What does it look like fixed?
- We reduce our long-term injury list significantly. Be it bad luck, poor prehab, over-playing, too much contact in training or whatever it may be. If it's genuinely bad luck, then so be it but I suspect we can look at ways to reduce the number of long-term injuries
- We decide how we want to play. We were at our best most recently when we were focussed on attacking from turnover ball and ruthlessly punished the opposition when transitioning from defence to attack. This season has largely been about pragmatic rugby, we've seen little from our supremely talented backline and what feels like more scores from driving lineouts than I can recall.
The next point is a bit chicken/egg with the last one. As sometimes tactics are decided by the personnel available and sometimes the selection is driven by tactics.
- We try and put some consistency back into selection. Our pack isn't really the issue; they're settled and we have good options. Set piece has been pretty good. It's the backline that is a bit of a nightmare. Not helped by the first point but also not helped by uncertainty around who we put where in our backline. As fans, I suspect we'd have slightly different backlines if asked what we think we should be playing if all were fit - i.e. Jacob/Charlie, Jimmy/Ryan, Odogwu/Fekitoa, Crossdale/Miller/Minozzi. Most of us would start Josh, but who else on the wing? - Watson/Kibirige/Mehson?
For me, I don't think we need to throw the baby out with the proverbial bathwater. Coaching staff is inexperienced but balanced out slightly by Mitch and let's be honest, the highly regarded Boyd has hardly set the world on fire at Saints. It feels like recruitment has been sensible and I'm excited by the Academy signings for the longer term.