first post pretty good

Adding to it!
basic skills! keep hold of the ball and complete sets and try to finish the set in the right half of the field
Stop the panic everytime we get close to scoring, and try to get in the mind set that you dont have to score every time you get near the line! Good teams maintain the pressure and thats how the scoring chance comes along.
I think our biggest problem last year overall was ball retention, it would be interesting to see what our completion rate was over the whole season, on some games it really must have been down to 25%

A run without any injuries to key players would be a bonus, with little depth in the squad losing 1 or 2 of the main play makers does make a massive difference

From an attacking perspective, and we all know this because we've all been saying it for years, but some nous on the last tackle would be appreciated. Its been a common shortcoming.

Towards the end of the season the team made so many basic errors it was obscene, knock-ons and missed tackles especially. Quite simply, the squad need to improve on this - I don't know whether its simply a question of confidence, or training methods of what - but it was a noticeable shortcoming of 2010 under McDermott. The Cas away game in August was a classic example - if we'd kept hold of the ball a bit more, we'd have won that game but time and again we failed to complete our sets. Completion rate of 27% for the Huddersfield away game earlier in the year. These kind of stats are criminal and I don't care how weak the squad is compared to the others, they simply have to improve.

Can I add a decent kicking game, it has been so lacking in the last few years and it can make an under powered pack more effective. More 40-20s and more imagination. At times under Mac our attack just seemed desperate with miracle balls all the time, usually resulting in a try for the opposition. Also please find some plays for the wingers, instead of using them as second rowers, we only kicked for Penny! If we can utilise Clubb they way England did then all is not lost!

Had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine who is a cousin of a recent ex player. Main point of the conversation were

The Players were extremely happy with Powell getting the coaching job and all think that he will make a first class coach and that all the players will be behind him. He apparently involves the experienced players in the thought process and apparently mac wanted nothing to do with that approach.

Clubby does not want to play centre (even after representing) and wants to play in the forwards. Mac would not change him from the centres. Powell is currently looking for a loan centre and if one cant be found will be adding a couple more backrowers and will be swapping Rob Purdham to the centres and Clubb to play some front row.

Mac was well liked as a person but my friends cousin could not believe how old fashioned mac was as a coach

Dave Hughes was trying to get a deal sorted out with the RFL for a long time before it was done and believe it cost him the chance to sign the right big name players that they wanted so there is an agreement to send some more of ?Wigan's promising young guys here on a season loan.

This year will the expectations are for a fair year and trying to just improve a little on last year and that 2012 will see two marquee signings with one a fair way down the track in negotiations now.

Seemed pretty genuine and will be interesting to see how much comes to fruition

Niles, that is pretty positive, I hope you are right!

Interesting. Won't that rather limited his opportunity to be selected for England again? I mean, if he seriously wants to play in the pack, he's desperately got to improve his defence.

If we sign Charnley as has been indicated, then he slots into the gap left by Clubb and plays alongside Howell.

Excited already by the idea of two 'marquee' signings - when was the last time we had one of those, Henry Paul?

Talking of `marquee signings`.......I had the pleasure of watching Henry Fartfreely getting a pounding yesterday when the RU side beat Leeds. What a waste of space he is and thank god his contract with Quins RL never came to anything!!!

IIRC Charnley has a kicking game so we have no choice but to put him in the halves so they will have to find another Centre - maybe one of these Wigan lads.

He kicks goals, that doesn't neccesarily mean he has a kicking game. Everyone refers to him as a centre.

Marquee signing surely that was Tookey? he looked like a big tent!

We have a new 6/13 coming from Aus who may be able to kick.

I was only thinking the other day about why we are bring in Charnley? As has been mentioned above Clubby could move to 2nd row where he could run along side the centres in attack. I always believe thats what we should have done with LMS who had speed in abundance.

There is nothing novel in using players to add to sessions. With Robs inexperience I wouldnt expect anything else- The challenge he faces is bringing it all together in training plans, tactics, fitness etc

Just saw the 2010 Newcastle vs Manly game and Bailey looked much more of a second-rower rather than a stand-off or even an English style loose-forward. He would be a big stand-off and maybe we will finally found someone who can kick the ball to the sideline and gain more than 10m. On an offensive kicking game, I wouldn't back the Bails to be the answer to that problem that we've had for a few seasons now.

LMS always preferred to play prop, Mac did want him to play 2nd row, but given Temata and LMS were the only decent props we had playing one as a 2nd row wasn't a goer. Hope Clubby does get a run at 2nd row, his game suits that position, and the weaknesses in his defence should be less of an issue as he won't be exposed by weaknesses on both his inside and outside making his defence look worse than it really is.

You want Clubb to protect a halfback in defence?

Peter Gill played SO on occasion and he was tall!

and slow. But effective. Trent Barrett tall v. quick, v. effective. As was Paul Cooke at his best (forget the quick though in his case)

So nothing wrong in principle with a tall SO. Don't think anybody's said there is though.

Traditionally a lot of stand offs were quite tall. When I started watching you had players like Tony Myler and Schofield (boo!). I remember reading Vic Hey, the famous Australian and Leeds Stand Off from the war years, was a big bloke for his time. it is only in recent years they have become like second scrum halves (or third if you count hookers in that group as well).

How many inches below 7 foot is Leon Pryce?

Scott Hill wasnt small he played 6 on a number of occasions for us.

Pan face and Sculthorpe both GB 6's

Most halfbacks are found hiding out wide in defence. Clubb's defensive problems are overblown, yes he comes out the line at times, and yes his lateral defence is not as good as it could be, but a lot of that is because he played on the weaker side of our defence, if he'd have played more on Purdo's side in defence I think he'd probably have got less stick as Purdo sweeps up a lot of stuff effectively. We haven't had a defensively sound winger since Jon Wells was actually playing regularly in that position, so we have a second-row/centre whose weaknesses get exposed far more than they should do if there wasn't weakness either side of him.

I don't have too many concerns about him defending as a forward, yes he'll need to up his work rate, but in the middle that lateral weakness will not be exposed so much, the question will become whether who ever plays in the centre instead will then get brickbats for same problem? Play Clubb as second-row, on Howell's side, where he'll get more of the benefit of Purdo behind him at LF and I think we'll see less moaning about Clubb. Then play Golden on the other side, with whoever we are going to slot in at centre, and lets see if Golden/Mr X can tighten things up, this may or may not lead to moaning about the same problem but with another player being the target.

Has the game suddenly become American Football?? I didn't think blocking etc was allowed?! Surely where ever Clubb stands in defence the half back would have to defend also?

Halfbacks are traditionally weak in defense, so that is why a second row who is supposed to be best in defense is next to him making sure he is never tackling someone alone. That's one of the main priorities of a second rower is to protect the halfback.

There are only two keys, staying for and winning games. Hopefully we will not have any self-inflicted injuries pre-season like we had last year. The big issue in London is bums on seats, that will take a little more than winning games but it will help!

pop panther! you got it right, key to success
win more games than we lose!!!!

Yes, it is bl**dy obvious, but in London you cannot build a regular crowd if you lose most of your home games, there are two many alternatives in terms of entertainment. I would rest players when playing the top away sides and make sure we win at home, nobody but the hardcore know about away games and no London media, apart from the Twickenham Times cover the games. Players have to realise they are part of the strategy of building the game in London. When we are stronger we can compete away with the big boys. It is the likes of Wakey, Cas, Salford and Catalans we should target away from home. BTW when did we last win at Wakey?

You cant do that-you have to challenge each game-How do you get combinations going both in attack and defence without testing them week in week out-What you could consider is leaving a 50 50 injury's out in a game where it is probable we will lose, but to rest players would be a mistake.