SAINTS boss Keiron Cunningham looked back at the positives and lessons from Leeds win in conversation with the Star’s Mike Critchley.

MC: Do you have to be a bit of a killjoy after Friday – put the exciting parts to one side and look at the bad bits?

KC: There is always that aspect as a coach, where you have to pick the eyes out of everything. As entertaining as it was to be on the rollercoaster and come out of it with a smile on our faces, we do have to be better in certain areas. Some games just are open games, regardless of what structures you go in with and how hard you have worked for weeks leading in to them.

You just have to find a way of winning them. If that had been 40-0, rather than a 38-34 it would still be same result with two points and you move on to next week. We don’t want to make a habit of it, but we will definitely take it.

MC: Leeds’ offloading game and way they move it is almost infectious, that spread.

KC: It was a good entertaining game but wasn’t really good for me sat in the stand and I bet Brian Mac on the sidelines felt the same. The fans have been asking for a bit of entertainment we have given it to them now but now I want my structure back. We got away with it. It was a good game but when you get the win and can watch it back – it took me two views back to get rid of those nerves.

Some stuff we did with the ball was fantastic. We haven’t had chance to forge any relationships with our key personnel because we have not had them together. It is the first time Theo has played with Percy and Jonny out the back. They have to understand how people play – as good as they are, we have got to bring them together. The longer we can do that and keep them fit, the better it will be for us.

MC: All of a sudden – with Jonny and Mark Percival and Theo Fages not settling in– you have three players with pace to perk up that attack.

KC: I have been telling you this all season. We have not had our back five playing – and among that full back is one of the most important positions on the field. Likewise with wings, it is that complex now playing in the back three and the way you position yourself for kicks.

It is a vital position so to not have your starting three playing is really tough. All credit to the boys who have jumped in there, but we have got some fine attacking players who have been on the sidelines. When you drop them in to what we are doing already it definitely makes look a lot better.

MC: Although he got his timing wrong in a couple of tackles, Atelea Vea gave you plenty for a first game back from a longish spell out?

KC: You could see he was rusty in defence and you could tell he had not played. Tils is that type of player – his first game back is always not where he was at, but with the ball in hand he gave us something else. We will work really hard with Tils and history tells us that he will be better.

MC: Jon Wilkin took some really hard carries and steered the ship on Friday.

KC: James Roby and Jon Wilkin were phenomenal. Wilko understands when to play and when not to and has a really good balance in his game. It is a new role for Wilko in the middle of the field and he wants to do that. He is physical and wants to do that and pretty much does a similar role on the left edge. It is a new role and a lot of stuff comes through him.

MC: That’s a tough Challenge Cup draw to throw in to this stage of the season, does that affect how you may go about Cas on Sunday?

KC: No, not at all. These two points are massive for us, as they were last weekend. We have got to deal with the cup when it is the cup week and cannot look too far ahead.

It is Hull at home and we had a good shot at them last time without a few key people. I wouldn’t mind having a look at them again with some of our key men back.

Hull are a good side, who are playing well but we will look at that next week.

MC: It’s a lot better feeling walking out of Langtree after a win than a loss?

KC: Definitely helps. There was a lot of anxiety in the place because the expectation weighs great on the players at this club. We have lots and lots of trophies and so there is a belief that we have to win everything every year. That is what we try and do.

Expectation does weigh heavy on some players, some can handle it, but others can’t. It is the same for myself – I have been under pressure for 20 odd years so what is going on is nothing new to me. It is what it is. I am the biggest fan in the stadium – I don’t simply want us to do well, I expect us to do well.

When they don’t go well then there is nobody as dirty as I am. But the fans pay their money and are all entitled to their opinion.

The stadium atmosphere on Friday has been the best I have heard it for a long time and there were lots of points where the fans brought us through long periods.

When that anxiety is there it is more nervous than anything and wanting the victory.

But they were brilliant at the weekend.

MC: When Saints fans are taunting Leeds with cries of going down you know it is a mad season?

KC: It is crazy but we have spoken about this since round one – this is what we are going to see this year and maybe even more so next year. Everyone is in the same pool for the same players and you have all got the same amount of money.