Despite all the negative talk...

[saintsRrising]

Despite all the negative talk...it is quite likely that the Saints will at the end of this round be third on the ladder, and maybe second the week after (depends on Cats vs Pies result).

[35...LEGEND]

Despite all the negative talk...it is quite likely that the Saints will at the end of this round be third on the ladder, and maybe second the week after (depends on Cats vs Pies result).

one week at a time..........let's just squeek past the Bummer's first.

Nothing wrong with optimism though.

[saintsRrising]

True.

But we have had a prettty tough run.

This round and over the next fw rounds some of the other teams in the upper part of the ladder are starting to play one another more.

By mid-year each teams difficulty of opponents will have levelled out and the ladder wll be less "biased".

[35...LEGEND]

See your point about other sides...................but we need to hit something that resembles a bit of form.

If the unthinkable happens Sunday we are in deep do do.

right back to the pack with a trip to Subi to come.............eeek.

Got to take some form to the west.

Which I think we will.

[OneEyedSainter77]

Um, how can anybody possibly think its in the bag against Essendon?

One of two things can happen on Sunday:

A) It'll be another dour, scrappy affair which means it will be low scoring and that means it'll be tight and ANYONE can win it - in which case it is not a forgone conclusion.

B) We'll try to make a dour scrappy affair oput fo the game and the Bombers will take us on like Carlton and Port did and they will thrash us.


i'm not negative or anything but we can't be complacent this week. Another six day break and coming off a hiding like that, I'm worried about this one.

Still think we'll win but not looking forward to it. First time in ages I've actually not looked forward to a match with us in it. I just want the four points.

[saintsRrising]

Well I seem to be almost a lone hand this week...but I reckon the boys will win.

I can't see Dal playing like that two weeks in a row..and I can't see the saints playing like that two weeks in a row.

Sure Don's may have some toe, but they don't have the quality of the Blues midfield who dominated last week.

A boot up the bum can works wonders, and the Blues gave us a huge one last week.

[OneEyedSainter77]

The thing is SrR, for a few years now, these boys don't seem to react to the old boot up the bum. Nor should they have to. I would much rather they won matches on their own accord than having to be motivated.

I think Dal will definitely have a better game this week though. He has been good for us this year and will probably be just as filthy as we all were for his limited impact last week.

[saintsRrising]

The thing is SrR, for a few years now, these boys don't seem to react to the old boot up the bum. Nor should they have to. I would much rather they won matches on their own accord than having to be motivated.

I think Dal will definitely have a better game this week though. He has been good for us this year and will probably be just as filthy as we all were for his limited impact last week.

We will have to agree to disagree then for IMO the Hawks final gave the whole team a huge wake up call and they dedicated themselves to success via discipline, higher workrate and an improved gameplan.

Now while yes our gameplan is not the advantage it was, our intensity has been down this year.

I might be just an optimist, but I tend to believe that the boys will made some large strides to gettin back on track this game.

[saintsRrising]

The thing is SrR, for a few years now, these boys don't seem to react to the old boot up the bum. Nor should they have to. I would much rather they won matches on their own accord than having to be motivated.

I think Dal will definitely have a better game this week though. He has been good for us this year and will probably be just as filthy as we all were for his limited impact last week.

We will have to agree to disagree then for IMO the Hawks final gave the whole team a huge wake up call and they dedicated themselves to success via discipline, higher workrate and an improved gameplan.

Now while yes our gameplan is not the advantage it was, our intensity has been down this year.

I might be just an optimist, but I tend to believe that the boys will make some large strides to getting back on track this game.

[OneEyedSainter77]

The thing is SrR, for a few years now, these boys don't seem to react to the old boot up the bum. Nor should they have to. I would much rather they won matches on their own accord than having to be motivated.

I think Dal will definitely have a better game this week though. He has been good for us this year and will probably be just as filthy as we all were for his limited impact last week.

We will have to agree to disagree then for IMO the Hawks final gave the whole team a huge wake up call and they dedicated themselves to success via discipline, higher workrate and an improved gameplan.

Now while yes our gameplan is not the advantage it was, our intensity has been down this year.



I might be just an optimist, but I tend to believe that the boys will made some large strides to gettin back on track this game.

well that's fair enough but what I mean is - controversy and bad media attention and things like that don't seem to fire us up.

But I'll give you the Hawks match though. That one did turn us around.

[saintsRrising]

Well IMO this year, they are so well drilled that the gameplan has been carrying them through in many games this year.

However and workrate and intensity has clearly been down. Mentally they are not quite as switched on and that fanticism we saw lasy year is missing. This is reflected in the skills not quite bein there, and in opponents getting that bit more time last year, tackles not being as plentiful etc.

At times this year they have found the fifth gear and clicked as in the last quarter of the Dogs game. But too often this year the team has been content with "cruise" mode. We need the hunters back.

This all culminated in the Blues game where in a "perfect storm" the Blues were very switched on and worked very hard and the Saints compounded their sins of this year with many players having absolute "shockers" in Dal etc.

I have thought since Lyon since he started that engaging 4 quarter workrate fro the players was Lyon's biggest challenge. I believe this remains so and that this form, or rather lack of form, is indicative of this.
This is not to say that missing Roo is nota problem. I just believe that it is not our bigest problem.

ie look at the Freo game.

the players seem to have been "up" more for our "rated" opponents and have lost the two games to two of the more lower rank opponents, though they trounced the Roos.

The Blues game IMO will be a wake up to the players that they need to recommit to a greater workrate, and that they cannot "coast" through the season.

I just hope they heard the call!!!!

[aussiejones]

The Blues were reved up. They took the game on and has good running players .Everythig the Blues did seemed to come off......... in cotrast we had a dirty night. Our skills were well down .

This week.. Gram should be better after a run, Dal wont have another shocker , plenty of upside potential.

Danger this week is that Ess think they can emulate the Blues .
Must hold Watson this week

[SainterK]

The Blues were reved up. They took the game on and has good running players .Everythig the Blues did seemed to come off......... in cotrast we had a dirty night. Our skills were well down .

This week.. Gram should be better after a run, Dal wont have another shocker , plenty of upside potential.

Danger this week is that Ess think they can emulate the Blues .
Must hold Watson this week

Agree with all of this...also looking forward to Grammy being the better for his run last week.