Overall thoughts?
Disjointed, our defence against their shift plays wasn't anywhere near the standard. Offensively we just didn't take care of the ball, that wasn't just at the back end, the respect for possession just wasn't there. We've been up for it a lot lately but today our execution was just way off.
Overall I thought it was a very slow game but their shift plays had some energy to it, we just didn't have the same usual level of connectedness, discipline and trust so they created more opportunities that we'd like to provide.
Giving away several leads
I'm not concerned with managing the lead as much as playing good, solid complimentary footy where the attack helps the defence, the defence helps the attack and the transition stuff is strong. Clearly, we could perform and execute better at the back end of the game once we were in front.
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Tom Holroyd's late withdrawal
He's got a lower leg issue and it just wasn't quite right. It's one of those, they happen from time to time and when you've plenty out that's the time it happens.
Was one less forward a setback today?
I'm not going to put it down to who wasn't playing today. Sometimes the result of the game can be influenced by who plays and who doesn't but the performance wasn't of the standard tonight and I've not said that very often.
Is there a character issue?
I think everyone who watches rugby league has seen the character in our group. We've been backs against the wall under a lot of pressure and today we were under a lot of pressure, Castleford threw a lot at us, they competed well and we were under pressure, sometimes under pressure you don't always answer the question correctly, but there's no questioning spirit and character in that room. You don't do what they did last week then not suddenly have character.
Positives
We were poor and still close to a result, that's one positive, I don't think we have any injuries either, so that's two positives.
Mid-season recruitment plans after Holroyd's injury
As we say each week, recruitment and retention is an ongoing process, we would look at things if it was the right person. But I believe in our group and that group that played today. That performance won't shift that, that was today's performance. We have to get better and get better for next week.
Play the ball errors
Practice, repetition, mindset of taking our time when needed. But the other thing is that every player in every team in every game of rugby league in the world is trying to find a quick play the ball and when you've got two flops on plenty of plays, you can't get one so everyone fights that little bit harder to get one and that generally is where the errors come from.
It was a flopathon, the stats last week there were 48 to 14 on the stats that get coded by an independent source, I'd be surprised if there's not more there today.
Can't you do more of it to the opponent?
To me it's not about that, we could stay in the ruck longer, certainly, we could do that. But you negate the good carry that you had or the momentum they generate. So how do you get that? You have to be persistent and stick with it for longer.
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