I agree that if we had won on Sunday there would be a different feel.
But we were always going to get injuries and isolating players, whether it be now, next week or in 6 weeks time.
Equally, we knew last summer we had one senior hooker. We knew last summer the twins, Moran and Wilde were leaving. Johnson also left. We have not signed a replacement senior winger.
You can argue that we have had 3 props come in for the twins and Moran, plus Lawton for Wilde. That has not fundamentally altered the make up of the squad.
Like him or loathe him, Leuluai was vastly experienced and has effectively been replaced by Josh Wilde (who has done fine btw!)
We ran with a 24 man squad, plus reserves and academy last year. Let us not forget we needed to use reserve players like Hulme and Wood, plus DR which doesn't exist anymore. In fact we used 25 players in total in just 7 matches!
I just feel the squad is generally understrength.
Anyway, I hope we play well tomorrow and I'm sure there will be no lack of effort!
I don’t believe ‘lack of finances’ as a reason. Forgive me if I’m wrong but on James’ podcast Finney said we were in a strong position that wouldn’t suggest lack of finances to me. In our position with injuries already and Covid risk and showing we can’t even pick a 21 man squad we have no choice but to dip into the market because this can’t carry on after 3 competitive games
There is a difference in between not having debts and being able to spend.
The club are obviously on the look out for affordable options - like the lad from Wire we have on loan, but anybody who thinks they are going to make it in SL would be looking for more than we can afford (as a pat time team) and outside of SL there aren’t many options that are available that are better than we have and who might not necessarily want to sign for us.
Playing Salford’s full time professionals is not going to help us on the injury front, unfortunately I can see us getting well beat and having a load of injuries to add to our increasing list. A game we could have done without at this time.
hope I’m wrong
Playing Salford’s full time professionals is not going to help us on the injury front, unfortunately I can see us getting well beat and having a load of injuries to add to our increasing list. A game we could have done without at this time. hope I’m wrong
Spot on! We need this game like a hole in the head atm.
Well if that’s the case, let’s not play Toulouse, York, fev etc because we may get beat
play every game with your strongest team and try to win the game - otherwise pack in
Sheffield challenge cup winners 🙏
bramley bbc2 floodlight cup winners🙌
Dire the shitkickers cup winners 🦾
All the pressure is on Salford to perform well, and put us to bed over the 80 minutes, which I think they will. We need to go and play without fear, and have a go. We all know our best chance of silverware will be at Wembley in July, but not in the CC.
#UTChemics
Paulie xx
Just stuck a tenner on Widnes, was surprised to see us at 9/2.
was expecting at least 16/1.
ive seen Widnes win these games against all odds many times before. If we do win the lot is going on Minella Times in the National!
9/2 - Good god, that’s stingy. Who laid that bet? Dick Turpin?
You’ve been done, you can get 8/1 at Bet Fred for a straight win or Even money with a 22 points handicap.
Who do we want in the draw for the next round?
Apart from around the middle, it hasn’t been too bad. Some good movement with the ball.
Two debatable decision to disallow us tries.
Score line a foregone conclusion already, but so far this game I think we’ve played some of the best rugby I’ve seen from us so far this season.
I really hope the boys can ignore the score line and use this to learn from. Leon Price in commentary is quite complimentary about us, almost willed us in for that try!
Always on to a hiding to nothing with this game. Good to get a well deserved and also well worked try on the board.
Quite impressed really, some good rugby in first 10 mins, a score there would have been deserved
lazy tackling cost us a few tries and Buckley (?)try was not forward
disappointed in the ref who is allowing fraud to slow down the pub, but end of the half he did ping them for that
Lawton is the most frustrating player to watch