead to tries. How can Radford be blamed for that? The players ran their blood to water tonight, but their errors cost us.

Re: Simply Not Good Enough : Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:41 pm  

Doom&Gloom Merchant wrote:

A one-eyed Radford bashing rant. Zzzzzzz

Westy made 6 or 7 handling errors alone. Two of which should've lead to tries. How can Radford be blamed for that? The players ran their blood to water tonight, but their errors cost us.

Does the coach have no part in how the players are mentally prepared for a game? Why do you think individual errors happen? Particularly repeat ones? Who had us playing without mini, paea and watts for over 20 minutes at a time when the game went away from us? Who left westerman on when he couldn't hold onto the ball?

Not all the coach's fault but he certainly needs to shoulder a fair chunk of the blame