Tactics were wrong, in the 2nd half going down the middle constantly when they were 4 points up, we just never looked like scoring for most of the half. Kicking the 2 when we were on their line was daft, Warrington in a similar position played on and Ratchford scores. Thaler or Hicks for the final do the RFL have any referees that are at least competent never mind good
That's the season done for me, couldn't care less who wins tomorrow or next Saturday. It's been a shocking season, full of garbage rugby league from our team, and ended for me with our garbage tactics actually getting us to within two dodgy calls from a Grand Final. I wasn't even worried about the decision after Peyroux touched down, I saw the ball on the line and was already wondering what we could do with the time left to win the game. To see "No Try" just left me bewildered and left me questioning why I bother with this sport.
I'll be back though, I love our club and have been following this for too long to give it up. But for the moment RL can **** off for a while. The stifling tactics, the "4th is the new 1st" ambition of our club, the hopeless officials and the stench that games are being won and lost based on outside interference. The whole thing can disappear for a while.
Disappointed in the pack today, I thought Warrington where faster around the PTB area and made more ground. Attacking wise I would say only Walmsley offered go forward and quick PTB. Swift, Percival & Lomax did ok. Yes the ref seemed to have a bit of agenda tonight and apart from the tries there was few other decisions that went against us. Cobb should hang his head in shame for being part of it. We were so negative for most of the match, typical of this is when we took the two points when it was the only time up to then we had field position.
A lot of effort went in but we must take a chance and spread the ball a bit.
We went with a defensive team tonight and Wire found us out in the second half. The fact Wire have a coach with a bit of tactical knowledge and we don't made a difference. Nice to see Walsh has returned to his habit of going missing again.
I actually feel more sad that our aim tonight was to 'play the conditions' and grind out a victory...this depresses me even more than the terrible officiating decisions.
KC played 3 semi finals as coach lost 3 semi finals as coach.attacking strategy non existent. Cant win big games scoring so few points. Can't win big games with predictable and safe playing patterns. You need to play the way opponents least expect. Too safe early in second half. We had momentum at HT. Should've come out 2nd half and shifted the ball. Too much boot and not enough pass. Left side threat from turner, percy swift in 1st half totally missing in 2nd because we turned the ball inside every time.
Like I said earlier in the thread, go to the screen and look at them two tries and it’s a saints win. In that respect we did enough to win.
Yes, not the best performance but that’s irrelevant in this context if it’s not being played out fairly. It was a close game, a semi, the technology is there but the decision not to use it what actually lost us that game.
The coaching staff are very lucky that the Reffing display was as bad as it was as now nobody is talking about what we actually produced.
Since KC has taken over we have relied on penalties to get up the field. Thaler wasn't giving as many out as a regular SL game so in the first 25 mins of both halves we were completely dominated and only started getting up the pitch later in both halves when they tired and made changes.
Another trait in us since KC has taken over is not being able to go set for set with big teams in big games. We ALWAYS seem to crack first. I'm not a Wilkin basher, but 10-8 in a semi final going set for set with the League Leaders and your skipper gives away a penalty for a needless high tackle, absolutely brain dead and they scored soon after.
We eventually got the field position when they tired and made changes in the second half and we looked totally clueless. You only have to look at some of our last tackle plays in that game to see how poorly coached of a side we are.
This is 2 years in a row we've been winning in the semi final at HT and failed to see the game out. Poor coaching.
The refereeing decisions were farcical but we shouldn't just ignore what we saw from us tonight. Warrington had no Sandow, Currie, Dwyer & Westwood and we couldn't finish them off despite winning at HT. Dreadful.
A couple of points after a very disappointing night.
1.Tactics-why the hell did we kick so much ball away on the 2nd,3rd or 4th tackle-crazy stuff and also poorly executed.
2.Half backs-wire had everything going through their halves with a positive game plan-we had nothing and apart from the try with JT's run they did nothing.
3.Defended ok but clueless on attack-we actually looked like we had no idea at one point.
More importantly and I have not really considered this before I have a very uneasy feeling that the team SKY/RFL wanted to get to the final did so.It is the first time I honestly feel there is a whiff of favouring in our game.
Just going back to the Catalan game and the demands for the banning of Walsh on Sky to the officiating last night leaves me very uneasy.
Having said all that the planning, tactics and attacking options last night were so unambitious it made me numb.
Still I have renewed for next year.Need a bit of time off.
Last edited by Scouse Don; 30th September 2016 at 15:28.
Learned comment from The Don
Yeh i agree that Cunninghams negative coaching has cost us in big games. I remember thinking the same after the cup semi against Leeds last year. Cunninghams plan is play the percentages, wait for the opposition to make a mistake or for the ref to give us a penalty and capitalise on the few times we are gifted good field position. The problem last night was that Warrington made no errors and Thaler gave us no help to get us up field. Then when we finally had good field position Roby knocked on, or chipped through on the second tackle!!
If we played a bit more attractive rugby we could make things happen for ourselves instead of having to rely on chance.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
Not sure mate but when we had Swift Percival Greenwood going down that left channel we looked a million times better in attack earlier in the season.
It's all academic now but I really think we've missed a trick playing him down the right, it just seems like a negative play to use our best running back rower on the opposite side of the pitch so he can add to the defensive structure.
Disappointed yes. Could we have played better? Yes. But I guess a losing semi team is where we are at the moment, player wise, tactic wise.
I have really tried not to think about bad ref decisions being anymore than that. But after watching lots of sports being exposed in one way or the other as either corrupt, immoral or greedy, (football, cycling, the whole Olympics to name three)
I do at times think something is amiss. Why did the ref not go to the video ref in an important game like this? Why does almost everyone (including Clarke on Sky) state that our try was a try but the video ref say no? Are we just moaners who can't see the wood for the trees? OK to say the powers that be want this or that team in a final might be stretching it (to be honest IMO the RFL would want another Saints Wigan final than what they will get now I would have thought) but it does leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
I agree about having some time off. See you all (I hope) next season.
Humans are more concerned with having than being.
I couldn't understand why SKY didn't make anything of this, the guy is short, then held up! If that had decided the game and been the only "mistake" by the officials, they might have got away with it. As it was, the "mistakes" came thick and fast. Incorrect play the balls, where ball boys can pass the ball to Wolves players, VR telling the onfield ref to change who to give head and feed at scrums to, yet can't spot knock ons at tries or when a ball is grounded on the line! I agree we haven't been great this year, but all this talk of "the best team won" is just crap. It is clear absolutely CRYSTAL clear that two of their tries were not tries and that we had a try WRONGLY disallowed. This is not just my opinion, many neutral observers on many sites are saying the same. In a season where clubs have rushed to play in a style that has been awful to watch, instead of things getting better to even up the competition, they've got worse, this game summed up everything that is wrong with SL. Two boring teams, obsessed with defence, incompetent/corrupt officiating. I don't think for a minute Warrington are cheats, but SKY and the RFL must now look at what is going on. Just plainly unacceptable. We were not playing thirteen other players on the pitch, we were playing against Ben Thaler and Joe Cobb, as well!
We weren't robbed, we weren't terrible but we weren't good enough. Gidley was the best player on the pitch by a country mile. Oozes class and composure. We had nobody to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Percival is way ahead of his team mates in the quality stakes - if he goes, we are truly stuffed. Two of the better teams didnt even turn up this year and we were the worst of the rest. We have stagnated, I fail to see us getting any better. We made some terrible signings this year and don't look to be make any decent ones this time around. Jack Owens trying to bring down a high ball with his foot is one of the most embarassing things I've seen on a pitch in a long time. Lets not paper over the cracks with cries of corruption and incompetence - we've got what we have deserved this season - nothing. Bigger changes are needed than anyone appears prepared to make, which is a shame as I wont be renewing my ticket to watch the same old.. next year.
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