I had a feeling Murphy would take the blame for Finchs ineptitude....

Saints seem to always have a policy of blooding their young backs on the wing and have done for a few years. I think it's a decent ploy because in a lot of games the lads can just relax and concentrate on taking a few runs from dummy half and so on. It worked well for them with guys like Eastmond, Lomax and Swift did well last year when called on.



I think we can do the same with a guy like Murphy. Fullback is a highly pressurised position especially in play off Semi's. If Murphy had a trot on the wing at some point I think he'd build some confidence and be far more ready for a shot at fullback when called on again.

Wrong on all counts.



Sport is all about those little moments that decide the outcome of matches. The missed kick or the great kick, the dropped catch or the outstanding take, fumble that means a knock on and no try (or the juggling act that results in a score). They can't be attributed to others players in the team.



So certain players have an off day. So what if they are not the ones to drop the catch or give the penalty away that results in the opposition overtaking your score?



Lauaki was at fault in the loss to Wire earlier in the season. Without his indiscipline we'd have won the game. It's no defence to say the rest of the team should have been better and scored more/conceded less beforehand. They didn't and its no defence to suggest they should have. There is another team on the pitch that stopped em doing it!



Mistakes that lead to scores are different. It was Lauaki who gave the penalties away not Wire for stopping us scoring more. And it was Murphy who made the crucial mistakes v Leeds. Not Finch or anyone else.



Murphy cost us points a more experience player would not have but its not his fault. It's Wanes for playing him in the first place. End of.

Who gave away more points in that game Murphy or Finch through ineptitude?

Cheers. Not sure why they've changed this like this but ok!

I expected a certain response but the arrogance of this one astounds even me.

I particularly like the "End of" statement.



Ill check in future before having an opinion



and to call a dropped bomb in those circumstances ineptitude!

I think that speaks volmes more about your opinion than murphys ability.



In answer to jonh - answer imo Finch.

Shaun Wane was at fault, no one else. He had plenty of opportunities to play Murphy at fb or on the wing by either resting Sam or just using him to cover when Pat was injured. He knew that Murphy was one injury away from a starting full back spot and he didn't prepare him for that. Likewise he ought to have given more game time to Powell so we had better options when Leuluai was injured, then when McIlorum was suspended. Wane's relentless focus on treating every game like a grand final was a big reason we won nothing this year.

Start of



Players make mistakes - fact

Coaches make mistakes - fact

fans blame their favourite scapegoats (playing or coaching) and will never budge- fact



end of





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On a serious note, I am sure Murphy will get his chance - maybe a loan during the early part of the season will be a benefit for him, other players have followed that pattern and have gained a lot from it. What I have seen of Murphy he certainly looks to have potential.



I suspect that the next year will be one of transition -there are a few young players who look to be about a year or so away from being fully ready for the 1st team - hopefully they will progress to the point that they will then make the step-up and become the core of the squad after that.

What part of a players “off day “do you think doesn’t make a contribution to his team eventually losing? His sloppy tackling, his bad defensive positioning , his slow thinking, wrong pass making, off timing all these things and more can contribute to a loss, without any single one necessarily resulting in a score against. In RL there is a lot of luck that must also be taken into account, and things like a refereeing decision, the playing conditions etc. The thing that troubles me most about Wane is his inability to admit his mistakes. He sees this as an admission of a possible fallibility on his part, instead of recognising it and learning from it which I think would make him a better coach.

I would not expect him to admit his mistakes publicly, its more how he deals with them personally that I am bothered about and we will not know if he learns from them until next year.

And that's the biggest flaw in Dave's logic of blaming Wane and criticising Murphy's mistakes. He says that mistakes that lead to points being conceded are the most important yet completely ignores the fact that the biggest mistake in the game was the one that saw Leeds score their only try - the try that really made the difference considering how Leeds struggled to break down a pretty determined defensive effort.

He also seems to think Murphy's knock on directly led to conceding points and yet it didn't. It contributed but it was Farrell being offside that led to the conceding of the crucial points. Murphy's error obviously played a part, just like Finch's dreadful kicking and organisation did. The mistake that led to the conceding of points was Farrell's.

Going to Salford on a season long loan. Sam Powell was rumoured to be too but don't know now