Maybe not this week but if Coote remains out, I'd bring Swift in on the wing and try Makinson at 1. Lomax at 6, Richardson 7. Fages on the bench.
With Lees gone though, we are a prop light & it's a problem
Definitely not Makinson at full back. He does not have the hands to be the important pivot position we use the full back as. Welsby has been more than a capable deputy at FB and should have first dibs with Coote out. Lomax and Fages need practice stepping up on the last plays and taking on kicking responsibilities, if they can't then we will struggle again come the next match of knockout rugby.
Forwards win games. The backs decide by how much.
If Coote was out long term i would bring Swift on the wing with Makinson at fullback and leave Fages and Lomax in the halves. I like the look of Welsby but if he started in the play offs and dropped a load of high balls it could break the lad.
Holbrook spends time with the players so should know who his big game players are and best combinations.
I would like to say ‘in Holbrook i trust’ but im not sure i do.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
It does say that, but it's understandable if people have doubts. I don't recall coote leaving the field for a head assessment at any stage during the final as would be protocol for any concussion.
It does not mean he does not have one, but it means something went wrong somewhere.
I would worry if he misses too many more games as we need the players who are playing in the playoffs to go full pelt and build up both their confidence and combinations again.
No more rest and rotation, that was for earlier in the season.
I’ve just seen a Mike Crithchley piece (from The St Helens Star) on Facebook, which says he came off feeling dizzy. It says Holbrook wanted all the returnees from injury to play the remaining games. It also suggests that Welsby will be fullback on Friday. I couldn’t copy the link but I’ll try to find it elsewhere.
PS Now managed to copy the Facebook link:
https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport...-switch-focus/
If he picked up the head injury against Wire , he must have banged his head in the dressing room before kick off . He was very poor all the game . My team vs. Cas would be Welsby for Coote . The other backs same as : Forwards same as but Ashworth for Peyroux . Bench :LMS.Amor, Bentley, Costello . But no doubt JH will pick Paulo .
Couldn't really give less of a toss after Saturday. Give Johnny Wellies a game instead of that oaf Paulo.
Not dropping him..using him where I believe his best position is and spelling Roby.
Richardson plays for me. The goalkicking aspect slapped us in the face Saturday.
Fages will give us some zip around the ruck. I'm not saying do this do that. I'm saying either against Cas or Hudds, try it.
We need to change how we play. I'm sorry but that's the way it is
It’s such a fine balance and I can see the positives in both. Richardson - good goalkicker, a bit more flair maybe, but weak defence. Fages maybe more consistent and not a liability in defence
Standing back from it I would say that the preferred combination has got us 16 points clear in the league, it’s the mentality in big games that needs addressing more than half back combinations I think. That said, who knows what the new coach will prefer...
Fages stays at 7 for me. He was involved in everything good we did at the weekend and his contributions get massively downplayed IMO. Richardson does something good and it’s spoke about for weeks, Fages does something and it doesn’t get mentioned. Haven’t seen anything to suggest Richardson doesn’t make our problems 5 x worse so far. Fine when the game is loose, I bet he’d play well on Friday , can lose it for you when it’s tight goal kicking aside.
It’s the mentality we need to sort out, not selection for me at least.
Steve Prescott MBE (1973-2013)
V
Its not about goal kicking, it's about kicks in general play. Coote has done alot of that this season but with him missing Richardson offers that, which fages and Lomax cannot replicate to the same standard.
Our attacking kicks at Wembley were way off and you kick at the end of most sets.
You both know your onions but I agree with this. It's the mentality that needs addressing, we're a bloody good team and it's clear from this board there's a lot of people very sore over it. I can see the positives of both players, however, maybe it would be worth going 3 forwards + Richardson on the bench, that way we can change things around during the game and be covered for injuries in the backs.
Pretty much nails it for me. I also noted Richardson's form dipped massively when Saints started to struggle a little at the end of last year; it was as if he'd been made to look a better player by the players around him. I've also said it before and will again - he still looks like a player who has played his first match 30 odd times. Still makes really silly, basic mistakes.
Richardson has quite a bit of work to do to displace Fages in my book.
Looking at this game and the 2 following.
I would like to see Saints possibly change their tactics and use these 3 games as dress rehearsal for knock out games.
Build up pressure slowly. Squeeze the life out the opposition and score under the sticks.
Make it boring. Its what wins trophies.
We have to have a plan B. We flapped on Saturday when the fancy stuff went to the wall.
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