After coming home from France and reading that Agar had said the injuries to Berrigan and Yeaman sum up our season, it got me thinking, and have we really had an injury ‘crisis?’
At some point in the season, Agar has dropped Whiting, Hall, Maloney, Houghton, Lee, Burnett and most shockingly Calderwood despite them putting in good performances, in some cases very good performance. Hall was dropped without having played in the centres and been played very much out of position to cover injuries. Yet the likes of Raynor, Yeaman, the Hornes, Berrigan (while at hooker, before his switch to scrum half), King, Tickle, Radford and Manu have all kept their places in the side despite been woeful for whatever reason. This shows to me that Agar has had a lot of scope to chop and change the side over the past season but has done so awfully.
Also, looking at the spine of the side (1, 6, 7, 9, 13), only at fullback have we not had what Agar would consider his first choice players (R.Horne, Thorman, Berrigan, and Radford) for most of the season, even then we have had our first choice fullback for half the season when Tony came back and with Tansey joining not long after Tony got injured again.
For a team to have an injury situation to be described as a ‘crisis’ it has to have a much worse injury situation in comparison to the majority of the other teams in the league. Has this really been the case? For me, the injury situation we have had this season is nothing compared to last year, and is something that the club are trying to hide behind so they don’t have to fork out again for hiring the wrong coach for the third successive time. How many agree, or despite what people may think of the coaching staff and the players at the moment, do people think that injuries have still hit us hard and affected us badly?

well said key

<sigh>

Why is it that despite having injury problems of their own from time to time, Leeds and Saints are always top. They must just be very lucky all the time i suppose.

They have better squads, and better coaches, and have had far fewer injuries.

And have you seen Saints play recently, now that they have a few injuries to key players?

Did I read that right? Berrigan has been woeful?

As for the injuries, I would say we have had more than our fair share again but it doesn't excuse the inept performances the team has put in for most of the season. Unfortunately we have an excuse culture at this club.

I personally dont think that Saints injuries are the cause of their recent defeats. A large part of their squad figured in last years World Cup and therefore had a far shorter off season than other players. This coupled with the fact that they have gone through the entire season without a week off owing to their Challenge Cup run has meant that fatigue has kicked in big time and is causing their downturn in form. James Graham is a machine but he looked like one tired man to me last sunday.

Fans turning up on Friday? What fans turning up on Friday?

You're right that the players mentioned have all been poor and Agar has been just incomprehensibly stupid most of the time but to say that we haven't been hit with injuries or that they haven't affected us is just as stupid as Agar! Other threads identify how many players have been out at any one time and the fact that when players have come back from injury they've had to go straight into the first team has made the situation all the more difficult. The management of the situation has been non existent and the use and motivation of the players in the side and their application has been appalling but we have been hit hard by injuries. Whether Agar and co would still have cocked it up if eveyone had been fit is an unknown. The liklihood is that they would because they're useless.

Good summary of the season.

I think our injury situation is about the same as last season's. Byrne, who was in good form pre season out for the season after one and a half games. Washy, Briscoe, Raynor, Cusack, Whiting out for months. Lauaki paid for the majority of the season will play 3 games max. Dowes, Thackray out at the same time (with Cusack and Lauaki) for a few weeks meaning 4 first choice props unavailable. Chuck in the Crocker debacle and the fact Thorman has been a disaster and played himself out of selection, and the fact that Berro's played all year with injections, and I don't think you can seriously claim our player availability has been in line with everyone else's.

I think there's enough evidence to suggest Agar would not have maximised the contributions from players if we'd gone all year injury-free, though.

While he was at hooker I thought he was woeful, completely outplayed by Lee and Houghton (the latter I even think has been overrated this season). He has performed better since moving to scrum half, although not fantastic