GOING into the St. Helens game I was really confident.

At half-time, when we were 16-6 down, I still felt confident. So it is frustrating that for 60 minutes we were in the game and on the threshold of an upset.

But we let it slide and the final scoreline of 58-18 really flattered St. Helens.

It is difficult to play against the champions with only 12 men for 30 minutes.

What concerned me the most was that the players allowed Saints to run away with it. We leaked some really soft tries.

How many games have we still been in the hunt for winning at the 60 minute mark this year? It's nearly all of them.

So it's either physical fitness, which I doubt, or mental toughness and I think we are just lacking that part in some areas. It only needs one or two players not to believe that they can win the game and it spreads like wildfire. But instead of players asking 'who is going to carry the ball on the next play' it should be players saying 'I'm going to carry the ball on the next play, this is my job, this is my role, this is what I'm paid to do'.

Contract

To be fair, I have known for a while that we need to make changes and we will be making them.

Next year is the last year of my contract and there is no time left for long term planning. We've got to do the job now.

I wouldn't stay if I didn't think that we could bridge the gap with new players and compete with the top teams. We've got quality players here but we just need to fill up some of the gaps we've got.

But it should be realised that some of the money that's being banded around currently for signings is getting out of hand.

Our neighbours are throwing the big cash around and it is putting us under a lot of pressure when signing players.

I have a fiscal responsibility to the board of directors and we have to stay within the confines of what we can afford, and the salary cap.

The extra £5,000 on contracts here and there soon adds up and we have to be careful.

Negotiations

I have spoken to a player whose contract we are trying to finalise but he wants an extra £5,000 and it's not available. I've just got to tell him so, but tell him that I believe the opportunities are going to be at Warrington for him and it is a big season to come with the number of new players we're going to bring in to improve the team and bridge the gap to the top teams.

Talks with players are going well for us and I am currently in negotiations with six players but I don't want their names releasing until they're signed.

The one new recruit we have announced, Kevin Campion, has reached the Grand Final in Australia with his current club Brisbane Broncos and I think they will win it so that would be a good send off for him.

He is the type of player who will benefit the club because of his work ethic. He will add stability to the pack. We have been leaking too many points and he is someone who will come up with the hard work in defence.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.