I fancy them too.
There is a good balance in the team, enough quality to cover for injuries in the pivotable positions. Should be less of a struggle for top 4, to be optimistic maybe top 2.
We
For silverware, we need a tougher mental approach and belief also we don’t want an injury crisis. It does sound as though Holbrook is doing more emphasis on ball handling skills which might reduce our very slow season starts.
I think Holbrook has improved that side of us, we definitely have a never say die attitude now that we didn't really have under KC and our record under him was that of a top 2 side last year. There are flaws in this squad without a doubt and the half back situation is a big conundrum that Holbrook has to solve, but I'm confident in this current setup that we're on the up. We'll be close next year especially if Barba hits anything like he's capable of.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
I think Fages struggled to play with Smith, as did Lomax when he played 6. Opposition knew Smith wasn't going to run the ball so could move up and close down any space Fages had.
When he played with Richardson who took it to the line and regularly took the line on, defences had to give Fages more space because of the unpredictability of Richardson and what he was going to do.
I agree he does go missing in some games but I've seen him put in more good performances than poor since he's been at Saints. He is still only 23 as well, plenty of time on his side.
He's also doing a lot of creative game plays which is encouraging because as we know Matty struggles in this department, for me whoever executes them better with composure in the half backs will be the front runners for those pivotal roles, would also like to see Grace coached to read the game a bit better.
That would be my preference as well. I wonder what Holbrook will do. He seemed to like playing Smith last year. I think Smith is a better player than saw last season but I still don’t like him personally. I wouldn’t have smith on the bench because Fages could spell Roby at hooker and cover for a half back injury
Cudda shudda’s are worth something though mate. We had a stellar squad in the late 90’s but Michael Withers fingertip video ref decision went our way helping us win the grand final. Had we lost that grand final would you have considered us nearly men? When luck goes our way you can’t discount it in favour of an opinion that we are the dogs boll***.
Am i making sense?
Everyone misses the Saints teams of the late 90’s like they were a team of Gods and try to ignore the fact that we were a Withers finger tip from losing the 1999 Grand Final.
But this season the club shows huge ambition signing Ben Barba, the team outscore Cas away 5 scores to 3 and only lose because Percival can’t kick at least 1 of those simple kicks and the entire team gets referred to as ‘nearly men’.
Had we made the Grand Final theirs no guarantees we would have won it, but you see the point im making. You can’t just ignore our good fortune when it suits.
I don’t mind your opinion Johnny but the dig at our supporters was harsh. With the exception of one or two blind optimists the majority of us are very real.
I openly critisised the signing of Hohaia before he pulled on the shirt in 2012 and before 2012 kicked off i said that we would struggle under Simmons. If i think we’ll do bad i will call it, as will most of our spectators.
As ive said a couple of times in previous weeks, if we keep Lomax and Barba fit, our forwards play to their potential and our youngsters continue to develop no reason we can’t be a top 2 team. Ideally i would have liked us to have signed another big prop to help out Walmsley but hey ho.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies