I did yeah. Just the usual moaning about playing style etc. Some even saying the entertainment factor outweighs the winning. I strongly disagree. Like many I have watched entertaining Saints sides winning nothing and it wasn't that good to be honest...a token final here or there but ultimately falling short against teams that put defense first at the time.
As I've said, take a few players out of the team and we look ordinary. Same with every other side in SL. To do the entertaining stuff you need a platform from the forwards and we're just lacking in that department at the moment but I don't think getting rid of the coach that got us a title last year is the answer.
Totally agree mate and at least we've seen glimpse's plus we're in the cup final but that's more a sad inditement of the state of the game than us being good. I know the RFL make some odd and some down right stupid rule changes but on what planet would anyone thing slowing the game down to a snails pace could be in anyway good? It's legalised cheating in effect. The crowd were going nuts at the ref from very early on regarding the offside, lying on and faking of injuries and he did sweet FA. I'm sure others disagree with me here but I don't want to see my team win that way, I said to my brother last night "Even if we sneak this, the only thing I'll be happy about is taking points off them", as it turns out we didn't but that's been coming for a while. I accept this team is coming to the end but ffs, at least let them have a go instead of shackling them with these pathetic attacking shapes.
It’s a really good shape you know. We run from right to left and pass behind a man to Coote who looks like his brain is already resting on a lounger in Aus and before he passes to Welsby he gets smashed as every club in the world has worked out our one play. Sometimes we mix it up and Coote remembers he’s still here and passes to Welsby or even this really fast skilful winger we have called Regan Grace, apparently he’s good, who also gets smashed.
After an hour of this we use the remaining plays we have which is throw it towards Makinson and hope he can beat 6 men and score a try whilst 10 metres in the air. I don’t know why but teams have worked us out with this as well. But as our leader says try, try and then try again because it’s everyone else’s fault except his. (As long as you don’t try anything different)
I think he's doing a pretty good job. Won us a GF and we've reached a CCF, you'd take that every year
Sure we're not that good to watch but these games mean absolutely nothing, just use them as tune ups
If people seriously want him out I'd just have to assume that they are bit thick
Yeah, it doesn't matter being bored shitless week after week, smashing our best players into the ground but it's ok if we win something? Have a word with yourself. Last year was different but life is getting back to normal now and people want to be entertained. And before you say the inevitable, of course I want success but I want it playing good rugby against another good side. If you can't understand that you really don't understand the game.
You are aware that RL is supposed to be something to be enjoyed & not endured aren't you ? Am I thick in wanting, indeed expecting, to be entertained when I pay for my membership ? It doesn't have to be one or the other you know ? If our performances were more entertaining, then fans would not be sick of the tripe we are serving up when we are capable of so much better.
The thing is, if we don’t renew Woolf’s contract, he decides his future lies back in Australia or he manages to get a job in the NRL, we’re not going to get some sort of reincarnate of Ian Millward, where attack was king and if they scored 4 tries, we’d score 5. As good and exciting as that period was, the game has, whether right or not, evolved and changed and “D” is king and wins titles. We’ve seen it with Wigan and we’re seeing it now with us, especially under Woolf. We’re not just going to be the exception rather than the rule and go against the grain, not that there’s many I’m aware of who has their sides playing a free-flowing attacking way anymore. This, the style of play, is the same across the board and it’s not likely to change because we change our coach.
I worry for the club that games are boring and not really that enticing to attend. The odd game as a battle of attrition is fine but every week is depressing and boring. I want to be entertained. As much as I was us to win every game, I know it’s not going to happen and I don’t think we have a god given right to win games but I do want to look forward to going the match and entertained by what’s out there. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for but it’s not the way and we have to accept that.
Woolf’s won a Super League and got us to a Cup Final. That’s very good and currently the same as Holbrook, final result dependent. That said, where Holbrook had his downfalls, Woolf does too. They’re largely similar grievances. Holbrook’s record in big games wasn’t great and we invariably didn’t have a plan b. Woolf has beat Wigan twice and failed to beat Warrington twice from five games against the two and also doesn’t appear to possess a plan b.
I think an injection of pace in the side is vital this off season. Coote’s great, probably one of the classiest overseas players we’ve had for some time, I’m a Fages fan and Roby for me trumps Cunningham but an injection of pace in the spine, of which we’re likely to lose two or three of, would change up our attack. The talk of Catalans being one of the best sides to watch in Super League for me is down to the amount of pace they have rather than them being that good.
I think we’ll offer a contract, especially if we win the cup. I’m not overly enthused by more Woolf but the alternatives are much of a muchness so the devil we know may be better than the devil we don’t when we’re overhauling our spine.
Last edited by Dos Cervezas; 18th June 2021 at 20:07.
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
In response to the two replies to my post
Super League just isn’t like that at the moment. No one plays entertaining rugby, maybe Castleford do at times, however for the most part games are quite boring. Warrington could put a glass eye to sleep yet everyone was lauding their performance. One try off a borderline forward pass and not much else in 80 minutes
To get rid of Woolf now when we have a better than even chance of a trophy is pure madness. As I said, in the current format these league games are just practice runs for the most part and a defeat is easily forgotten. I’ll judge us on the playoffs, if we’re crap then I’d be surprised
Oh I agree we can definitely do more. However it’s already been proved we’re getting a raw deal from the refs in terms teams laying on for extended periods to get their structure back. It’s hard for any side to break down a perfectly organised defensive structure and that’s what we’re always faced with
I think Taia was a massive loss, he was like a prop running as an extra centre, very destructive and teams needed to account for him leaving space elsewhere. Our current second rows don’t challenge anyone
Once we start winning some quick play the balls and increase the overall intensity I expect the tries to flow more readily. We’ve only really got Walmsley winning the contact, last few years we had him Taia, Thompson/Graham even Lees to a certain extent
Basically, on so many levels, the game is being killed off. The reasons why have been detailed over and over again by practically everyone on here, and yet again following last night's anti-classic.
Are the powers that be prepared to arrest what appears a terminal decline? Apparently not.
"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom." Danny Blanchflower.
Might have been written by a footballer about football - but never a truer word............