Sezer and Leeming are the bigger issue right now. Sezer is just too passive drifting in and out of games and for all Leemings talk of wc disappointment motivating him, he carried on where he left off last season with O'connor out shining him.

I think smith is self reflective enough to recognise and change what didn't work, ie centre choices. Abd for me that should be the last time Tetevano starts ahead of Smith at 13, its always been a fallacy that he can play that 3rd prop role against a big pack, it brought back nightmares of Agar past. C Smith can be our point of difference against it.

We've obviously had a big turnover of players this off season but next is the most significant with both halves and Tetevano probably moving on.

Pretty strange to compare with Hardaker!
He was at Leeds last season but Myler was first choice FB ahead of him.

We know what we get with Myler.
He's not fast or strong.
But the way he links the play across the 3/4's is the best in the league.
The problem on Thursday was that we rarely got the chance for him to do this.

Very harsh on Leeming. We were absolutely mullered from the start. Not sure what a 9 can do when you’re on the end of an absolute battering like that. Zero intensity from Leeds. Points to a coaching issue.

The fact is, we were not prepared for that game. The back line was horrendous. We were outplayed all over. Small gains in the second half when the game was lost are no consolation whatsoever.

Leeming was pretty average towards the end of last season and as hooker he along with the rest of the front row were central to our defensive problems on Thurs and did nothing to generate momentum with the ball. O'connor had the better game when he came on. I hope leeming can improve.

Stemming the tide surely is small consolation as we look for improvement going in to next week.

Yeh, a couple of selection errors.
Smith should have started at 13 and Lisone from the bench.
And O'Connor should have started at 9 and Leeming from the bench - we were much better last year when we did that.
Not that it would have made much difference tbh.
But I expect we'll do this next week.

Leeming seemed to be overplaying his role when he came back from injury. When he’s on form, his running from DH is very good and you need that direct nature in some games.

O’Connor and Leeming can contrast well to the benefit of the team. But you’re spot on, the front row need to step up massively.

Too early to be sure about much for 2023, but honestly if we’re challenging this year with so many big name/salary players looking past it I’ll be surprised.

I think Smith has his hands tied until 2024 with so many senior players already contracted up. We have so completely stuffed up recruitment it’s not even funny, especially with the marquee spots and this is for years and years.

We will look lots better with Oledski back and first choice centres in the side.

The reality is that our four key spine players (myler, Sezer, Austin and Leeming) are not that good in comparison to others across the league.

We have needed myler in the fullback role because I honestly don’t think our halves were good enough to create without him out the back.

We can have an amazing team around those 4 but unless we improve them then I really don’t see us progressing where as a club I am sure they want to go.

As a side Warrington we’re always going to play that style, the team and signings are literally an exact fit. Halves with great short kicking games, big forwards. Pin you in the corner, win the arm wrestle and short kicks to score a try. Unclear why but selection, intensity and everything else didn’t seem set for that type of game. Just a bad performance and I imagine it may have caused a few changes in training for this coming week.

Agreed. Those positions must be the priority for 2024 recruitment. Hopefully some of the current encumbents can rise to the challenge over the course of the season, although that certainly didn't happen on Thursday. In fairness, Austin tried his heart out without bring particularly effective.

Think Austin would actually be really good with better players around him, especially some pace…..

When you compare our spine to Saints that tells you all you need to know. Until we get that right we’ll be a way off

Non of our spine would get in their team, that’s true….

I doubt anyone in SL gets in that Saints spine ahead of Welsby/Lomax/Roby etc.

Those three behind that pack!

Plus Fusitua can't see him getting a new deal.