Sat 22 May: SL: Catalans Dragons v St Helens KO 18:00

[Davo5]

14 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

How is that observation looking now after tonight's big Catalans win without Sam Tomkins?

It’s an observation most people who know the game will share,haven’t seen the game but it sounds like Maloney after 15 months of stealing a living has finally decided to put a shift in.

[Chris22]

No argument that Catalans deserved their win. Made the more impressive given late disruption.

Questions will be asked about Saints. This was the first time we played a top half side all year and we came up short.

Our approach so far has been to soak up pressure, wait for our opponents to tire and push on. It's a tactic unlikely to work against better sides.

Saying that, it was 3 tries each and one of Catalans came from an uncharacteristic error.

We'll learn more about Saints in the next few weeks, as we play more top teams.

As for Catalans, they clearly have the ability to mix it with the best. I suppose it's just whether they can be consistent.

[redjonn]

3 hours ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

Is Steve McNamara a better coach than he is given credit for? 

not against many armchair coaches on this forum.

He is and has always been a good coach.

[Manfred Mann]

It is interesting and heartening that 60% of those forum member who voted on the outcome of the game before kick off accurately predicted the outcome.

[Hvy wg]

Left side was Jullien Laguerre Yaha and held up well against saints.

Jullien even more so, his game yesterday was immense. He tackled everyone and their mothers.

[damp squib]

25 minutes ago, Hvy wg said:

Left side was Jullien Laguerre Yaha and held up well against saints.

Jullien even more so, his game yesterday was immense. He tackled everyone and their mothers.

His defence was outstanding and a well taken try to boot.

McNamara really has no excuse to leave him out now.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

6 minutes ago, damp squib said:

His defence was outstanding and a well taken try to boot.

McNamara really has no excuse to leave him out now.

He’ll find one.

[RayCee]

On a French RL forum I visit, the fans are buzzing. They especially enjoy French players performing which is understandable. Success for the Catalan club (and Toulouse) is a shot in the arm for the game there. 

As for the game, I'm one of the 40% who thought Saints would win as the Dragons have often come up short against top sides. That is something not lost on Catalan supporters who were in many cases surprised their side managed it.  

[UTK]

Quite a decent performance from Cats. One player who I feel flies under the radar a bit is Ben Garcia, really think he's becoming one of the best locks in the competition, made Knowles look almost championship standard by comparison in what appeared to be an off day for the latter.

Better game than expected from Maloney/Drinkwater, both coming up with some important kicks to get Cats out of trouble and keep the pressure on Saints. Morgue again showing he has to be in the side each week, Julien taking his chance with both hands as well. Challenge now is to continue to put up those performances each week home and away.

[John Drake]

Just binned off the trolling/responses on the last couple of pages in here.

STOP IT.

Discuss the game, take your pathetic trolling elsewhere on the internet.

Thank you.

[GeordieSaint]

Thought Catalan were very impressive; forced Saints to make mistakes. Not many sides do that. Impressed with their physicality and how they took their chances against a well oiled defensive machine. Thoroughly deserved. Well done Catalan. 

The trick is now to continue with that standard of performance...

[Lowdesert]

12 minutes ago, UTK said:

Quite a decent performance from Cats. One player who I feel flies under the radar a bit is Ben Garcia, really think he's becoming one of the best locks in the competition, made Knowles look almost championship standard by comparison in what appeared to be an off day for the latter.

Better game than expected from Maloney/Drinkwater, both coming up with some important kicks to get Cats out of trouble and keep the pressure on Saints. Morgue again showing he has to be in the side each week, Julien taking his chance with both hands as well. Challenge now is to continue to put up those performances each week home and away.

I think giving Garcia the captaincy has been the catalyst for Ben playing better.  He is leading from the front.  Arguably the form loose forward in SL.

On Morgue, I would leave things as they are for this season.  He still has work to do on his distribution, game management and a little in defence.  Catalans have got a pearl in Arthur though.  Can’t replace natural speed.

[Padge]

22 hours ago, Rupert Prince said:

Catalan played well mostly and just about held on with their game management at the death. Saints were not at all focussed and to be fair it might well have been a difficult operation and journey for them, but Catalan were disrupted too.

All and all then a good day for Warrington...

Catalan make the reverse journey, or are you ignoring that

[Josef K]

Saints got everything they deserved with their predictable shuffling down the middle, and then the aimless kicks by Fages. It’s either a nice little up and under for the opposition to catch, or a kick that goes over the dead ball line giving the opponents  seven tackles. Woolf then only brings Dodd on with 20mins to go and shoves him to hooker because he doesn’t want to upset Fages as he will go into a sulk. He (Woolf) needs to drop Roby, and Fages and let Dodd have a proper run out at scrum half, and put Smith at hooker. If Makinson is fit id drop Welsby as well, Woolf is quite happy to move the player’s around so he can get Welsby in the team. Full credit to Catalans though they bullied the Saints pack and played some nice RL. I hope Woolf is on his way back to Australia at the end of the season never to return as the Saints coach. 

[Rupert Prince]

2 hours ago, Padge said:

Catalan make the reverse journey, or are you ignoring that

No, I'm  not ignoring that.  

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

12 hours ago, UTK said:

Quite a decent performance from Cats. One player who I feel flies under the radar a bit is Ben Garcia, really think he's becoming one of the best locks in the competition, made Knowles look almost championship standard by comparison in what appeared to be an off day for the latter.

Better game than expected from Maloney/Drinkwater, both coming up with some important kicks to get Cats out of trouble and keep the pressure on Saints. Morgue again showing he has to be in the side each week, Julien taking his chance with both hands as well. Challenge now is to continue to put up those performances each week home and away.

 

11 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

I think giving Garcia the captaincy has been the catalyst for Ben playing better.  He is leading from the front.  Arguably the form loose forward in SL.

On Morgue, I would leave things as they are for this season.  He still has work to do on his distribution, game management and a little in defence.  Catalans have got a pearl in Arthur though.  Can’t replace natural speed.

Just a small point, chaps, but I think his name is 'Mourgue'.  I wouldn't like a misspelling to result in his career coming to - how shall I put this? - a dead end!

[Saint Toppy]

If Hudds want to pay Fages the £200K a year he's supposedly been offered - more fool them.

While as a team they were pretty poor in this game Dodd showed that Fages wont be missed at all, this kid brings far more attacking flair to the team than Fages ever will.

Sadly Woolf loves the dull boring grind so he'll keep putting Fages at 7 every week until hopefully he buggers off back to Aus at the end of the year and we can get a Holbrook style coach in who understands how Saints play.

Playing Walmsley was a gamble that didn't pay off. He'd been sick and hadn't trained properly all week.

[Out on the full]

Im late to the thread but I have only just joined the site so I have a good excuse . I declare myself a Saints fan. 

St Toppy I agree with you about Woolf. After the wonderful attack we enjoyed under his predecessor it has been hard to watch us since Woolf arrived and the game against the Dragons was especially hard as we made so many mistakes. Catalan are playing well at the moment and being home in front of a lively crowd will have boosted them further so we just couldnt afford to make so many errors. 

Hopefully we will put in a better showing against Hull, another team looking good at present.

[Waynebennettswinger]

3 hours ago, Out on the full said:

Im late to the thread but I have only just joined the site so I have a good excuse . I declare myself a Saints fan. 

St Toppy I agree with you about Woolf. After the wonderful attack we enjoyed under his predecessor it has been hard to watch us since Woolf arrived and the game against the Dragons was especially hard as we made so many mistakes. Catalan are playing well at the moment and being home in front of a lively crowd will have boosted them further so we just couldnt afford to make so many errors. 

Hopefully we will put in a better showing against Hull, another team looking good at present.

Great name....can you confirm it is in honour of Jon Wilkin’s 40-20 attempts

[Out on the full]

On 24/05/2021 at 21:31, Waynebennettswinger said:

Great name....can you confirm it is in honour of Jon Wilkin’s 40-20 attempts