Keep the faith guys we're only 2 weeks in and the Knee jerking on here is the Hot topic of the moment
We will be fine,This season is one of transition and we will still be in the mix for all of the trophies
Wigan,Saints,Wolves etc all had a dig last season and they all won nowt!

Knee jerk reaction is the foundation of social media, no point trying to stop the flow of sewage...

Of more concern is a possible proliferation of knee injuries this season. I haven't seen today's incidents but - from an objective point of view - was very unhappy with the circumstances of Shenton's injury.

I said prior to the match if we were going to play you now was the best time, and it's been ultimately shown to be correct. You're a squad still smarting from the loss of your talismans and finding their feet, and I suspect eventually you will click. We've had as many changes to our squad as most but it's not the same, we've not replaced anyone who was the heart of the team and being written off by loud mouths probably helped stoke some fires too.

Some interesting posts here, particularly about the pitch. Two teams playing on it under the same conditions, we've had a few seasons on it now and have been just fine so if it's not causing us an injury crisis, it shouldn't be to your team during one match. Incredibly rich blaming that.

after that can see us playing you in the million pound game .

The injuries being suffered around all teams already is quite alarming. The last 3/4 years we seem to be seeing more and more clubs having an injury crisis and earlier and earlier into the season to the point when teams have several out before the first game.

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As for the point some others made above about the WCC. I'd say it had some bearing on the score line at least, but not the result, likewise with the Saints score line on Thursday. I know teams like to play it down so they don't look unprofessional or disrespectful to that weeks opposition but it happens so often the weeks before and after a WCC or CC Final and also in other sports that it can't be coincidence.

After just watching the highlights I must say the 2 Leeds' tries were pretty good....especially the 2nd (Hardaker actually passed to keep the move flowing ). Watkins' finishing for the 1st was class.

However, Widnes's 1st try of the second half was particularly shameful....so many ambling back with their backs to the danger.

Quote: nantwichexile "After just watching the highlights I must say the 2 Leeds' tries were pretty good....especially the 2nd (Hardaker actually passed to keep the move flowing www.skysports.com/watch/video/sp ... -for-leeds Video on Sky Sports showing the moments all 3 guys get injured, all 3 look in a lot of pain.

Quote: nantwichexile "After just watching the highlights I must say the 2 Leeds' tries were pretty good....especially the 2nd (Hardaker actually passed to keep the move flowing www.skysports.com/watch/video/sp ... -for-leeds Video on Sky Sports showing the moments all 3 guys get injured, all 3 look in a lot of pain.

Sorry to say, absolutely nothing positive to say about today. I would be clutching at straws if I said Lilley kicking one from the touch line was a crumb of comfort. It may have no relevance to how poorly we played, but who in their right mind would order any sports team to set off at the same time as their supporters coaches across the busiest motorway in England for a 3pm kick off? Seeing their coach limp along the M62 for 2 hours leaving them little time for preparation was foolish to say the least. Was it last season when they did exactly the same thing and got another pumping ? I thought Zak put an enormous amount of work and effort in and Singleton was our best forward and the only one that was aggressive enough to knock anyone backwards and hurt them. Garbutt livened up near the end when it was too late, and that was about it. Credit to Widnes, they ran fast, straight and looked like a well oiled machine, the polar opposite to us. I'm not gonna claim the officials influenced the outcome to a great extent, but the less I see of Stokes the better, he was awful. You will not see a worse decision this season than when Hardaker was held down illegally when tackled a yard short after a great run. It was a 10 minute sin bin all day long and the pie eating tw** bottled it totally and put Widnes on a team warning instead, right on the hooter for half time . The sooner they do away with that team warning bollo**s the better. I'm sure Stokes would have sent a Widnes player to the bin in the first couple of minutes of the 2nd half after he'd spent 15 minutes in the warm with his flapjack and Nescafé. Idiot ref, idiot rule.

I know a lot of teams play soft a week before a big game, but I've never liked it. I think its a poor way to warm up and the risk of injuries is worse if players are not focused on what they're doing.

The transition was always going to be bigger and take longer than some predicted imo throw in the injuries and having to over rely on Sutcliffe after so long out and very little pre-season behind him it's no surprise we've lost 2 from 2.
However even if you expect and allow for some teething problems and disjointed performances that defence today was and should be unacceptable for any 13 out on the pitch it was p!$h.
No point targetting individuals especially the younger lads ,collectively however that was diabolical and for some of the tries we conceded they looked like they were trying to out do each other for most pathetic tackle attempt.
I expect us to regroup and be 1000% better next week but as it stands a 20pt loss will come across as an improvement its a big test for the players and Coaches now i hope MC has ripped em a new arris every now and again an old fashioned ear bashing is needed and this is one of thgose occasions imo,

In a weird way the hammering might do us a favour in the long run. Poor vs Wakey on Boxing Day, not great vs Bradford but can be labelled as just friendlies. Don't take our chances vs Wire but can say it was only 2 points and the missed kicks and think we aren't that far off. Had we lost by a score or two vs Widnes then again you could say not far off just got to sort some stuff out.......however a beating like that should HOPEFULLY make them realise that they need to get their act together because they haven't looked or sounded on it from the moment they came back from the off season IMO.

The team usually prefers it and plays better when they start getting written off so hopefully that hammering was the performance that brings them back down to earth with a bang after probably basking in the glory of 2015 too long.

It's a fair point we regrouped after that pasting in France last year & we do carry the underdog tag better than any team in SL imo.

Yeah, but we are missing a very vital ingredient. This team has proven nothing yet to say it could do what we have previously. I have seen some very good Widnes sides over time, and some pretty poor Leeds ones to be fair. Yet that was Widnes biggest ever win against Leeds, and that should take some reflecting on players and fans alike.

It is bad enough players playing unacceptable, but self infliction makes it worse. The club have completely dropped the ball in believing they had planned correctly in the halfs, and more to the point leadership. I won't repeat my thoughts on the McGuire position, but what sort of an idiot thought it right when he is out, to place the captaincy on a guy who has made his whole career on individualism and not team play, I do not know. That wasn't the reason we lost, but it was definitely significant in the total collapse.