In my experience the council of fools is all the more dangerous the more of them there are.



If that makes me a "snob" - fine. I can live with it.



This is a public message board - not a pacifists convention. If you make a demonstrably stupid contribution don't wail if people call such out for what it is.

Take a rest and get some sleep.

A stupid contribution or just a differing opinion? There's loads of posts I don't agree with on here, but I would never take a cheap swipe at their intellect just to undermine their point. It's snobby, which I know you're not concerned about but I'll also add that it's not very dignified either.

Quality

No point overreacting to last night. We weren't at the races and Leeds pulled away through a series of poor (from our pov)/oppprtunistic tries. It happens sometimes and last night was one of those nights.



We'll be fine and I still fancy us to defend our title constant reshuffles and playing players out of position will catch up with you eventually and we're taking our medicine.



On the plus side we may see a Saints side with Walsh and percy starting next week which goes a long way to addressing many of the woes stated on this forum since the game finished last night.

Indeed, typical mid season madness reaction to a resounding defeat. Leeds look a better side than us at the moment, I don't have any problem saying that. Their backs are utterly superb, potentially one of the best that have ever played in Super League as a unit as bar McGuire they've got years left in them, certainly up there in contention:



1 - Hardaker, best fullback in SL, even when Sammy Boy returns as he can defend and Sammy cannot

2 - Hall with Handley as backup

3 - Watkins, best strike player in SL

4 - Moon, up there with the best overseas centres to play in SL. Not Jamie Lyon class, but a step up on most who've played SL

5 - Briscoe with Watkins moving there and Ablett to centre as cover, which loses Leeds very little

6 - Sutcliffe, looks a certain future international. They've replaced Sinfield and more with this kid

7 - McGuire, looked astonishingly good against us. Virtually unstoppable all night when he ran at the ruck and passed behind himself to one of the many runners.



To have that backline in this competition, a competition where standards have fallen each and every year since it began is remarkable. Their pack is relatively poor but they play to their strengths and will be very difficult to stop this year. Are we at that level? No, not currently. Under KC we look a bit lost, not really having a style or a noticeable consistency to our approach. We're more aggressive than last season and are getting numbers into the tackle, but the line speed is awful, we're missing tackles at a record-breaking rate and we're making so many unforced individual errors with the ball that it's hard to see what we're attempting to do as it's very rare we complete a set at the moment. Could we beat Leeds? Yes, we could, the pack is capable of laying a platform for the likes of Walsh to exploit, but KC has plenty to work on to get us up to the required level.



It's another transitional season as well, people forget that because of the GF win last season. We weren't the best side in SL last season, we just did a remarkable job of pulling it off against the odds.

I disagree that our pack is poor. Granted Saints have the best pack when fully fit but the Leeds one is getting a bit underestimated I feel. Peacock is obviously still the one everybody looks at and he's still performing better than most props in the competition. However Cuthbertson is having a great season, as is Aiton at hooker who I think has been the best 9 in the league so far this year (he won player of the month just recently for the whole of SL). Ablett hasn't quite shone so far this year but in form, whilst not International class, he's one of the top 2nd rowers in the competition. Add to it Stevie Ward who is still going under the radar but I reckon you'll start hearing more and more about at this rate.....the lad is top tackler in the league (Houghton would pass him TBF if Hull wasn't in Cup action this week) and since he's been able to bulk up in pre-season he's transformed. He isn't hitting the headlines like others but he's been a massive part of our strong start to the season. I know it's still early days and a lot can and will happen but already Cuthbertson, Aiton and Ward must be strong early front runners for the SL Team of the Year in their respective positions.



I also agree that there's nothing to worry about for Saints. On the day the teams at the top could all beat each other, and given the shortened playoff system of 2 weeks and just a semi and final then whichever 4 teams make the playoffs any could hit their best form for 2 weeks and win it.

The individual errors aren't something new either, I remember a long period last year when we couldn't keep hold of the ball as well! Didn't we go a run of about 6 or 7 games where we coughed up posession either directly from kickoff or on the first tackle? There's a long time to turn it around!

You guys have absolutely nothing to worry about.

You will be there or thereabouts come the business end of the season.

Once you get Walsh back fit again he and Burns will keep you at the races.

Think you might be a three quarter or two short of a top team but you can't have everything.



We Leeds should also be up there providing we start using more of our squad such as Walters, Robbie Ward and Mulhern otherwise we will be burnt out by then.

You're right. I'm not concerned.

I thought you were self confined to a deck chair reading war and peace. Welcome Back.

Haha, I've noticed. You may as well just s**t in your hand and clap. That said, the world would be a boring place without you Mugwump.