Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Sun May 29, 2016 10:41 pm  

'Don't panic Captain Mainwaring !!'

We will not get relegated there I've said it.

We could win the cup !! There I've said it.

On our day with the players we have we can beat anyone but unfortunately our day appears to be a bit like the roll of a dice which comes up 'snake eyes' far too often.

Today was typical of our season another case of flattering to deceive.

Much as the selection of Scot Grix made sense last week at Newcastle the horrible looking plastic pitch today was made for Ryan Brierley his speed and step would have been lethal. The only justification for the change last week was pick a team to win a game so why not this week too ?

Eorl looked shattered after his first stint, Rapira didn't but he was interchanged, Roberts this week was the 'cameo player' on a hot afternoon where we defended far to much to not play Roberts a full stint was 'questionable' to say the least.

Hot as our back line was last week it wasn't very good this week and only a combination of some good pressure defending and Widnes forcing plays stopped them scoring at least twice in the first half.

But at 16-0 OK 16- 4 we should have been managing the game like Widnes did at 24-20 steady progress decent kick and if you can go 90 yards in five plays and score you deserve to win but we won't make it easy. We couldn't in the last 10 minutes.

Im not asking for sackings but 'for Gods sake' how many more times are we going to play dumb rugby league and snatch defeat from the 'jaws of victory ?'

What did the coach tell them at half time ?? Surely it was not what they actually did ?

The optimism was there amongst the fans today as usual, they got behind the team but at 24-20 as the clock counted down the last ten minutes I can't recall us looking like scoring in a must win game I find that baffling.

Right time for Castleford lets hope it's not Snake Eyes again and we perform for the full 80 minutes !!

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Sun May 29, 2016 10:57 pm  

Worrying signs for mine in that second half,tired looking players coming up with no pressure knock ons.

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Mon May 30, 2016 5:29 pm  

anderson told them at half time to just knock the sets out and defend

we did far too much defending in the first half which sapped our energy in the last qtr, should have seen roberts earlier

that schoolboy error from connor just before half time to give them the ball and let them score was a bit turning point

anyway widnes deserved the win

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Tue May 31, 2016 1:41 pm  

We do not have anyone who can effectively manage a game, close a game out. how many times have we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, the likes of Sinfield knew how to play, when to play, speed up, slow down, read the game, chose the right option at the right time. Talk to, and organise the team, he had plan A,B,C,etc, he had composure, but could wing it when called for.
We have plan A,
plan B, see plan A.
We are a very good side, but sadly have always lacked a real leader, a thinker, a controlled organiser, I think that's what it takes to make a good team great. without one we,re not going to the next level.

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Tue May 31, 2016 2:58 pm  

boomer wrote:

We do not have anyone who can effectively manage a game, close a game out. how many times have we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, the likes of Sinfield knew how to play, when to play, speed up, slow down, read the game, chose the right option at the right time. Talk to, and organise the team, he had plan A,B,C,etc, he had composure, but could wing it when called for.
We have plan A,
plan B, see plan A.
We are a very good side, but sadly have always lacked a real leader, a thinker, a controlled organiser, I think that's what it takes to make a good team great. without one we,re not going to the next level.

Completely agree, isn't this why we brought in Hinchy?

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Tue May 31, 2016 4:49 pm  

brearley84 wrote:

anderson told them at half time to just knock the sets out and defend

we did far too much defending in the first half which sapped our energy in the last qtr, should have seen roberts earlier

that schoolboy error from connor just before half time to give them the ball and let them score was a bit turning point

anyway widnes deserved the win

That's good logic if you knock out a set and kick it into touch 10 yards from the opponents try line and hold onto the ball when you have got it.

Connors was no more a school boy error than Murphy and Brough colliding on the disputed kick on try both handed Widnes momentum/points that we failed to staunch.

Grix had the ball and lost it in a straight forward tackle and that cost another six points.

Gerry failed to pick up a ball near the line a bit more difficult but you'd expect an England winger to deal with it and it was followed by six points.

Twice we were caught out playing too narrow and conceded in the corner on a relatively narrow field. The organisation of the defence is supposed to be the Grix speciality.

At 16-0 up the game was there for the taking Widnes deserved to win because we made it that way for them it was almost a rerun of the Castleford match.

Just hope that at long last we recognise this 'reality check' and stop snatching defeat from what should be the jaws of victory.

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Tue May 31, 2016 6:16 pm  

HuddsRL5 wrote:

Completely agree, isn't this why we brought in Hinchy?

i thought that too

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Tue May 31, 2016 6:18 pm  

fartown since 1961 wrote:

That's good logic if you knock out a set and kick it into touch 10 yards from the opponents try line and hold onto the ball when you have got it.

Connors was no more a school boy error than Murphy and Brough colliding on the disputed kick on try both handed Widnes momentum/points that we failed to staunch.

Grix had the ball and lost it in a straight forward tackle and that cost another six points.

Gerry failed to pick up a ball near the line a bit more difficult but you'd expect an England winger to deal with it and it was followed by six points.

Twice we were caught out playing too narrow and conceded in the corner on a relatively narrow field. The organisation of the defence is supposed to be the Grix speciality.

At 16-0 up the game was there for the taking Widnes deserved to win because we made it that way for them it was almost a rerun of the Castleford match.

Just hope that at long last we recognise this 'reality check' and stop snatching defeat from what should be the jaws of victory.

connors try led to them getting back in the game, it was 16-0. before that we had a try disallowed too which i thought was a try... game over then!

anyway ive said many times widnes deserved the win no complaints about a few decisions

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:17 am  

brearley84 wrote:

connors try led to them getting back in the game, it was 16-0. before that we had a try disallowed too which i thought was a try... game over then!

anyway ive said many times widnes deserved the win no complaints about a few decisions

If the ref or touch judge gets it wrong it's RL it happens but at 3 scores up one 'iffy' decision by the touch judge shouldn't matter it was the errors and lack of game management by the players that cost us the game.

If the coach told them to play out the sets and kick he had got it right build pressure force errors none of the errors we made would have occurred from long distance kicks but instead we got the pressure ones inside our '20' and made the errors that led to scores.

Re: Reflections on a bad afternoon at Widnes : Wed Jun 01, 2016 12:08 pm  

The organisation of the defence is supposed to be the Grix speciality.

Come on, if you say stand there and make a tackle, and that player misses the tackle, how can Grix be criticised.

He is getting far too much criticism for other peoples mistakes. He knocks on one and gets slated. Jerry knocks on - no comment.

Hinchcliffe misses a tackle 5 m from the line and people around me take great pleasure in saying it was Grix at fault.

Give the lad a break, and support him rather than taking pleasure in us conceding tries just so Grix can be slated!