Spot on.

Ur right he should have been stood on the goal line.

He will learn from that, bet he is never short again

It's not just our catching at full back either from bombs. We seem really laboured when chasing a long kick back from them, mostly we allow it to bobble and bounce. Most other sides would stand 10 yards deeper and come forward to meet the ball on the full.

Our back 3 have been good of late but we really missed Phelps today IMO. I doubt so many balls would have been left alone had he been playing.

Preferably at Harlequins, yes he is fast but the rest of his game is a liabilty.

Both wingers are guilty sometimes too of not showing enough urgency and from being out of position. Agree we missed Phelps though, saying that, it's probably the worst i've seen Whiting play. He normally wouldn't have let us down like that.

Like Tom Briscoe?

Utter rubbish.

You can see from the warm ups that we are now training our backs to catch "Aussie rules style".

It will never work in RL.

Who ever is introducing this tactic is seriously deluded it will work.....granted Briscoe got away with one.....got away with it being the operative.

the rot set in as rich tried to take the ball as it was going out steeping into touch a try resulting from the next play

He had to play that ball or else Saints would have gone in. Credit the kick. It was the bombs that he and Briscoe seemed unable to sort out between them.

I'm not so sure. The ball would have bounced before Meli got there and it would have bounced on, or just over the line IMO. Even if it didn't, Whiting could have just shoved Meli into touch as soon as he attempted to take it.

maybe so but no way was that ball going to stay in the field of play

Briscoe looked out of sorts in the second half and made a few errors from kicks, he did take a knock in the first half so not sure if that was an issue. Whiting has to take some blame and Sharp made that one mistake near the end.

a player more used to playing fullback ie phelps, would have been more aware of the position of their feet but hey ho whiting has been mostly superb

Again the gane has shown out 2 areas of weakness.

Full back and halfback, two areas we need to recruit well for next season.

If we could get a halfback who can kick and organise, Horne would be a much better player IMO.

Absolutely. Obst is great off the cuff and I actually saw him organising the line quite frequently in attack yesterday, but he has no where near the long kicking game of Long and was something we dearly missed.

Horne's footwork was vintage at times yesterday.

Fullback and halfback for me for next season.

Got to be Paul, I just hope that the quality of players is available.

Think we will have to keep Horne, as it will be hard to sign 2 quality halfbacks.

I'd use Lauaki and Phelps quota place.

Keep Fitz for another year, not at LF though.

Dowes edging his way to a one year deal also.

If we can sign 2 quality overseas players I would do a Saints and replace the likes of lauaki and Washbrook internally.

that sounds simpler than it would have been,

Not sure who was in support but what was to stop Meli flicking it back inside aswell

Couldn't agree more with all of that. I for one think Horney is playing well and improving in every game. I've liked Phelps so far but for me we need a little bit more from our FB. If he improves and provides this then he may change my mind.

About time we pushed Cunningham/Kent/Green into the 1st team and see how their full time contracts have progressed them.

Exactly my point - we looked awful ; painfully slow and not what you would expect in SL.

Having watched it back I'm wondering if Whiting missed the ball bouncing and thought he'd get head and feed by catching a ball 'out on the full' as it were. He has both feet squarely over the line which seems odd to have happened by mistake.

I think you are spot on there kosh

Does he protest the decision though ?