ChrisA posted:
We conceeded 2 tries down to forward passes, but overall we were pretty poor in every department, especially our disciplne and ball control, we scored 2 good tries, but apart from that Saints were always in control.
We looked very tired and lacking in ideas at times. Orr and Moran were hopeless after their great efforts the week before, and defensively we were probably the worst we have been since before Milly took over. Every tackle on a Saints player earned them an extra 5-10 yards as we just couldn't stop anyone dead even with 3 or 4 players in the tackle. I'm not sure why we kept kicking on the 4th tackle either, we didn't seem to be gaining anything at all from that tactic.
The forward passing from Saints was just a joke, Mr Smith didn't have a clue and I noticed that late-on some of our lads found they could get away with blatently obvious forwards as well, not that it did us any good. Smith's reaction to the fight was also disappointing, he ran away instead of trying to take control. Even the card situation was wrong, he sent Lyon off for a legitimate tackle but did nothing to the Saints player who went jumping in AFTER the fighting had more-or-less finished. KK's got competition for the worst ref of the year.
Newton really needs to sort his head out, to many times he has done what he did tonight and he has never learned, hes taken 2 guys out tonight who could now miss the rest of the season, if thats how he is and cant change then maybe he should seek employment elsewhere.
If it was the other way round and Fozzard had done what he did, we would be up in arms, you cant defend what he did and anyone who does needs to take the cherry and white goggles off.
Newton's reverted back to his Leeds days when he was one of several dirty players in their pack with Farrell, Fleary and Morley. He can't even say his passing was good last night as some of it was abysmal. Fozzard was very well behaved for him, I didn't see the padded forearm being used once. If Newton is going, then on last night's evidence he's on loss to us.
We have had 4 goods wins, but tonight showed were we are at realisticaly, we have imoroved alot over the last few months, but not enough to challenge the big boys. It all stands us in good stead for next year though, the young guys will bulk up and be a year wiser in their development, plus the new guys and players returning from injury, thats the scant consolation I'm taking now from what is left of this year.
We need to get some bigger players back for next year. Bob, for example, is just not big enough or good enough, ditto Brown, Aspinwall and Allen. I got to see the replay on Sky and saw even less of DV than on the pitch, he might as well not have been there except to contribute to a couple of good attacks. And what happened to Carney's big game that he promised us for his last home match? One failed intercept and a couple of runs that gained a couple of meters at best. It'll be all-change next season, and I doubt if many of the players that are going at the end of the season will be remembered by us for long.
Definitely a game (and a season) for us to forget, and I suspect Gilmour probabably won't remember very much of last night's game at all!