Hopefully I can start an interesting topic.

Whats the difference this year? We are now grinding out the wins as opposed to losing the type of games we did last year.

My thoughts are that the team spirit has developed significantly and I also am a firm believer the sports psychologist has installed a belief in individual players.

Admittedly the next couple of months will see how far we really have progressed but the signs are good.

Your thoughts?????

Maybe the players remember how disappionting last year was in the 2nd half and have decided individually or as a group to not let that happen again.

Team spirit does seem remarkably high this time ...maybe there were some bad eggs last year with a disruptive influence, maybe they are trying extra hard to send Nathan off with some silverware, but you are right we do seem to be pushing that extra bit to win games this time.

Important month coming up after this weekend coming,Catalans away probable challenge cup quarter final then Wigan at home all going to be tough games that will test the squad and could define our season even though its only half way through, plenty of games coming up for our players with the Exiles games on the horizon so need to use the whole squad and try and keep the players as fit and refreshed as possible

Team spirit does seem very good this year.
I do think the improvement is down to a change in style of play. We are playing a lot more expansive rugby which brings the best out of the outside backs.

The backs are faster and more athletic than before and the pack has improved due to Chan adding power out wide. The strength in depth means injured players can be rested and people know if their form is poor they will get dropped.

The defence is excellent with no weak links.

+1

We have got rid of the odd average player (Hodgson, Kirmond) and replaced them with better players (George, Chan) and other additions such as Eden. Fairbank coming through also.

However this time last year we were sitting pretty (not this pretty) so lets not get ahead of ourselves.

You are right though we seem to be winning games we would normally lose.

I dont think there is a difference to be honest, last year we started well and were going good until may/june time, lets wait til september before we compare this year with last

we played this well last year, the later part of last year, just about the entire squad was carrying some sort of knock

We're not even half way through the season, lets wait

I agree totally with the lets wait and see remarks. After all we have the mid season stall to overcome.

My point is that I think we are mentally stronger and I believe this will make the difference over the coming months.

If we keep on winning the morale and belief get better - even is we grind the wins out as we have done this year

Its a really great place to be and I cant wait to see how we progress

the major distruption of last year was losing brough and brown to injury which took 2 month of our season and big games such as wigan n wire away. also other injurys such as larne, LOD, fa'alogo lunt meant our pack was much weaker and grix and brown struggled due to the forwards not being able to punch our way up the field and with out broughs kicking games means teams got the better of us. unfortunate as i do think we looked better start of last season.

this year we have started with injurys but have found ways of winning i must say i do not think we have seen the best and in games we have been lucky to win thinking london, saints at home. i think the stand out thing is our defence we have made more erros this year due to us wanting to play expansive and probs guilty of over playing and trying to score on every tackle, but teams even tho they have had more field position and ball in hand our defence has held them at bay. think so far been one of the best defensive teams i have seen

but i do agree that after swinton we will have 3 massive games. we could easily lose them all and start to drop i would be very happy with winning 2 out of 3 specially the cup one

Do you think a good cup run could disrupt our season?

I remember in 2009 when we lost to saints in final the season felt over even though we finished 3rd in league losing to saints & dragons in play offs.

That to me was a bloody good season but as a fan i felt the season was over losing in thh cc Final - how did the players feel?

Could this effect the team? but also on a flip side it's a chance of winning silverware!

we beat saints in our final but lost to warrington at wembley

We lost to saints & Catalans in SL play offs

i didnt distpute this

I can sum up in two words the difference this season.

Greg brown.

Greg Brown has to take credit, didn't Paul Watson go to London? I might of dreamt that but aren't London struggling this season compared to last?