[45jumper]

I was a loud proponent about moving on from Forshaw...but can we honestly say the attack looks any better this season? Joe Ford needs to concentrate on that rather than the Head Coach duties as well.

[SSR]

by Evo » Wed Feb 11, 2026 7:24 pm
no one to my knowledge saying who who/what should succeed.

Guilty as charged - I do not know the answer.
I suspect we are a victim of our own success. The league structure as it stands demands
consistency. We lost some important players that were not replaced and are losing more
players to call ups for training camps/competitions and injuries.
Players like the Curries are not as effective for us as in the past. We don't have the squad to
rotate players sufficiently to cover and slide players in seamlessly.
Is that someone's fault or just lack of money and attrition ?
Losing Forshaw and then Byron to internationals must have had some effect.
The most consistent sides can virtually field a second 15 that plays the same as the
first 15 . How do the do that, why can't our cup sides perform to an acceptable standard?
We seem to be in a hole, do we keep digging, or climb out and start digging a different hole?

[Olyy]

Forshaw leaving was the biggest one, for me - felt like a big attitude change in the squad/in defence

Byron looks to be a good defence coach (when not jumping between England and Sale) but it felt like Forshaw drove standards, we didn't capitulate as much

[Yareet]

I was a loud proponent about moving on from Forshaw...but can we honestly say the attack looks any better this season? Joe Ford needs to concentrate on that rather than the Head Coach duties as well.

Not sure Forshaw can be blamed for how our attack used to be

[RinTin]

Richard Cockerill is looking for work...

[Olyy]

Wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at Newcastle, if Toonie doesn't get the boot from Scotland a year early (even then, maybe he'll go as Forwards coach?)

[Clutch]

I think at the start we saw signs of improvement with Joe Ford. What we can conclude is it doesn't matter who the attach coach is if we revert back to our default game plan.

The think I cannot get over is the lack of adaptability. We would still still play the same with 12 stone forwards and 5 foot wingers. We have to be more adaptable surely!

Sanders talks about playing more expansive rugby but I just don't believe him. But with Marchant starting at 13, we have to capiltise surely. We need a new winger as well, as Wills is too slow to be a prem wing, despite his positive attributes.

Re coaching, think we should have moved on from West a while ago too, to bring in some new blood.

[Major Bloodnok]

Average number of kicks from hand* so far this season:

PREM: Sale 29.5, Oppo 33.1
ECC: Sale 23.8, Oppo 24.8
PRC: Sale 24.2 Oppo 23.8

On Sunday, we kicked 23 times, Bath kicked 27.

* The only relevant kicking stat available on the Premiership rugby site (I don't know whether it includes box kicks).

[Clutch]

That is an interesting stat, and proves that a lot of it is down to perception and style of play when we don't kick it away. Saints fans won't be moaning about kicking the ball away.

What the stats don't show is no of kicks adjusted for possession, which would be interesting.

Also, I think we are slower at the pre kick stuff. EG getting the ball in the right area, with a few slow 1st pod carries. Added to that, Warr is slow to kick, so the whole process takes ages, compared to Mitchell for example. 

Also, I am convinced we would kick with a 7 man overlap or big forwards in the defensive line, simply cause we kick 100% in specific areas and scenarios. On a similar note, we see us often punch a hole and or get over the gain line. Rather than using that to generate quick ball for a defence on the back foot we often kick, cause again that's what we do in that area of the pitch.

Specific incidents also impact on the perception on kicking. We have lost 2 home games with our kicking. Saints, stupid kicking away. Chiefs, allowed them back into the game with kicking, and they won our knock backs and made easy metres. The new laws don't help us, cause retaining kicks is a bit more of a lottery. 

So kicking us good, but kicking strategy needs to be also. 

On that note, Spragg is our kicking coach, and he's not exactly setting the world alight with the prem cup performances!!

[poyntonshark]

Surely the new laws help the kicking side? The receivers can no longer just ring their proposed catcher and prevent the attacking winger getting anywhere near. It should be a more fair competition. What hasn't helped us is that our best (the cruel may say only) winger at chasing and catching our kicks has barely played for us this season. Wills is actually a pretty good kick catcher, but they have to be short, high kicks.

[Surbiton_Shark]

Average number of kicks from hand* so far this season:

PREM: Sale 29.5, Oppo 33.1
ECC: Sale 23.8, Oppo 24.8
PRC: Sale 24.2 Oppo 23.8

On Sunday, we kicked 23 times, Bath kicked 27.

* The only relevant kicking stat available on the Premiership rugby site (I don't know whether it includes box kicks).

I 'think'....we lead the stats on Box Kicks - they always refer to it during commentary on TNT....can anyone else with a better memory than me confirm/deny?

[dinogyro]

If we kicked the most, but also retained possession the most, or gained territory, I'd be happier with it. My gut feeling, totally unrelated to any data whatsoever, is that we are not good at it, no matter how much we try it!

[poyntonshark]

I Don;t recall hearing it mantioned this season, but last season it was oft repeated that Sale had the best regathering of own box kicks percentage in the league. No doubt a reason we found the tactic so attractive.

Anyone care to guess at what our league leading percentage was?

[The Back Row]

What's the saying? Let someone speak long enough and their true intentions will be revealed? In this case it's 'I never liked Sanderson and I'm right'.

Ah RinTin, bless you. I am LITERALLY saying I have never liked Sanderson. I am also right.

That does not make anything I say less true. Nor is it any more biased than those deluded fools (Many of whom are still in this cult) who lauded his appointment just because "Axe", literally started drinking Malbec on Sundays and kid themselves we've been playing great rugby from day 1.

Are his Chickens coming home to roost? Recruitment failures, outdated systems, significant drop in quality of squad, management bullshit wearing thin... Yes. !00% we are seeing the cumulative effect of his shortcomings.

[The Back Row]

So many keyboard warriors saying what shouldn't happen, who should go, , no one to my knowledge saying who who/what should succeed.

Here's an idea. If you have a style of play, build a squad to make it succeed. The quality of our front five pool of players may be a strong Premiership side - but it is no where near enough to dominate the majority fo teams. Without it we can have all of the best midfield, back three or stardust covered pixies we like - we will retain useless box kicking, spiral bomb dominated crap that will win us nothing, and frankly isnt worth paying to watch.

[Lord Elpus]

We are never as competitive without both Curry twins playing together - and imho Dugdale has regressed this season. Cap'n Ernie isn't a lock either.

[Evo]

Here's an idea. If you have a style of play, build a squad to make it succeed. The quality of our front five pool of players may be a strong Premiership side - but it is no where near enough to dominate the majority fo teams. Without it we can have all of the best midfield, back three or stardust covered pixies we like - we will retain useless box kicking, spiral bomb dominated crap that will win us nothing, and frankly isnt worth paying to watch.[/quote]

Fair Play....and I agree with you, we have never replaced Cobus and Jonny Hill, a negligence which has cost us massively. Actually I think Sanderson acknowledged this was a risk however the lack of street wise front 5 capability has meant we are underpowered and sadly second in the dog fight....
Dare I say had Jonny Hill been injury free this season our performances would have been very different.

[PACMANPROP]

To Back Row

Just because you do not like someone that does bot mean you can get personal and slag him off.
I find some of your comments quite puerile. Your comment about" Malbec on a Sunday" is a classic example of what I mean. Malbec happens to my favourite wine having visited Argentina many times. Try to keep things professional.

[AndaleManito]

What's the saying? Let someone speak long enough and their true intentions will be revealed? In this case it's 'I never liked Sanderson and I'm right'.

Nor is it any more biased than those deluded fools (Many of whom are still in this cult) who lauded his appointment just because "Axe", literally started drinking Malbec on Sundays and kid themselves we've been playing great rugby from day 1.

Can you stop calling people you disagree with "deluded fools", your personal attacks are getting quite old.

[The Back Row]

To Back Row

Just because you do not like someone that does bot mean you can get personal and slag him off.
I find some of your comments quite puerile. Your comment about" Malbec on a Sunday" is a classic example of what I mean. Malbec happens to my favourite wine having visited Argentina many times. Try to keep things professional.

Where am I gettign personal and slagging 'him' off here? I am pointing out the cult of Alex. The criticism in this case is not of him, but of the unquestioning fan boy mentality.

I dont care if you find some of my comments 'Purile'. You are under the illusion that this is anything more than a forum to discuss a bit of rugby and all things connected to Sale Sharks for paying (and often non-paying) customers. Why the hell would anyone "Keep things professional" - this is not my, nor your profession. Very odd comments.

But it is a free forum (mostly) If you dont like something, or dont want to read it - pretty simple, dont. Go to the next message.

[RinTin]

To Back Row

Just because you do not like someone that does bot mean you can get personal and slag him off.
I find some of your comments quite puerile. Your comment about" Malbec on a Sunday" is a classic example of what I mean. Malbec happens to my favourite wine having visited Argentina many times. Try to keep things professional.

Where am I gettign personal and slagging 'him' off here? I am pointing out the cult of Alex. The criticism in this case is not of him, but of the unquestioning fan boy mentality.

I dont care if you find some of my comments 'Purile'. You are under the illusion that this is anything more than a forum to discuss a bit of rugby and all things connected to Sale Sharks for paying (and often non-paying) customers. Why the hell would anyone "Keep things professional" - this is not my, nor your profession. Very odd comments.

But it is a free forum (mostly) If you dont like something, or dont want to read it - pretty simple, dont. Go to the next message.

I'm not a fanboy, I even said your questions in your post from a week or so ago were reasonable and valid. You just engage with everyone in a confrontational way and put dismissive labels on most - 'You disagree?? Ahh bless you you deluded fool, you're obviously in the cult of Sanderson and drink Malbec on Sundays'.

I think everyone agrees we want to keep things civil here. Opinions are always welcome, but your approach is not appreciated by all. When was the last time you openly agreed with someone here? Or attempted to engage in a proactive, positive manner? There's refreshingly open and honest, then there's this approach.

You ruin my experience on this site. You're the definition of an internet troll as you post deliberately inflammatory and insincere comments to trigger responses.

[The Back Row]

You're free to ignore...