34 replies to this topic

[Wendall]

So who is looking ahead to 2011 with optimism?

After a great 2010 I think we will have a competitive SL with Wigan the team to beat. It will be exciting times for them with some new imports coming in to add to youngsters. Crowds should be up to 18K I think?

Then Saints a year on with their youngsters blooded, they should be better. A new coach and maybe a different style of play and the Widnes factor!

Wire who will want to win cup for third time and do themselves justice in play offs. With Hodgson at FB Wire should have a complete team with no weak links.

Leeds will want to bounce back after a poor 2010.

Then we will have Hudds under Brown with a lot of players who may come back from tour with England better players, Hull with hopefully a fit Long and a revitalised Catalans under a new coach and with new players to replace deadwood.

On International front we will have the 4N back here. Hopefully we will have these played at big stadiums according to recent reports. Plus after a hard tour down under in 2010 (I think we may be in for some tough games) we will have the likes of Eastmond and Myler – one year old and wiser and hopefully fit to really beat the Aussies!

[Steve May]

Then we will have Hudds under Brown with a lot of players who may come back from tour with England better players,

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully the pre-season won't be ruined by bizarre legal shenanigans and the coaches house won't burn down mid-season.

[MrPosh]

Which Myler is going to help us beat the Aussies?

I can't see any being ready next year at the moment.

[marklaspalmas]

Which Myler is going to help us beat the Aussies?

All of 'em. Frank coaching, Tony at stand-off,......(continue as required......)

[Steve May]

You have structural problems in your team at Wire that won't be solved by signing Brett Hodgson. In fact he may make them worse.

Hull have even bigger problems than Wire, and again Sean Long won't solve them.

[EastLondonMike]

i think wigan will be even better next year with their new additions of finch, lima and hoffman. And see Bradford and Catalans as the only major improvers from this year. Hudds will be stronger, but think both saints and leeds will find it tough.

[chuffer]

ithink both saints and leeds will find it tough.

....hope so.

Don't mean that in a nasty way but it would be good to see it all get mixed up a bit - it's been a 2-horse race for many years and it's good to see Wigan and Wire up there again. Would like to see the likes of Cas and Cats much stronger too

[MrPosh]

All of 'em. Frank coaching, Tony at stand-off,......(continue as required......)

Richie carrying water?

[Dave T]

You have structural problems in your team at Wire that won't be solved by signing Brett Hodgson. In fact he may make them worse.

Hull have even bigger problems than Wire, and again Sean Long won't solve them.

Hmm, not convinced we have structural problems tbh. I know there are question marks over Myler, but we were winning games left right and centre when he was at 7.

[Steve May]

Hmm, not convinced we have structural problems tbh. I know there are question marks over Myler, but we were winning games left right and centre when he was at 7.

He's not the player he's cracked up to be but he's not the problem anyway.

[MrPosh]

Hmm, not convinced we have structural problems tbh. I know there are question marks over Myler, but we were winning games left right and centre when he was at 7.

He's not the player he's cracked up to be but he's not the problem anyway.

Myler's a perfectly good player - if not quite as good as Wendell makes out.

Wire's problems are mobility in the pack and the defence on the fringes of the ruck. I'm sure they'll be there or there abouts next year.

[Steve May]

Myler's a perfectly good player - if not quite as good as Wendell makes out.

Wire's problems are mobility in the pack and the defence on the fringes of the ruck. I'm sure they'll be there or there abouts next year.

Spot on Mr Posh.

An ageing fullback isn't going to help either of those two problems.

[petero]

So who is looking ahead to 2011 with optimism?

After a great 2010 I think we will have a competitive SL with Wigan the team to beat. It will be exciting times for them with some new imports coming in to add to youngsters. Crowds should be up to 18K I think?

Then Saints a year on with their youngsters blooded, they should be better. A new coach and maybe a different style of play and the Widnes factor!

Wire who will want to win cup for third time and do themselves justice in play offs. With Hodgson at FB Wire should have a complete team with no weak links.

Leeds will want to bounce back after a poor 2010.

Then we will have Hudds under Brown with a lot of players who may come back from tour with England better players, Hull with hopefully a fit Long and a revitalised Catalans under a new coach and with new players to replace deadwood.

On International front we will have the 4N back here. Hopefully we will have these played at big stadiums according to recent reports. Plus after a hard tour down under in 2010 (I think we may be in for some tough games) we will have the likes of Eastmond and Myler – one year old and wiser and hopefully fit to really beat the Aussies!

Are you stating that Mathers is, or has been the weakest link Wendall?
I accept he can do the stupid bit occassionaly but from my watching of them on Sky I would have said that he had a pretty fair season overall.

[Dave T]

Myler's a perfectly good player - if not quite as good as Wendell makes out.

Wire's problems are mobility in the pack and the defence on the fringes of the ruck. I'm sure they'll be there or there abouts next year.

Fair enough, I respect your opinion, although maybe don't feel they are as big problems as you suggest.

I like our pack tbh, I don't see too many issues with mobility, and with the moving on of Vinnie, maybe the likes of McCarthy and Mitchell may come in and add the youth to that area.

Not sure what you mean by defence on the fringes of the ruck tbh, but either way we had the third best defence in the league.

Steve - I agree about the fullback thing, and have made the point myself a few times.

TBH my biggest concern is the age of some of the players. Often the older players are more prone to injuries, and that is the biggest challenge we face IMHO.

[Steve May]

TBH my biggest concern is the age of some of the players. Often the older players are more prone to injuries, and that is the biggest challenge we face IMHO.

And again, signing fullback who's visibly not the player he was a year ago on a two year contract won't help.

I don't know what the young player situation is at Wire but even if a lot of good kids are in the pipeline there's some tricky waters to navigate to get them successfully into the team.

Edited by Steve May, 07 October 2010 - 02:48 PM.

[getdownmonkeyman]

Fair enough, I respect your opinion, although maybe don't feel they are as big problems as you suggest.

I like our pack tbh, I don't see too many issues with mobility, and with the moving on of Vinnie, maybe the likes of McCarthy and Mitchell may come in and add the youth to that area.

Not sure what you mean by defence on the fringes of the ruck tbh, but either way we had the third best defence in the league.

Steve - I agree about the fullback thing, and have made the point myself a few times.

TBH my biggest concern is the age of some of the players. Often the older players are more prone to injuries, and that is the biggest challenge we face IMHO.

I believe I do. We are still a touch soft at marker round the PTB, plus we have the propensity for the markers to switch off after the ball has left the ruck leaving openings for inside passes back through. These can be improved by better concentration, but that is easier said than done.

[Dave T]

Are you stating that Mathers is, or has been the weakest link Wendall?
I accept he can do the stupid bit occassionaly but from my watching of them on Sky I would have said that he had a pretty fair season overall.

Yep, think it is very harsh to describe Mathers as the only weak link in the team. He had a very good season and came up with some crucial plays at many crucial times.

I suppose it was disappointing for him that he last play for Warrington was throwing an intercept, however Monaghan throws intercepts for fun and people don't bag him so much.

I hope I am proved wrong about Hodgson, but I just don't see that we are going to be much better off next year, although I suspect that Riley will get some gametime at 1.

[Dave T]

I believe I do. We are still a touch soft at marker round the PTB, plus we have the propensity for the markers to switch off after the ball has left the ruck leaving openings for inside passes back through. These can be improved by better concentration, but that is easier said than done.

Yep, I suspected this was what he was referring too, however didn't go into it too much as often criticism is aimed at our fringe (three-quarters) and I wasn't sure whether this was the point.

I agree that at times we are weak just off marker, especially when we have Carvell and Wood on the field, who can both be guilty of throwing an arm out and believing that is a tackle (although to be fair to Wood he has improved here).

Whilst I agree it may be an issue at times, the point still stands that our defence was third best, and I think this is an issue that can be worked on and improved rather than something which requires personnel changes.

[MrPosh]

Fair enough, I respect your opinion, although maybe don't feel they are as big problems as you suggest.

I don't think that they are big problems either - I did say you will be there or there abouts.

These are just the things that I think Smith needs to sort out - although he won't do the mobility thing without some replacements (which may affect the go-forward etc. etc.).

[Steve May]

Yep, I suspected this was what he was referring too, however didn't go into it too much as often criticism is aimed at our fringe (three-quarters) and I wasn't sure whether this was the point.

I agree that at times we are weak just off marker, especially when we have Carvell and Wood on the field, who can both be guilty of throwing an arm out and believing that is a tackle (although to be fair to Wood he has improved here).

In the playoffs the Giants had Kirmond, who's pretty nippy as forwards go, running at you from first receiver very close to the PTB area and it paid off. Even on one and a half legs he caused havoc.