The game was a good summary of our season.

Appalling starts. It was only Tickle's off- day with the boot that kept us in it,

Inability to make pressure count. Once we belatedly started the match, we were much the better team for the rest of the first half. But we are skilled in making a committed a dwell drilled defence look like a 26 man wall. For a long spell we totally dominated but mostly made scoring seem as difficult as nuclear physics.

Leg up syndrome - you have prime position, and contrive to find a way to gift your opponents the ball plus a bonus free run up the field

Gale used the game as a self contained video of his traits; very effective for 30 minutes, and completely irritating for 40. Having found his range, what the fsck happened in the second half? When we needed someone to steady the ship and control the game, he was nowhere to be seen.

Attack is easy syndrome
As so often, we spend 15 mins on constant attack without scoring; but the very first time the opposition get to our end, we seem mesmerised and at half strength, and the opposition walk in at the very first attempt.

For much of the second 40 it has to be said we looked like a pub team, and the Gaskell injury is no excuse. Not an abject performance, plenty of effort and some good spells and good shifts. But way too much headless chicken stuff and some awful decision making

Why play Chev for the full 80 at centre?
Why not use Arundel at all?
Why not play Roberts in a meaningless match?

Some baffling decisions from Jimmy today, I got the feeling that a few of our guys were playing carrying knocks too. Hope the injury to Gaskell is nothing too serious, didn't look it.

Very disappointed with second half. Didn't think those who are leaving showed at all. I've never been one of those who constantly criticise Gale but today thought he will not last long at Cas if he performs like that at the Mend a Hose.
Everyone talks about Kevin Brown ( and he is good) but I thought the young scrum half Mellor completely outplayed Gale and their tries on our left were made by their halves rather than the fault of Walker or Williams. Once Gaskell was crocked our attack fell apart. And Cahill was for me the best forward on the pitch.
As Doom says let's concentrate on next year - with O'Brien & Gaskell we should have 2 of the best creative players in the division. The new full back has received pretty good reviews so all we need is a canny scrum half( to play but also mentor Brook) and those key positions are filled. Add a brute of a prop and the starting 17 will look fine?

Nice comment from Dennis Betts in his post match interview- hopes we return to Super League as Rugby League " needs this place". The crowds today suggest he is right.

Think all been said about game really , thought Adams did good on his first game , maybe one of the six juniors next year ? . Great touch for disko . Just looking forward to Thursdays squad announcements and tomorrows , bring on next year !

Oh with no trip to cougar park

Come on you bulls !

I don’t really agree that we were the better side at any point in that game really. We had a lot of possession but didn’t really make it pay. We forced repeated drop outs but lack ideas of how to get over the line. In contrast I thought Widnes looked very threatening, always making ground and looking to score at when attacking our left side.

The selections and the use of subs had me scratching my head a bit. Losing Gaskell put even more pressure on the team so why not use the bench more to prevent fatigue? Sidlow got a knock and had to come off for a bit. Manoakafoa’s little skip was annoying me by the end as was his poor crossfield running. We’re well shut of him. Only O’Brien can come out with any real credit. Adams had an “ok” debut but I think he needs a couple of years in the academy to bulk up, build up some speed and get more experience. I was surprised he did the full 80 without Arundal coming on fresh.

Poor stuff and left me wondering if the squad we are building is good enough to win those crucial games in the middle 8 against SL opposition. Today we looked well short of that standard.

Have I read/heard Arundel was injured?

If so why put him on the bench?

Did we really not have another fit player in the squad to put on the bench?

Disappointing second half. I think Bullseye is been a little harsh saying we won't the better team at any point in the game. I think they were points in the game where we were the better side. When Widnes took it up a gear we struggled. I think Jimmy used this game to experiment a few things, which didn't work.

I don't think you can say how we will do next year based on this game. Widnes are a top 8 side. We wil have a very different team next year as well, with a very different mind set.

I thought Brad Adams showed up well, very good defensively.

Thought we were the dominant side for much of the first half - much as we couldn't show it on the scoreboard. For the rest of the game, just as far too often this year, no go forward, no penetration, too many poor decisions, sloppy passes and dropped balls. Other than that we were OK..

That is the problem - we don't have the guile or the brut force to turn our territorial advantage into points at the moment.

The other thing that stood out yesterday was that while we were enjoying Mr Tickle's attempts to get the ball between the two posts the Wolves field kicking always seemed to be turning our defenders whereas we invariable seem to kick it straight into the defenders hands? Add these two together and that is a heck of a lot of yards/metres to have to make up

Widnes' field kicking destroyed us in the second half. We could all see it, but Gale appeared not to be watching. Either that or watching it made his own kicking game fall to pieces.

He was not injured