COACH Keiron Cunningham reflected on rugby league matters with the Star’s Mike Critchley.

MC: Few points from Salford first. A good first step - but did Jonny’s departure unsettle the team – because those two Salford tries came almost immediately after his departure?

KC: It is just because we had to juggle our team around. People get used to defending in certain positions and then we had to swap.

It changed the dynamic and we did not have the stability for a five or six minute period where we got unstable, with Dom Peyroux moving from back row to centre.

But we got a grip of it then.

MC: A much better showing from your big men. That was probably Big Al’s best game of the year?

KC: Yes, it was he was really good and in these games what you need are leaders to stand up.

Wilko has been doing it for the best part of three months for me. What he doesn’t do for the team isn’t worth doing anyway.

Kyle Amor has been the cornerstone of the pack and Big Al has found a good bit of form again in what is an important block of the season for us.

MC: Alex Walmsley set such a high bench mark last year when he was on Man of Steel shortlist, then got that injury and then no off-season. Has he just been feeling that a bit this year?

KC: It was always going to catch up with him. Last year he had no pre-season, but started 2015 like a house on fire then had a lull.

This year he has had no pre-season again and has really struggled. He has not been poor, but when you set a standard that is so high anything below people see that this is not what Big Al does.

In a normal person’s game that would be a good game, but when you are at a certain calibre that is your benchmark. Anything below that is just not good enough.

For me Big Al led from the front the minute he went on against Salford and all the rest of the pack did a great job.

MC: Dom Peyroux adds a bit of pace to the pack, but can hit hard too.

KC: He is a back rower/centre. We are tinkering with things, although people ask me why I move things around. I do like stability but I also like teams that defend well.

I am going to try and pick my best defensive team because of where we are at. We score plenty of points, because that is what we do, but it looks like Dom in the back row is a good defender out there.

MC: With that in mind would it be too early to ask if another centre is on the shopping list for next season?

KC: There will be lots of water going under the bridge before we make any decisions on anything yet. That is a bit premature yet.

MC: Magic has turned into a big occasion, at a big arena, it is something that Saints initially didn’t warm to but last year’s experience was pretty good.

KC: It always is good when you go there and win – especially the fashion we did it and the way we came from behind to beat a good Warrington side.

I am sure if the boot was on the other foot then we wouldn’t have enjoyed the Newcastle weekend as much, but it was kind to us.

MC: Huddersfield had a run of defeats at the start of the year but they kept faith with Baloo. Is there a lesson there - particularly if you look at Chris Chester at Wakefield after losing his job at Hull KR?

KC: You have to hold your nerve, injuries and luck play a great part in rugby league no matter which coach you are. Look at Brian McDermott – he has had one of the most successful teams of last three years and is coming off the back of a treble. He has had bad luck with injuries so look where Leeds end up.

Things are not going for Leeds at the minute and it is unfortunate for the game that that has happened. It will be a big learning curve for everyone, but that is the way the game is. That is the future of rugby league – the days of the so-called big four is gone now. There is no void in the comp – just look at what Wakefield are doing. The comp is up and down.

The biggest thing in the comp now is consistency. If you do well over the weeks you find yourself rocketing up the table.

Baloo is the same. He or large periods and it does hurt you and has had lots of injuries to key players.

But for Baloo the team has found a way and they are coming through that dark cloud.

In rugby league when it rains it really pours but there is always a way through the storm and Baloo has found a way through that storm.

They are on the other side now and are finding that belief again and that faith, and what works for each other.

MC: The next four games are decisive against the top three teams.

KC: They are ones you want to be competing with. Last time we played Hull in the league we lost by a point then got embarrassed in the cup, we did a decent job against Warrington and then didn’t play well against Catalans but still had chances to win that game.

We are capable of beating all of those teams but have to play well on the day.

But we have to beat Huddersfield first and look forward to that.