Well that’s the big question.
Gaskell apart I thought we would be ok players haven’t lived up to expectations.

Indeed. Clearly they didn't expect Gaskill to be quite like this but who knows how limited we were with options.

Ultimately we need to improve service from ptb, and improve speed at halfback.
The rest will all improve with those two things.

The effort is there.
The forwards are making ground and defending well.
We are just not doing anything with the ball and handing it over to let them have another go.

Can't remember who said it but training from now on should be just running drills to get from ptb to attacking option, including kicks and runners.
Salford may not be a complete swing in fortune but we've got to make them at least think we have some kind of danger with ball in hand.

Possibly whatever money was available for a decent stand off was spent on an ageing second rower playing prop…

I have a view on why he was probably selected but it is nothing more than what I think. With regards your world, I think it is safe to say with regards the club you are an half glass full despite what is obvious for all to see.
If I live in a dark place it is one created by the club over recent seasons. I am guessing and that is all, that your lack of recent posts indicates even your positivity is taking a bashing.
The club is just not currently giving anything playing wise for you to take a positive from.

I think you may be very near the truth there. I would also add we could have spent quite a bit on bringing Tafua over . Just my opinion, but another waste of money. Would have been better keeping Evans.

Then there is Hood, I don't rate him at all, he would not get anywhere near another SL team. However I know some other people think differently, but unless we were deliberately planning to enter championship right from the start of this year, I really don't understand the logic of extending his contract so early in the season, particularly at his age and with his injury record.

Of course I'm not happy with how we are playing. The difference between us isn't that my glass is half full. It's that I look deeper than the result and don't try and paint darker pictures than reality.
It's a personal choice.

It’s a pity we are in a results based game, you do not get anything for having a nice shirt. This season the deeper you look the outcome does not look any better.

I'd argue the bit highlighted. Our meters gained & average gain stats are the worst in the league with none of our forwards posting great stats that i can see.

I'd like to see those stats as even just looking at the Leeds game our average gains in the forwards are better than Leeds.
The problem is we don't do anything with the ball when we get down field.

Exactly, the forwards and some backs have over 100 metres and we find ourselves on the opposition line fairly regular.

The issue isn’t the forwards or the metres gained. The issue is the pivots and the lack of attacking plays and ability to break a team when we are camped on their line. Couple that with some poor discipline late game (probably out of frustration we can’t break a team down).

People saying the issue with forwards clearly haven’t been watching. 90% of our conceded try’s have been on the edges or with defending kicks.


We were continually on Leeds line but for a poor error or poor 5 drives and turn the ball over.

What you say about the pivots is correct, there has been a complete lack of creativity. But to say the forwards have been making over 100 meters is just wrong. Whitbread has been our best by a mile, hit a 100 once and near as damn it one other time. Battye hit 100 against Leeds, before that he hadn’t got anywhere close. Nobody else up front has got near in any game. The backs have made good meters on our exit sets but the forwards not so much in the middle of the park when setting up position. We are bottom of the meters made table, bottom of the average gain table and also the tackle bust stats. The go forward just isn’t there. We regularly lose the ruck when we eventually get into good ball resulting in a slow play the ball giving less time and space for any creative play. Defensively the forwards have been ok no doubt it but with the ball much less effective.

Just watched the match on TTV and it lifted my gloom slightly.Sure,it wasn't good,and 26-0 is a bad defeat,but the performance wasn't as bad as I expected after reading the comments on here.We desperately need to cut out the silly errors and penalties,but there is definitely something to work with and the players,imo,are giving their all for the coach.The defence is not far off, and if we could just carve out 1 or 2 tries it could make all the difference.On the plus side Atoni played better and Kaye doesn't look out of place at fullback.The main downside for me is Lino and Procter.Mason was poor again,and the annoying thing is he can be a match winner, we know he can because he's done it,more than once.Kevin is trying like hell,but not achieving much.He just isn't up to speed,and whether he can can get there after some more matches, or whether he hasn't got it anymore is debatable.
Three matches without scoring is utterly depressing,and if someone say's I'm clutching at straws I won't argue with them, they may be right, but that's how I see it. UP THE TRIN!!!