Joined: Feb 12 2005 Posts: 13126 Location: East Staffordshire
Chris28 wrote:Instil some passion in the players. This is, believe it or not, an important game.
Workhorse prop plus impact prop to start and some sensible interchanges of their replacements please.
Thackray in for Moa. Moa for 10 minutes or so is a waste - he's good but needs to be capable of more gametime. Even fat Feka can do a few spells.
Manu to the bench and Washy to start at loose man (Radders and Tickle second row). Manu is playing well but a fresh Manu in bursts against a tiring defence could be devastating.
Whiting in place of G Horne. (Not that the latter is the only one who deserves to be dropped).
Something other than 5 drives with no support and a kick to the full back/wingers. Is it a coincidence that the three times we passed along the line today we scored a try????
An attacking line that actually looks capable of running on to the ball. The white lines are not there to guide you where to stand you know.
Stop the stupid inside ball back into traffic. Everyone knows we do it. Everyone knows how to defend against it. Everyone watching knows it doesn't work.
Aggression and an attempt to get up and hurt the opposition in the tackle would be a start. Requires a 'can be arsed' mindset unfortunately.
Joined: Jul 31 2003 Posts: 36786 Location: Leafy Worcester, home of the Black Pear
Staffs FC wrote:We should be doing that every game. The fact we are not is the main reason for our failings. Not enough effort and aggression. Teams playing us fancy it - Hull's team has a soft under belly and could well be the weakest team in the league in that respect.
This has been the case for a couple of seasons now, and you have to ask why. You also have to ask why we seemed to be able to overcome it for the first 5 games of the season.
Depressing and puzzling in equal measure.
Hold on to me baby, his bony hands will do you no harm It said in the cards, we lost our souls to the Nameless One
Joined: Feb 12 2005 Posts: 13126 Location: East Staffordshire
Kosh wrote:This has been the case for a couple of seasons now, and you have to ask why. You also have to ask why we seemed to be able to overcome it for the first 5 games of the season.
Depressing and puzzling in equal measure.
Attitude mate. Why that should differ on a match to match basis only the players and coach could answer. As you know I'm an eternal optimist and always try to be balanced but yesterday our pack in particular rolled over and died against a more enthusiastic but not particularly powerful (no disrespect) Salford unit. One player showed the necessary intensity the rest, right across the field, were pathetic.
Until the players' attitude is sorted we will continue down the same route. If it needs another coach then so be it although I'm starting to think a mass clearout is required whenever contracts permit. I'm sick to the back teeth of making the effort up the motorway only to be let down by effort on the pitch.
Joined: Jul 31 2003 Posts: 36786 Location: Leafy Worcester, home of the Black Pear
Staffs FC wrote:Attitude mate. Why that should differ on a match to match basis only the players and coach could answer. As you know I'm an eternal optimist and always try to be balanced but yesterday our pack in particular rolled over and died against a more enthusiastic but not particularly powerful (no disrespect) Salford unit. One player showed the necessary intensity the rest, right across the field, were pathetic.
Until the players' attitude is sorted we will continue down the same route. If it needs another coach then so be it although I'm starting to think a mass clearout is required whenever contracts permit. I'm sick to the back teeth of making the effort up the motorway only to be let down by effort on the pitch.
And as you know, I'm naturally inclined in the opposite direction but generally rise above it. This time, however, my new avatar is an accurate representation of my state of mind.
I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've posted there. The signs have been a round for at least two seasons, and were thrown into sharp relief last year by our inability to rise above adversity on a regular basis. I said at the time that PS was sacked that appointing Agar was a bad idea if for no other reason than he was too much an integral part of what had been happening at the club and would be unable to instigate the necessary changes (contracts allowing). That seems to be being borne out.
Nothing is fundamentally different from last season. I still think that with fewer injuries we will finish mid table rather than at the bottom, but we won't be challenging for silverware unless there is a miraculous turnaround in attitude and application from the players and, TBH, the coaching staff.
Hold on to me baby, his bony hands will do you no harm It said in the cards, we lost our souls to the Nameless One
Joined: Oct 19 2003 Posts: 17898 Location: Packed like sardines, in a tin
Staffs FC wrote:I'm sick to the back teeth of making the effort up the motorway only to be let down by effort on the pitch.
Agree totally. I don't travel as far, but twice now I've cut short a family weekend to traipse to the KC to be served up garbage like that. If people like us can be bothered (and we're not the only ones), why does it appear that the players can't be?
Joined: Jan 15 2008 Posts: 213 Location: Western Suburbs (Hull)
I don't undersand how we can be aggressive and enthusiastic for the first five games, and completely flat after that.
I was watching Danny Tickle yesterday, and I am not singling him out for criticism because I rate him, but in the games we won he was flying into tackles with real venom. When he carried the ball it looked like he was capable of breaking the tackle or getting his arms free every time. Yesterday it was if he was going through the motions. I know this can be said of many players, but I noticed it more with Ticks.
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