What a difference a day makes : Fri Feb 05, 2016 10:20 pm  

I thoroughly enjoyed last night’s match, what a great advertisement for the game, but only a day later, well that’s two hours of my life I won’t get back.

For starters, what the hell has happened to the pitch, is it because the football team are on a downward trajectory?

Anyhow, so off we go, & Aiton is pinged for a knock-on, but I didn’t see it. Slog slog, penalties, niggle, moving off the mark, players lending weight, back-chatting the ref, a few low quality tries – the end.

Two games of Rugby League encapsulated into a Sergio Leone western.

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sat Feb 06, 2016 12:46 am  

Saints game was as bad. The conditions weren't conducive to entertaining rugby, it was like someone had turned a power shower on above the ground for the first half an hour. I just think it's the standards all round. Players aren't elite standard, they're not capable of consistent performances. The refereeing is very limited and the competition just lacks professionalism and purpose. The Saints v Giants game was so low in intensity that it felt like a friendly.

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sat Feb 06, 2016 12:53 am  

Ridiculous error count, lots of scrappy penalties, no decent rugby played. Even the tries scored were fairly boring, scrappy affairs. Catalan simply couldn't catch, pass or play the ball which is just embarrassing for a full time team.

Got to blame the pitch to a large extent though. If the pies pay rent to play on that pitch they should be getting a discount at the minute. Season hadn't even started and it was like a swamp!

Hit and miss though at this time of year. The Leeds v Wire game was fantastic.

With Wigan apparently having 6 out of their 1st 7 home games televised though you would hope they do something about the pitch soon or the viewing public wont exactly get their moneys worth. Almost impossible to play attractive rugby on a surface like that tonight.

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:24 am  

The pitch and conditions are at least partly to blame. Not only making it difficult to pass and catch but it also makes it incredibly tiring trying to run on pitches like that.

I'd also say the players on both sides didn't help with the constant attempts to hold down and niggle in the tackle.
Games with poor weather/conditions/pitches need the players to be back well onside, square at marker and not holding down because it's hard enough to break down defences anyway never mind when you're struggling to hold the ball or pass it accurately and quickly due to the weather.
A case in point was Leeds v Catalans last year. Lots of rain before and during the game made it very slippery. Sadly the ref (I won't say which one but it rhymes with Mild) let both sides be offside and hold down and led to far more errors than there needed to be.

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:15 am  

You cannot learn anything from that game. The conditions made the game insufferable.

I look forward to seeing Catalans vs Wigan on a dry pitch. Rest assured that it will be a different kind of game, and probably with a different result.

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:06 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Saints game was as bad. The conditions weren't conducive to entertaining rugby, it was like someone had turned a power shower on above the ground for the first half an hour. I just think it's the standards all round. Players aren't elite standard, they're not capable of consistent performances. The refereeing is very limited and the competition just lacks professionalism and purpose. The Saints v Giants game was so low in intensity that it felt like a friendly.

The tries from the Saints game seemed to be ok, I think you played the conditions much better. Those well weighted kicks right at the defensive line worked a treat.

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:32 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Saints game was as bad. The conditions weren't conducive to entertaining rugby, it was like someone had turned a power shower on above the ground for the first half an hour. I just think it's the standards all round. Players aren't elite standard, they're not capable of consistent performances. The refereeing is very limited and the competition just lacks professionalism and purpose. The Saints v Giants game was so low in intensity that it felt like a friendly.

Wow, shock horror, torrential rain reduces quality of a game. The rest of your diatribe is utter nonsense as anyone who attended the game would concur.

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sat Feb 06, 2016 4:04 pm  

I think it was more than the rain, it was that combined with the state of the pitch. Wigan RL/FC/stadium company need to get the drainage sorted as is was frankly embarrassing.

I remember playing on pitches like that as a kid, the mud stops you from running properly and changing direction. We could pick the best 34 players in the sport and wouldn't get a decent game on that pitch.

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sun Feb 07, 2016 7:13 pm  

Catalans and their NRL legends were awful!

Regards

King James

Re: What a difference a day makes : Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:21 pm  

Lebron James wrote:

Catalans and their NRL legends were awful!

Regards

King James

The Catalans players are not used to playing in mud heaps in Australia or France. Catalans Dragons is a dry weather team with a huge pack of forwards (William Mason will soon join David Taylor in the front row) and speedy elusive backs who relish the dry grounds. The sunny dry conditions which which prevail in Perpignan for most of the season enable the Catalans' backs' agility and speed to be given full opportunity to be deployed.