Sat 15 Aug: SL: Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons KO 4.15pm (Sky Sports)

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

As a Dragons' fan, I am naturally delighted with today's performance and result, but also realistic enough to understand that next week could be quite different.  If Dragons are pursuing grand final success this year, while Trinity seek cup glory, then that goes some way to explain today.

To underline that point, I recall, a couple of years ago, one team beat another 56-6 in a league game which meant a lot to the victors and nothing to the losers.  When they met again just fifteen days later in a match they both wanted to win, the vanquished side in the earlier game triumphed 20-14.

The team that managed to turn the tables was, of course, Catalans Dragons, their 20-14 success being the cup final win over the Wire.

[JohnM]

44 minutes ago, MADREDNIGE said:

Is it any wonder when there's no relegation? 

Ah, you mean that paid professionals don't try to win? Is that a bit disrespectful? 

[MADREDNIGE]

Iam not saying they don't try but the motivation was clearly not there, Cats played well and took their chances but Wakefield didn't seem all that bothered, a team doesn't get 50+ points if the opposition are tackling like their lives depended on it and Wakefields clearly did not. 

[JohnM]

Still disrespectful to suggest they didn't care, don't you think? Maybe they did their very best against a very very good side. 

[Just Browny]

This scoreline will really have enraged Wakefield's most recent fan recruits.

[Just Browny]

3 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

He’s been disgraceful throughout. Third man in tackles and late hits all over. 

Find this hard to believe, has never been that sort of player.

[Clogiron]

51 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Still disrespectful to suggest they didn't care, don't you think? Maybe they did their very best against a very very good side. 

That's the sort of performance you get with player's on contract money who know there is little backup to take their place, Wakey don't have the resources to replace them all so it's more or less same again next week. As for professional pride too long watching sport has the cynic in me not believing a word of it, especially when you see a spectacular resurgence in form as a season or contract nears it's end.

 

[Rupert Prince]

2 hours ago, MADREDNIGE said:

Iam not saying they don't try but the motivation was clearly not there, Cats played well and took their chances but Wakefield didn't seem all that bothered, a team doesn't get 50+ points if the opposition are tackling like their lives depended on it and Wakefields clearly did not. 

No.  Cats had better players on and off the ball and better play makers. Mostly Trinity never got into any position. Davis took his chances, but they were well laid on for him. 

[JohnM]

Post of the decade!

18 minutes ago, Celt said:

Anyone who has followed the league since it's relaunch knows that Catalans are not "a very very good side. " They played well today, but against pathetic 'opposition' if it can even be called that.

It takes only a small amount of Rugby League knowledge to see that. They have been drubbed by $t Helens and Castleford in the last 2 weeks and against the former, Kasiano was an embarrassment... Jogging back into the defensive line 2 tackles behind everyone else FFS!!!

 

 

Post of the season!

[meast]

What's happened to Wakefield and Chester?

Only a year or two ago they were the next best thing, Wakefield were a confirmed top 4 team, Chester was the best coach in the game and in John Stones they had the best player in the world.

I know John Stones has been unlucky with injuries but what's happened to Chester and Wakefield being a top club as some of their fans were claiming not so long ago.

[Tex Evans Thigh]

Didnt they beat Cas? Catalans are good and maybe have the best squad in the league, their problem has always been consistency, maybe a bizarre benefit for them is the fact they have to meet all these standards to play, enforced discipline.

Wakefield have issues and to suggest players cant be motivated just because they are full time is ridiculous. They dont look motivated or well coached at the minute which is not a surprise considering what I hear about Chester's regime...

[OMEGA]

Don’t let Mike Carter off the hook too quickly, the players are fed up of his and Chester’s double act! Carter wants to be next to the players when it suits him and makes him look good but he treats them like idiots when he wants to look big in front of someone he’d like to impress.

Theres a few rumblings and rumours of discontent coming out of Wakefield Trinity and that performance might be a symptom.

[Yakstorm]

1 hour ago, Celt said:

It takes only a small amount of Rugby League knowledge to see that. They have been drubbed by $t Helens and Castleford in the last 2 weeks 

You do know that Catalans beat Castleford 40 - 14 last week right?

[WakefieldCityLoyal]

7 hours ago, meast said:

What's happened to Wakefield and Chester?

Only a year or two ago they were the next best thing, Wakefield were a confirmed top 4 team, Chester was the best coach in the game and in John Stones they had the best player in the world.

I know John Stones has been unlucky with injuries but what's happened to Chester and Wakefield being a top club as some of their fans were claiming not so long ago.

Last season injuries, this season we haven’t been too bad apart from yesterday.  Not looked organised in attack for a while. See if there’s an improvement next week.

 Up the Trin 

[GeordieSaint]

7 hours ago, Celt said:

Ah yes... My apologies - got a bit carried away there.

Their performance against Saints was truly woeful though. Almost as little effort as Wakefield showed today.

I singled out the big kiwi as he was particularly lazy, but in fairness a number of them were absolutely shocking.

It frustrates me a lot, as they do have some good players as Tex Evans says, and as a Club they just seem to be appallingly run at times. They should be right up there challenging every year IMO.

I think you are being harsh on Catalan... 

Yep, they got thumped by Saints. But they won’t be the only ones by the time the league finishes (see Leeds). Saints are the benchmark; and were very good against a Catalan side missing a couple of key players. Can see Catalan being in the playoffs at the end of the season. 

[barnyia]

It's being shown on équipe tv at 1pm don't tell me the score

I reckon nowadays its impossible to not know the result 18 hours after the game, 

 

[Yakstorm]

9 hours ago, Celt said:

Ah yes... My apologies - got a bit carried away there.

Their performance against Saints was truly woeful though. Almost as little effort as Wakefield showed today.

I singled out the big kiwi as he was particularly lazy, but in fairness a number of them were absolutely shocking.

It frustrates me a lot, as they do have some good players as Tex Evans says, and as a Club they just seem to be appallingly run at times. They should be right up there challenging every year IMO.

It's all good, your comments were definitely fair.  Catalans are very much like the Warriors in the NRL, when they turn up, they can blow the opposition off the park, when they don't, they can be cringeworthy.  

In the Saints game they were bad, although as others have rightfully pointed out they were missing some players and St Helens are arguably the benchmark.  Potentially as well, if Saints hadn't run riot in the first game back, Catalans may not have won the last two.

The next 3 games will be big tests for the club (2x Wigan, 1x Leeds).  The club could really cement its top 4 credentials, especially as you'd mark them as favourites to beat the likes of Hull KR, Wakefield and Hull FC at home based upon current form.

[The Rocket]

18 minutes ago, Yakstorm said:

It's all good, your comments were definitely fair.  Catalans are very much like the Warriors in the NRL, when they turn up, they can blow the opposition off the park, when they don't, they can be cringeworthy.  

 

Been a while since the Warriors were like that and don`t know if Brown will be tough enough to change it.

I often put that sort of inconsistency down to the coach, I wonder whether McNamara is the problem. One thing is getting beaten another thing is getting touched up on a regular basis.

There`s something not right in a club that keeps on going down by big scores.

[Carole]

21 hours ago, Big Ask said:

Should have had him in the changing room at half time. 

Should have seen him watching the Wigan match last week

 

[Manfred Mann]

Two weeks ago, in the first game after the Covid 19 lockdown, Catalans were awful against St Helens. But last weekend against Castleford, with Israel Folau starring but no Sam Tomkins,  and this weekend against Wakefield with Sam Tomkins starring but no Israel Folau,  Catalans were outstanding. If they can get Tomkins, Folau and Maloney on the field at the same time for most games, Catalans will coast into the finals and likely challenge St Helens at Old Traffird.

[Bearded Man]

23 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

If they've shown him, I haven't seen, was too busy eating my pie. He's probably turned the camera off while he mops up the blood of his family members. 

Edit. Wait! There he is! He was on his phone and threw it across the room! 

The phone was ok haha  

[Oldbear]

19 hours ago, Clogiron said:

especially when you see a spectacular resurgence in form as a season or contract nears it's end.

 

Over here in North America we even say that so and so is in a “contract year”, meaning that we almost expect a sudden surge in performance as their agent shops the player around the league. Funny how it’s often not maintained though.

[whatmichaelsays]

On 16/08/2020 at 00:43, OMEGA said:

Don’t let Mike Carter off the hook too quickly, the players are fed up of his and Chester’s double act! Carter wants to be next to the players when it suits him and makes him look good but he treats them like idiots when he wants to look big in front of someone he’d like to impress.

Theres a few rumblings and rumours of discontent coming out of Wakefield Trinity and that performance might be a symptom.

I can certainly see how working for someone like Carter could be demotivating. Judging by some of his comments around issues like player pay cuts, the salary cap and the player's union campaign, he is clearly someone who sees the playing talent as a cost to be minimised. That's not a good way to motivate staff in any business. 

Weren't Wakefield one of the last clubs to agree revised pay terms?