Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 7:45 am  

It’ll be a lot tighter then the Wire game IMO because we’re still feeling our way with a new coach and the loss of a couple of key players. We looked disjointed at Saints and I don’t expect that to change in one week.

One score in it for me and it could go either way.

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 9:05 am  

The way we were looking on Saturday, if there's one score in it it will be 2-0 to somebody...

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:13 am  

I am not confident at all. Wigan looked close-ish to Saints through most of their game, whereas Leeds were exhibiting the same problems which got them in so much trouble for the second half of last year.
Missed tackles, lost energy battle, little-no go forward, giving the ball to individuals to "do something" (Hurrell now), poor line speed in defence, losing the ruck, individual errors.
I wouldn't be so bothered if I thought is was just form that was the issue, or just coaching, but I think our problems are structural - and really not helped by losing our only go-forward prop in Garbutt without replacement.
Give us two big, aggressive props who can make impact going forward and in defence, and then I could complain about scratchy halves and wing, but we can't even judge them properly because the side is playing compacted all the time.
All is not lost of course and things are generally going in the right direction, but I'd like to see us at least get close to Wigan and look something like. Hope I'm wrong.

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:12 pm  

I'm probably in the minority but i dont think things are as bad as is made out by the fans, on this board in particular.
No doubt that we are light in the front row and this has been talked to death but we were almost 12 points up in the first 5 minutes at Warrington. Knock on given when Walker went over, replays conclusively show came off Wire. Had we been 6 up when Hurrel was held up and wire went down to 12 then it's possible the game could of taken a different direction. I still think Warrington would of come off at full time as winners but the scoreline wouldnt of looked as bad and we would have had more positives to dwell on. Give the team time and my prediction is we will finish high mid-table, this in my eyes will be asuccesful season. Yes we are 2-3 years behind where we should be but we are where we are

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:25 pm  

Smith and JJB out,

Peteru and Newman into the 19 along with the same 17 from the Wire game.

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:44 pm  

.

[Frosties.]

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:45 pm  

Walker
Briscoe
Watkins
Hurrell
Handley
Lolohea
Myler
Cuthbertson
Parcell
Singleton
Ward
Merrin
Dwyer
Sutcliffe
Ferres
Peteru
Oledzki
Donaldson
Newman

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 1:14 pm  

Wonder if Newman has been added to the squad cos Hurrell is doubtful? Just a thought. I can see Hurrell been the new Tonie Carroll unfortunately.

No Cam Smith again........(big sigh).

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 1:20 pm  

And no Crosby and Ablett either.
Could be another long night.

Re: SL RD 2 | Wigan Warriors (A) : Wed Feb 06, 2019 1:22 pm  

LeedsLurch wrote:

I'm probably in the minority but i dont think things are as bad as is made out by the fans, on this board in particular.
No doubt that we are light in the front row and this has been talked to death but we were almost 12 points up in the first 5 minutes at Warrington. Knock on given when Walker went over, replays conclusively show came off Wire. Had we been 6 up when Hurrel was held up and wire went down to 12 then it's possible the game could of taken a different direction. I still think Warrington would of come off at full time as winners but the scoreline wouldnt of looked as bad and we would have had more positives to dwell on. Give the team time and my prediction is we will finish high mid-table, this in my eyes will be asuccesful season. Yes we are 2-3 years behind where we should be but we are where we are

We were also heading for only our third nilling in 22 years until a very strong effort from Ward in the dying minutes. Warrington missed chances too, I'm not a fan of "if only" thinking.
As a performance, what we showed against Warrington were the SAME weaknesses which made us uncompetitive last year. The reason for that is because we haven't been able to replace enough players in one off-season, no matter the sterling work I'm sure Sinfield and Furner are putting in. The reason for THAT is that IMO Gary Hetherington has been way too tight with signings for way too long, and the club has seriously misjudged the lengths of contracts given to inadequate players, leaving us no room to move now. He has done many things really well at Leeds, but deserves criticism in this area.
If we do finish mid-high table you are right it will be a successful season given where the squad is at, and that's certainly possible but NOT if our pack keeps getting monstered like Warrington demonstrated. If we keep getting swamped in the middle this season will be much worse than you seem to expect. When and if I see us hold the middle and set a platform for the better players we do have, then I'll feel more positive.
I may seem pessimistic but remember that it's the optimists who die most quickly in a prison camp. Check out Admiral James Stockdale.