Yes other than that the pack looks good!!

Phew, that's a relief then, I was beginning to think we'll struggle to put a team out next season.

What we appear to have is a team with no structured attack or structured defence. A team seemingly and increasingly incapable of winning without McGuire - although that could just be a coincidence. An absolute triumph of coaching.

As for selecting 'Lee Smith light' on the bench to make only his fourth 1st grade appearance ..... was there a prize on offer for fielding the least experienced player in a Challenge Cup Final?

Apparently nantwichexile has some incriminating pictures of Bri. He said if he didn't pick Keinhorst, Singleton and Hood he'd show them to the Leeds board. Bri told nantwich he would but Hood & Singleton were playing dual reg games so were unavailable.

They settled on Keinhorst. Sound crazy? So does the fact that we have a fully fit squad bar McGuire and not one player from the top 25 could force themselves into the final 17 over a kid who at best looks raw and while he is obviously talented was in no way ready for that game.

Who said it was easy? Certainly, not me. You're confusing statements of fact with criticism, which given my feck wit comment was entirely my own fault.

A quality coach is there to improve the players and can do that job. What we have is a good man, who has some coaching skills but, against quality opposition, he is way out of his depth.

You implied it was!

I agree by the way, but not all players can or want to be coached to be better defensively. I doubt this is the case with Watkins but I don't know.

Du bist richtig

"Kid" ? He's 22

Yet he is the coach of the current SL and world champions!?!
Think I'm with BM on this one

We all have opinions but, given the games won and last columns, regardless of the championship, I would suggest that BM is not quite up to the job. The specific issue of player development is th mark of a good coach and, to my mind, Watkins has lacked that development.

From what I have seen and heard of him, I can't deny that I have warmed to him. However, my opinion is based purely on what I see on the pitch and, quite frankly, it is never convincing and often a shambles.

He's a right centre.

Thought Wire's tries down our right hand side came down to Hodgson's ability to link into the line and create an overlap. Hardaker hasn't quite developed that side of his game yet, hopefully he can learn off Webb while he is still around.

Yes, just as long as he doesn't try to pick up all of Webb's qualities at the same time.

The two near-identical second half tries scored down the right started from quick PTBs up the middle, and our defence being hopelessly outnumbered by Wire's left-side attack. At the start of the play when they scored their first in the corner in the second half we had 4 players covering the entire right side of the field against about 6 Wire players. All it needed was simple quick passing to draw in players, well executed and we were shafted. Nothing at all Watkins or anyone else individually out wide could have done except possibly go for the big hit/intercept by racing out of the line.

The problems out wide were structural and started with being soft and slow up the middle. Players allowing quick PTBs up the middle, causing defenders to be sucked in and then facing a good attack able to get the ball wide fast and with a plan as to who would do what.

In contrast we looked clueless.

McDermott deserves credit. Since 2010 (hammered in the cup final, out in the playoff semis) we have reached every final available to us, maintained league position with an ageing squad and top players not replaced, against other teams who have improved drastically. Since 2010, we have lost:

Scott Donald
Greg Eastwood
Danny Buderus
Keith Senior
Ali Lauitiiti
Matt Diskin
Luke Burgess

while it is arguable that Hardaker, Jones-Bishop and Watkins have come through, similarly high-line players (particularly in the forwards) have not been found. Yet team performance has actually improved. I think that speaks very much for the competency of our coach with the resources at his disposal.

This is a perfect summary of my own thoughts.

You could argue that the players lost of recent years counted against the coach and his efforts to move the team forward this year. However, the results (and not just on Saturday) have not shown the team to be equal to the sum of the parts and a truly great coach should be getting more than that.

I may be wrong but, I feel that BM is not capable fo taking this team back to the top.

Bang on... nail on the head. The structure Warrington had on defence and attack was far far better than ours.

Warrington looked much better in the forwards, Peacock was the only Rhinos forward to make any yards.