Fri 5th Aug: SL: Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves KO 20:00 (Sky)

[Dave T]

14 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Wire look a lot like Leeds did early on in the season, we created chances but often blew them, then played some dumb rugby and collapsed when anything went against us.

Rohan Smith changed all that.

I simply think you’ve got the wrong coach for your club, and don’t think that he needed to make such a overhaul.

I suppose time will tell about Powell, but I think he has shown staggering arrogance so far to absolutely trash a pretty good team. 

There was no indication that such an overhaul was needed apart from moaning from the likes of Ritchie Mathers and a small number of fans who were frustrated that we hadn't won the SL title. 

[Chrispmartha]

7 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I suppose time will tell about Powell, but I think he has shown staggering arrogance so far to absolutely trash a pretty good team. 

There was no indication that such an overhaul was needed apart from moaning from the likes of Ritchie Mathers and a small number of fans who were frustrated that we hadn't won the SL title. 

If you lose to TO next week, do you think he’ll be gone?

[Dave T]

5 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

If you lose to TO next week, do you think he’ll be gone?

I don't know. Ordinarily he'd have been gone by now let's be honest, but the board clearly feel they have the right guy and are backing him. 

I'm OK with that approach, but it's certainly nervy times right now. 

Four pointer on Thursday. 

[Chrispmartha]

3 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I don't know. Ordinarily he'd have been gone by now let's be honest, but the board clearly feel they have the right guy and are backing him. 

I'm OK with that approach, but it's certainly nervy times right now. 

Four pointer on Thursday. 

It’s baffling to me, I don’t see anything that says they’ve got the right guy. I suppose the are hoping (and it’s likely) that they get another win or two and just write this season off and hope he turns it around.

Thing is and I think I said this when they signed Powell, he has a record of failing at the final hurdle throughout his coaching career, which is exactly the opposite of what Warrington needed.

He seems to have got a reputation of being a great coach because of one season 5 years ago, and guess what, they collapsed when it mattered.

[Dave T]

7 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

It’s baffling to me, I don’t see anything that says they’ve got the right guy. I suppose the are hoping (and it’s likely) that they get another win or two and just write this season off and hope he turns it around.

Thing is and I think I said this when they signed Powell, he has a record of failing at the final hurdle throughout his coaching career, which is exactly the opposite of what Warrington needed.

He seems to have got a reputation of being a great coach because of one season 5 years ago, and guess what, they collapsed when it mattered.

I'm not concerned about the falling at the final hurdle point. Once you make finals, anything can happen. At Wire we know that more than anyone, and Smith could easily have that tag if we were to be ruthless with it. 

I think once you get to the final it is less a coaching thing. But tbh, it'd be nice to even test your hypothesis on Powell, because going from 3rd to relegation battle certainly isn't an achievement! 

[GURNER]

15 hours ago, Padge said:

Well it was nice to bump into an old friend and friend of this forum tonight.

The one and only MIAG was sat just in front of us tonight for the first half.

Good to see him looking well.

Thankyou very much and right back at yer Mr P, it was uncanny where we were sat just in front of you (not our ticketed seating) but you wouldn't have said I was looking so well in the second half.

When we were scoring a try down at the south/east stand area my daughter shot up to see, so I did or rather shot up  at a forward angle, overbalanced and faceplanted an empty row of seats below me, with legs waving in the air.

A tad embarrassing alright, luckily missed by the sky cameras

[GURNER]

6 hours ago, JohnM said:

One of the good guys, MIAG. Handy with a hammer, iirc. 

As is your good self sir, always a pleasure to see you when we met up

[GURNER]

13 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Was he fretting about the nights drawing in? Because if he wasn't...

Don't start me, I'm monitoring the time daylight ends each day with dismay.

[Damien]

5 hours ago, Dave T said:

I suppose time will tell about Powell, but I think he has shown staggering arrogance so far to absolutely trash a pretty good team. 

There was no indication that such an overhaul was needed apart from moaning from the likes of Ritchie Mathers and a small number of fans who were frustrated that we hadn't won the SL title. 

Before the game Sky showed the squad at the start of the season. It was a very strong squad which should have really had top 4 written all over it.

[ELBOWSEYE]

47 minutes ago, Damien said:

Before the game Sky showed the squad at the start of the season. It was a very strong squad which should have really had top 4 written all over it.

Never, the pack was poor, and since the end if last season we have lost or let go, Hill, Akualo, King, Mamo, Austin, Charnley, Lineham. Thats the full three quarters and 2 big effective forwards and replaced them poorer quality or non performing replacement and a few academy graduates at the start of their careers. And ourone remaining decent prop we released to Wigan. The majority of Warrington fans did not expect top 4 probably mid table. I am willing to give Powell next season to get it right. 

[Dave T]

41 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Never, the pack was poor, and since the end if last season we have lost or let go, Hill, Akualo, King, Mamo, Austin, Charnley, Lineham. Thats the full three quarters and 2 big effective forwards and replaced them poorer quality or non performing replacement and a few academy graduates at the start of their careers. And ourone remaining decent prop we released to Wigan. The majority of Warrington fans did not expect top 4 probably mid table. I am willing to give Powell next season to get it right. 

The point is that Powell has released all those players in season. 

Hill is a miss, but some of the others you mention have been more than replaced. 

The squad was good enough for higher than mid-table. 

[Damien]

1 hour ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Never, the pack was poor, and since the end if last season we have lost or let go, Hill, Akualo, King, Mamo, Austin, Charnley, Lineham. Thats the full three quarters and 2 big effective forwards and replaced them poorer quality or non performing replacement and a few academy graduates at the start of their careers. And ourone remaining decent prop we released to Wigan. The majority of Warrington fans did not expect top 4 probably mid table. I am willing to give Powell next season to get it right. 

You have missed the point. These players started the season, they were in the squad. You are merely backing up what I said really.

[ELBOWSEYE]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

You have missed the point. These players started the season, they were in the squad. You are merely backing up what I said really.

Mamo. Hill. Akualo, lineham, Austin. But even though you are partly right it doesn't make the statement that we look like top 4.

We played Wigan in a preseason friendly and plenty of knowledgeable fans stated just on that game the pack will be overrun this season and we will struggle in most games. Not hindsight just stating the blatantly obvious. 

[ELBOWSEYE]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

The point is that Powell has released all those players in season. 

Hill is a miss, but some of the others you mention have been more than replaced. 

The squad was good enough for higher than mid-table. 

Never, and its not hindsight dave it was obvious even before the first game. And I am not giving Powell a free run but the foundations have been weakened over a few seasons. Next season will be his last chance because he has placed his reputation on his signings and his ability, we will just have to wait and see. 

[Dave T]

6 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Never, and its not hindsight dave it was obvious even before the first game. And I am not giving Powell a free run but the foundations have been weakened over a few seasons. Next season will be his last chance because he has placed his reputation on his signings and his ability, we will just have to wait and see. 

Our pack had Cooper, Clarke, Philbin, Currie, Hughes, Clark, Davis, Bullock, Mulhern plus new signings Holmes, Harrison and Maguolias. That may be lacking Chris Hill, but it is not a bad pack. It has underperformed. 

 

[Damien]

13 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Mamo. Hill. Akualo, lineham, Austin. But even though you are partly right it doesn't make the statement that we look like top 4.

We played Wigan in a preseason friendly and plenty of knowledgeable fans stated just on that game the pack will be overrun this season and we will struggle in most games. Not hindsight just stating the blatantly obvious. 

Warrington finished 3rd in 2021. I don't believe that the majority of Warrington fans suddenly thought they were then a mid table team in 2022. I guess we'll just agree to disagree.

[Dallas Mead]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Our pack had Cooper, Clarke, Philbin, Currie, Hughes, Clark, Davis, Bullock, Mulhern plus new signings Holmes, Harrison and Maguolias. That may be lacking Chris Hill, but it is not a bad pack. It has underperformed. 

 

That’s a terrible pack and was called as such by a large proportion of Warrington fans long before the season got underway.

[ELBOWSEYE]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

Warrington finished 3rd in 2021. I don't believe that the majority of Warrington fans suddenly thought they were then a mid table team in 2022. I guess we'll just agree to disagree.

End of season is different to preseason, maybe as I am a Warrington fan I see it from a Warrington fan perspective. But sometimes you see a fall way before it happens but when it happens some people struggle to see why it happens. 

[ELBOWSEYE]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

Our pack had Cooper, Clarke, Philbin, Currie, Hughes, Clark, Davis, Bullock, Mulhern plus new signings Holmes, Harrison and Maguolias. That may be lacking Chris Hill, but it is not a bad pack. It has underperformed. 

 

Not a bad pack, its the worst pack in SL. Cooper was the only decent non hooker the rest were at best average, 

Currie is not the player after injuries, philbin has gone backwards, Harrison I will give a break too. The rest bang average at best. Dave i know you cpme across as a balanced poster but the circles in Warrington I go in all believe my version of whats happening and I have not met any wire fan in Warrington who thinks that pack even half decent, not one person. 

[Dave T]

9 hours ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Not a bad pack, its the worst pack in SL. Cooper was the only decent non hooker the rest were at best average, 

Currie is not the player after injuries, philbin has gone backwards, Harrison I will give a break too. The rest bang average at best. Dave i know you cpme across as a balanced poster but the circles in Warrington I go in all believe my version of whats happening and I have not met any wire fan in Warrington who thinks that pack even half decent, not one person. 

Wire fans have a tendency to be a bit spoilt and spit their dummy, but that wasn't the assessment at the start of the year. You are retro-fitting this view. 

When we beat Wigan at Magic late last season our pack was made up of:

Hill, Walker, Cooper, Currie, Hughes, Philbin

Clark, Mulhern, Longstaff on the bench. 

The only player not available this season was Hill. 

So how did we go from a pack that had us in 3rd on the ladder to you and everyone you know calling it the worst pack in the league? Something doesn't add up there. 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Dave T

[Dave T]

10 hours ago, Dallas Mead said:

That’s a terrible pack and was called as such by a large proportion of Warrington fans long before the season got underway.

It was the pack we had last year that finished 3rd. Only Hill has changed. 

Harrison was lauded as a great signing. 

[Dave T]

I should add, clearly our pack has been poor this year, but there is a reason that the exact same players (bar Hill) are performing at a far lower standard. 

But 5 of our starting 6 forwards are Eng/GB internationals and the other is an experienced NRL player. 

[ELBOWSEYE]

53 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Wire fans have a tendency to be a bit spoilt and spit their dummy, but that wasn't the assessment at the start of the year. You are retro-fitting this view. 

When we beat Wigan at Magic late last season our pack was made up of:

Hill, Walker, Cooper, Currie, Hughes, Philbin

Clark, Mulhern, Longstaff on the bench. 

The only player not available this season was Hill. 

So how did we go from a pack that had us in 3rd on the ladder to you and everyone you know calling it the worst pack in the league? Something doesn't add up there. 

Retro fitting come on, how can make you just pluck a statement out of the air without ever speaking to me. And I am not a fan who is reactionary I watch the game through a balanced view whilst still wanting Warrington to win. I won't scream at players or boo. But in the circles I speak to in Warrington i have not heard one think the pack was good enough before the season or we would be top 4. If you don't believe me so be it. 

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Retro fitting come on, how can make you just pluck a statement out of the air without ever speaking to me. And I am not a fan who is reactionary I watch the game through a balanced view whilst still wanting Warrington to win. I won't scream at players or boo. But in the circles I speak to in Warrington i have not heard one think the pack was good enough before the season or we would be top 4. If you don't believe me so be it. 

If you thought we were the worst pack in the league before the season started, fair enough. 

Any thoughts on my point that this pack was good enough to finish 3rd and beat all the top teams last year? 

[ELBOWSEYE]

9 minutes ago, Dave T said:

If you thought we were the worst pack in the league before the season started, fair enough. 

Any thoughts on my point that this pack was good enough to finish 3rd and beat all the top teams last year? 

In my opinion we played above our level in the last 2 seasons especially the last. Our performance in the play offs was a true picture of the level we where at. On Price he had our defence performing good but in attack we were more dangerous from our own 20 than the opposition 20 and over his reign we got steadily poorer as a team and squad, what we did sign were lots of decent halves but the pack became reliant on Hill and Cooper to lay a platform for Clarke and the halves to work on.