Really disappointed to write this, but I posted a few times about the abilities of the coach last year.
Simon underachieved by a couple of places last year and heading toward underachieving by perhaps even three or four places this year if we carry on.
We needed real experience after coming back from the dead, and we chose a prospect. He's just not good enough and should be getting way more out of a good squad like this.
No excuses any more, needs to be stood down.
Too many players not good enough,even at this level.Season is over, early April.
I have to agree. I've never seen a less creative half than Lyons (terrible defender too, btw) and Smith is way way past it. Without spark you are sunk. Craven a better creator but becoming very predictable with that show and go.
Sammut more threat than all of those combined, sadly.
No excuse and no hiding place now for the Finneys It's their squad selected by them. Looking forward to the droning toneless after match interview. And we all thought that Betty was bad.
It isn’t a matter of underachieving though. We have been poor for about four or five years and we are getting slowly worse.
What’s most frustrating from a playing perspective is that we have had the same major problem for three years now. The basic requirement in the Championship is a dominant pack.
A dominant pack requires five big props 2 to start 2 on the bench and 1 to cover for injury.
It’s not the same as SL where second rows, loose forwards, big centres can ‘double up’ - SL is about the speed of the play the ball and not letting the defensive line set. The Championship is old school and about controlling the ball and wearing the opposition down. We just can’t do that.
We have some reasonable outside backs - good enough for this division, but the forwards can’t get to grips with the opposition and the half backs are ineffective (Smith, as an example is simply about 3 or 4 years past his sell by date - no slight on him, in his prime he was a very good player).
As I said last week, we are on our usual inevitable path. We will win a few, lose more and end up just outside the play-off spots.
I think we have come as far as we can get with the present set up.Again not a criticism, the current set up saved us from extinction, but we haven’t got the money, or apparent understanding on the coaches part, to change our thinking and game plan.
It is what it is and I’ll always follow the club (inbred) but I appreciate we probably can’t change much but it is so frustrating that we don’t seem to have a desire to change the things we perhaps could on the pitch.
sf needs to go, jack owen needs to stick to making pointless videos with craven. said the other week jack blames everyone bar himself same again tonight. lawton thinks he is wally lewis . best 2 players on the pitch tonight are with us for 2 weeks. tyrer lost form but wasnt helped by owen. total shambles
lyons not good enough for top of championship
At the end of the day, this is the championship and most players will be able to run hard, tackle and do the basics, what separates the good from the bad are your Pivots, your hooker and your fullback.
Owens looks shot, not in body but in mind
Smith should have retired a long time ago, only contribution to our attack is a poor kicking game.
Fozard is probably the best of the 4 that played tonight
Lyons just isnt good enough, he has never shown the potential to be good enough. Every time he plays its like the team has tied a hand behind its own back.
One of the best supported teams, VIQI, etc.,etc., and we're just making the numbers up in the championship. Sad times, sad days ahead.
Very depressing, no game plan, Owens not ready mentally or physically, Tyrer much the same.
Why wasn't Roby first choice? Plain when eventually got on that he was ready.
Had the players been introduced?
Don't bother opening the North Stand for Good Friday!
Really disappointed after such a good start to the season and players who excelled early on are now lethargic. Davis is a star and should be playing from the start, Tyrer very rarely has a bad day but last night failed as did most of the crew. We came good late on when Addy seemed to take control but too little too late. Will be there Good Fri, not expecting a win but it’s a day out with the grand sons
Davies did play from the start.
We had a 100% record until Craven got injured. We've barely looked like scoring a try since.
Owens, unfortunately, isn't leading by example. Pointing and arms waving for the most part - to do that and allow Boafo to go in at the corner and then run all the way around under the posts in a tight game just simply isn't good enough.
No one can knock the forwards from last night. They did their jobs.
The sad part about last night was we were beaten by a team as poor as us. NT are not a good side.
I think the playing once a fortnight, and only having 2 home games by the middle of April, when the season started in January, hasn't helped. How has this happened? Have other clubs suffered the same?
DC is a big miss, but even Danny is knocking on a bit, and will be on the decline in the near future. We don't seem to have anything coming through to replace the likes of Smith, Craven etc. Also, in hindsight, the recruitment has been poor, why would you bring in 4 lads from a team that has been relegated, heavily? Why recruit a prop that is an NHS nightmare?
BECAUSE THEY'RE CHEAP!
I really don't see where the next win is coming from. Leigh, Batley at home, Then Fev away. We've no chance of anything from those games, and we've still got 3 away games in Cumbria.
Up The Chemics!
Paulie xx
I don't see where the next win is coming from either but sometimes one pops up from nowhere when least expected.
There is no doubt we miss Danny, really concerned about the rumours he may be out for the season - if so we need to move fast for a season long loan, not sure who would be available though
forwards last night did ok, but no creativity in the halves
we need to regroup and take each game as it comes, Leigh will be a massive game. Hopefully a big crowd backing Widnes will help.
as for finnegan, no point in replacing him, let the season finish and then assess.