Widnes vikings

[DavidM]

1 minute ago, The Voodooguru said:

It is tough watching at the minute. Yesterday until Henson came on and at least tried the off the cuff stuff we were like robots,  ok it didn't all come off for him but if that off load to Riley had been better on their line that would have been a try. Do you think we are over the structure and stifling the creative players? JD is a shadow of himself. 

I dont know . We’ve looked our best ( in patches ) playing at a good pace off a quicker ruck and getting on a bit of a roll up the middle but everything lately is just slow and lateral . We’re dominated on the ground , our ball movement is slow , everything is ponderous and predictable . We just look so easy to defend against. I haven’t the answers but the coach in all honesty should have at least more of them than we’re seeing because opponents change but we’re watching the same game over n over . 

[Mr Frisky]

In his interview Chris said there were some players he can't pick anymore after that performance - any ideas who they may be?

[Sockhead]

I think after yesterdays poor performance there are quite a few players that I wouldn’t be picking again in a hurry!! I wish that some of the players had the heart and enthusiasm of Connor, he never lets us down.

[DocH]

Not sure I saw any particular lack of effort yesterday just not enough ability and thats been evident to most of us since day 1 so I'll be interested to see who he leaves out and who comes in. I don't see any options except recruitment.

[Derwent Parker]

58 minutes ago, DocH said:

Not sure I saw any particular lack of effort yesterday just not enough ability and thats been evident to most of us since day 1 so I'll be interested to see who he leaves out and who comes in. I don't see any options except recruitment.

I agree -  Not sure I saw any particular lack of effort yesterday just not enough ability in certain areas and as everyone says Size and yes everyone has said that since day 1.

Getting "nilled" regularly is what bugs me and that also shows that we don't have enough size.

When you play a struggling team or an amateur team in challenge cup etc - they might get well beat but they usually get a score because they usually get a crash over try with the big fellow!

Back a few seasons when we were regularly beating our Jam-eating neighbors, how many times did Big Forster keep them in the game on his own, or even win it for them?

Like the look of Glen Riley - runs good lines - but easy watched when hes the only one of size - now if we had big "fui" and "Ollie Wilkes" [etc] and Caine Barnes lined up, it aint as easy to mark them all so gives them all a bit more freedom.

As we will see next week  - Like the fellow "Amone" looks like a young Fui

 

 

 

 

[DavidM]

I think with some of our defence there was a lack of effort . We never pressurised Matty Smith at all , we gave Fozzard free reign round the ruck , and it can’t be coincidence that they were consistently first to the ball with a handful of our players standing around . We’re seeing teams who aren’t worldbeaters but are not only better than us but increasingly look more enthusiastic than us . More and more we’re bossed about and teams are having it way way to easy . 

[Worky]

The problem for me is we no longer look drilled. In the early games we got a couple of tries from set pieces at the scrum. Jamie receives and kicks. We use the space to collect and touch down in the corner. Sure a couple of games and teams get wise. The problem is I’m not seeing any other rehearsed moves coming in to mix things up.

Perhaps that’s why Forber and Doran are making sideways runs. There are looking for runners but no-one is there to pass to. We’ve gone from well drilled but the moves not always working to apparently random.

Whilst I agree we need to add size, I would also say the player I miss the most from last year is Blaine Marwood due to his speed and follow up play to give us options when someone does make a break (speaking of which – I can’t remember us making a single line break at the Widnes game).

On size in defence, back in the day Tee Ritson could use his speed to catch an opponent. He may not have been able to complete the tackle but managed to impede them enough for the others to catch up. Again I thought we had that type of play developing in Blaine. I’d even go as far as say the static line in defence is more of a problem than the size of the players. I might be unfair but we seemed to just watch some of the Widnes kicks that they scored from. If you can’t dive on the ball try to hoof it. Better risk a likely try than a certain try.

On the bright side in the Vievers era we couldn’t field a full strength team against Leigh so were expecting a drubbing, yet it was one of the best performances I’ve seen from a Town side.

In professional sport you should always play to win but never be afraid to test yourself against better opposition. I’m intending to be down at Derwent Park on Sunday. More out of hope than anything else.

[Worky]

3 hours ago, DavidM said:

We never pressurised Matty Smith at all , we gave Fozzard free reign round the ruck

This is worrying from a game prep view. It's hinted at in other posts higher up. Whose job was it to mark Matty and Fozzard?

I sometimes think that's why Alex gets so much stick. Unfairly in many cases. In defense he's in a two on one situation and trying to track between them both until its too late. The coach should be guiding him on when to commit. Let the players around you worry about x. Your job is to stop y.

Where's the messages out to the players on the pitch. Plan A isn't working. X and Y - your job is to keep the pressure up on these two. Leave the line if you need to. The rest of you close the gap in the line.

In the footballing code I was at the Scottish FA Cup Final and Hampden. The Gretna manager was superb at the Plan B. Hearts were all over them, so he changes the tactics. Read it right and took them to penalties.

[Derwent]

I saw something from another forum posted by a Widnes fan who’d seen the official stats from the game. According to him if you showed someone the stats without them knowing the result and asked who they thought won the answer would be Town ! Apparently we had better stats than Widnes in most aspects of the game - higher completion rate, less handling errors, slightly more possession and territory, less penalties conceded and believe it or not less missed tackles !

All of which goes to show just how blunt our attack is when we couldn’t turn that into a single point.

[Brookie]

12 hours ago, Worky said:

The problem for me is we no longer look drilled. In the early games we got a couple of tries from set pieces at the scrum. Jamie receives and kicks. We use the space to collect and touch down in the corner. Sure a couple of games and teams get wise. The problem is I’m not seeing any other rehearsed moves coming in to mix things up.

Perhaps that’s why Forber and Doran are making sideways runs. There are looking for runners but no-one is there to pass to. We’ve gone from well drilled but the moves not always working to apparently random.

Whilst I agree we need to add size, I would also say the player I miss the most from last year is Blaine Marwood due to his speed and follow up play to give us options when someone does make a break (speaking of which – I can’t remember us making a single line break at the Widnes game).

On size in defence, back in the day Tee Ritson could use his speed to catch an opponent. He may not have been able to complete the tackle but managed to impede them enough for the others to catch up. Again I thought we had that type of play developing in Blaine. I’d even go as far as say the static line in defence is more of a problem than the size of the players. I might be unfair but we seemed to just watch some of the Widnes kicks that they scored from. If you can’t dive on the ball try to hoof it. Better risk a likely try than a certain try.

On the bright side in the Vievers era we couldn’t field a full strength team against Leigh so were expecting a drubbing, yet it was one of the best performances I’ve seen from a Town side.

In professional sport you should always play to win but never be afraid to test yourself against better opposition. I’m intending to be down at Derwent Park on Sunday. More out of hope than anything else.

I thought that Marwood would make an excellent scrum half

[DocH]

12 hours ago, Worky said:

 

 I would also say the player I miss the most from last year is Blaine Marwood

Holroyd for me

[DavidM]

1 hour ago, Derwent said:

higher completion rate, less handling errors

And as you say no points . Basically telling us we’re doing nothing with the ball other than keeping hold of it 

[DavidM]

2 minutes ago, DocH said:

Holroyd for me

Definitely . Holroyd at fullback . We’re just crying out for some xfactor .

[chromedome]

He (Holroyd)was stood behind us on popular side for good part of game....I asked him why he wasn't playing and he claimed to be injured.......I say 'claimed' because recently he hasn't figured in much action for Widnes and wondered if he's perhaps not appreciated there?

[Twinkle]

Would be interesting to see individual player stats to see whose putting the work in & whose not. 

Can't bare being nilled again so off to Magic with ears closed

Edited July 6, 2022 by Twinkle
Wanted to add more

[Callum Linford 98]

We completed better and had more possession in key areas just couldn’t get over there the line. According to the stats. The worrying thing is Barrow and Widnes exploited the kicks to the posts or in-behind well. Basic that your FB keeps the line as one that then doesn’t happen

[wonky]

14 hours ago, Callum Linford 98 said:

We completed better and had more possession in key areas just couldn’t get over there the line. According to the stats. The worrying thing is Barrow and Widnes exploited the kicks to the posts or in-behind well. Basic that your FB keeps the line as one that then doesn’t happen

Only stat that matters is Widnes scoring 38 points (with ease) and town looking like they wouldn’t score a point if they played until a month on Sunday 

[DocH]

On 05/07/2022 at 10:38, DavidM said:

Definitely . Holroyd at fullback . We’re just crying out for some xfactor .

Though remember we had Fell as FB option as well who was genuine class

[dkw]

2 hours ago, DocH said:

Though remember we had Fell as FB option as well who was genuine class

Fell has been a huge loss, I dont think we realised it until he wasnt there. Thats not to say we would have definitely won more games with him here, but I think it would have given us more of a chance.

[wonky]

It’s a fact we are weaker this year than last, town 12 months ago would beat this team comfortably