St Helens legend calls on squad to ‘show fight’ and singles out overseas star for criticism
St Helens legend Paul Sculthorpe has taken aim at the club’s players and told them to ‘show fight’: before singling out centre Waqa Blake for ‘strolling around without a care in the world’.
The Saints are in freefall and in real danger of missing the Super League play-offs for the first time in history. They face Huddersfield Giants on Sunday in what represents a must-win game for a side clinging on to a top six place.
And Sculthorpe, writing in his column in the St Helens Star, insisted too many players are failing to do what is asked of them – and has demanded they either fight for the club or stop putting on the Saints shirt.
He said: “I wrote a few weeks back about some players not being up to Saints’ high standards and, well, I’m even more convinced now.
“Far too many players are failing to produce. Either show fight or don’t pull on the Red V at all.”
Sculthorpe then took particular aim at Blake, who has had an indifferent season with the club, saying some of his efforts against Hull KR last Saturday were ‘the final straw’.
He said: “Waqa Blake strolls around the field without a care in the world, but to watch him pat a ball dead and concede a drop out when it was probably easier to catch and win a 20m restart was the final straw.”
Sculthorpe also admitted he was frustrated with the decision to send Tommy Makinson from the field in the closing stages of the loss to the Robins for a high shot on Tyrone May.
“To make matters even worse, Tommy Makinson was red-carded for.. I still don’t actually know,” Sculthorpe wrote.
“He was given his marching orders for direct head contact while jamming in on Rovers half-back Tyrone May – albeit even May himself looked baffled by the decision.
“I struggled to see any foul. Tommy had full control and wrap of May and there was no after-effects on his part. I understand why the new laws have been introduced and by the letter of these laws if Tommy did make contact with the head, it’s a red.
“But is it as black and white as that? Is it just contact with the head, no matter what force? Because in a contact sport played at a hundred miles an hour, contact is bound to happen.”
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