I disagree. I think we have some real quality in the backs if they are given good ball. I also think playing well doesn't always mean throwing the ball about massively although i would like to see our wingers score more wingers tries.



We have a great pack, international halves and quality backs. Sadly we choose to only use the great pack element of that.

We have the fourth best attack in the league averaging almost 25 points per game despite losing one of each our half backs for a total of 5 matches and having badly failed to put the lower clubs to the sword. If we were really that dour would we have that many points ? Our biggest letdown this year has been our away defensive form.

Jeez, you're definitely "glass half full" about our backs.



Our back line is all wrong IMO, there's only Yeaman playing in his correct position.

and he is possibly the most over rated of the lot!!! not good then is it

He still scored 24 tries in 43 appearances in 2008 and 2009 and has 5 in 8 already this year, not too shabby!

Our pack have put the platform down for us to score those points in tight games. Imagine how many points we'd have scored if we had decent ball to our backline.

I am. I think:

Tansey - ability to be a GB full back in future years

Calderwood - still one of the best finishers in the game and we miss him defensively when he doesnt play

Whiting - can play anywhere and look good

Hall - naturally one of the most gifted young British centres in the game. Wish we would play him left centre and allow him to play his natural game.

Briscoe - used as cover on the wing this year and looks out of position. Cant wait for him to be able to be played in the centres.

Yeamo - Still one of the best British centres in SL but he gets little service and defensively has looked suspect of late. I'd like to see him moved to the right centre to accomodate Hall.

Turner - will be a top 6 in the future but for now gives good options in the centres.

Lyne - has a big future

Jack Briscoe - will be interesting to see what we do in a year or two's time with Tansey when Jack breaks through.



Plenty to be 'glass half full' about imo.

Of course the pack have laid the platform how else does it normally work ? Saints' and Leeds' and more recently Wigan's packs have also laid platforms for them when they have been scoring points. I hope that by next season we have improved our backline with more strike power but however you dress it up we have a decent attacking record. Poor defence (attitude) has cost us this year in the games we have lost.

There's a risk here that we confuse decent attacking record with performance.

Agree with all that, but what about now? Still only one winger - and he's injured - in that lot for this season. I do wonder how Turner would fare there?

No confusion here. All I am doing is stating a few facts for balance, whilst at the same time acknowledging some poor performances in defence and a definite inconsistent (bad attitude) approach in some away games.

We havn't been fantastic this year by any means, but there has been a marked improvement imo.



First of all lets look at the results.



We have won games against Saints away, Hudds at home, Cas at home and Bradford at home which we lost last year. We have beaten Quins at home who we beat last year, and lost to Wigan away who we lost against last year. We have lost to Salford and Quins away who we beat last year. Therefore we are 4 points better off so far based on the corresponding fixtures last year.



We have scored 194 points and conceded 143, making our attack the 4th best in the league and our defence the 5th best. Last year in the corresponding fixtures we had scored 152 points and conceded 182. So we are 81 points better off (10 points a game). Lets not forget how much better Wigan and Crusaders are this year than last aswell.



In terms of actual performances we have seen two very accomplished performances against St Helens and Huddersfield. A strong performance against an allbeit poor team against Quins, and not perfect but still good battling performances against Cas and Bradford. We were outclassed by the best team in the competition and put in two poor diplays against mediocre sides away from home (they are not however, as people have mentioned, the two worst sides in the league) however, despite our under par displays we could have still come away with results if a coupe of things had gone our way.



Our defence is certainly more resilient, we have stoped teams from scoring a first half try in half of our games so far and whilst defending kicks is a problem that can be put right with some time being put in on the training field/ Calderwood returning. In attack we might not be playing harlem globetrotter style and scoring length of the field tries, but we have obviously been doing something right to have avaraged over 24 points a game. The conditions so far have not really allowed for eyecatching stuff so far and we will get a better idea of where we are at offensively over the next couple of months, not only as the grounds dry up but as our first choice half back pairing get more game time togeher (they have only played 3 games together so far remember). Fitz and O'Meley have been very good signings and Turner has chipped in with some good performances and Long has showed glimpses of what he can do. Lauaki needs some work on his disclipline but he has shown that he can be a very good addition to the squad, and Radders and Dowes (although not always popular on here) have looked alot better than last season imo. The next 3 matches are important. I am confident of a win against Rovers but we then need to win one of the next two to really put ourselves on track and get fans back on side.



People get too down hearted by a couple of bad displays. I said at the start of the season (as did many others) that top 6 was the aim and anything higher would be a bonus. Well we are currently well on track to do that, so lets not let a couple of bad performances (which I'm putting down to attitude rather than ability) dampen our spirits. I for one am really looking forward to Friday now.