Simmons replaced Mick Potter during the Super League close season

St Helens coach Royce Simmons says he and his players need to improve their attitude after Friday's 27-16 defeat by Harlequins at the Stobart Stadium.

The defeat was Saints' second of the season and they sit 7th in the table.

"It was our attitude from the start and it's my job they have the right attitude and I've failed there," Simmons told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"The players haven't got themselves right either, so we've got to look at our performance and fix it up."

He added: "If you're going to give 18 point starts you're going to lose more games than you're going to win.

"Rugby league is a very physical game and you've got to turn up every week with the right attitude. It's not like a boxer that has a fight every three or six months - it's on every week.

"It is hard to get yourself mentally up and perform hard each week and you've got to put some work into it."

After reaching the last five Grand Finals at Old Trafford, St Helens have hopes of reaching the showpiece event once more and Simmons says the hard work starts now.

"We've set ourselves some pretty high targets and where we want to finish in the competition," he continued. "If we're going to finish where we want to, we'd better pull our fingers out."

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