COACH Simon Litster admits Weymouth and Portland have “gone to pieces” since the winter break.

Before Christmas, the Seahorses had secured a 22-20 victory against North Dorset Seconds, before narrowly losing 24-19 to New Milton Seconds.

But in the second half of the season Weymouth have dropped to last place in Dorset & Wilts One South, conceding 132 points in three games and scoring just seven points, including a solitary Ben Billington try during the 41-7 defeat at Oakmeadians on Saturday.

Speaking to Echosport after that loss, Litster could find no reason for his team’s drop-off in form.

He said: “I don’t really know what’s happened. Before Christmas we were on a very positive note. After, we seem to have gone to pieces, I don’t understand why.

“The fitness levels are no worse, a lot of it is that their heads go down, but they did manage to compose themselves and recover on Saturday.”

Litster also felt that the club had not been helped by a mass exodus of players in the off season, but did reveal he had been talking to some of the players in question over a possible return.

He said: “We’re only down to one team now and most teams have a reasonable squad to choose from. If we have got players away or injured we’re scraping the barrel to be honest.

“That’s why our second team folded. It’s going to be a case of rebuilding for next year. We’re talking to others and we’re hopeful that a few of the players that left us last year are thinking about helping us survive or recover our season.

“I can’t say yes (they’re coming) or not yet because we’re just in discussions with them.”

Speaking ahead of the highly-anticipated Ridgeway Rumble with Dorchester at Monmouth Avenue this Saturday, Litster consequently explained that his side would be “no better” than the one that lost 43-14 to their rivals in October.

He said: “The side I’ve got for Saturday is probably no better than the one we took up to Dorchester.

“We’re playing at home so that might be a slight advantage because our lads tend to prefer to play at home.”