Because we are e.

Next?

Very disappointing today we shouldn't have let them back in when we went 3 scores ahead. Lack of structure, dumb plays but the moment that sticks in my mind is Scruts and Diskin strolling back so slowly they actually managed to get in the way of their team mates trying to run the bsll out!

stood with the bulls fans today you really should chill out we are not that bad of a side we score a few points but just have a few brain farts every now and then a bit like the bulls you have a young coach and you need to back him a bit like we did last year with betts good game today and good luck for the rest of the year

A very disappointing afternoon in the end

There were points when we really had things under control and if we'd managed to kick on and score maybe one more try then we'd have been comfortable. But somehow there was always that feeling - whether at 18-4 or 28-16, that Widnes could - and might very well - come back.

The main reason for our loss was our non-existent right side defence. Every time the ball came out from Brown to Hock or Hanbury down that side you felt a try coming. Blythe looked all at sea in the defensive line. Kear - too small and slow. Purtell - sorry to say this after all he's been through - but he doesn't look up to the job.

Chronic lack of pace as others have said Ah Van, as we know, must be one of the slowest wingers in SL, but he left our lot for dead. When the only guy to even get close is Nick Scruton, then that says all we need to know about our lack of pace.

Really, apart from the efforts of Bateman, Scruton and Blythe (with ball in hand) - and Platts quality dummy for the try - there was precious little to be pleased about.

Where do you begin?

Really really disappointing performance. How did we lose after getting in a winning position twice?

We seem to be able to defend really well unless we're in our own 20m area and then we look hopeless, particularly down the right side. After the first 30mins we allow Widnes into our half for the first time and immediately concede a try a 4 year old could've seen coming. Our last 30mins should be shown as a masterclass in doing everything wrong.

What was FC thinking bringing off Blythe and Donaldson when he did? They'd both been amongst our better defenders and certainly looked more up to speed than the less than fit Manoakafoa or defensively dodgy Olbison.

That second half was awful. The crap set of six and awful kick from Gale to Ah Van and also that set when we chose not to go for goal but then ran it but with no clue as to what we were trying to achieve. It was total headless chicken rugby. Then Addy tries a ball steal under the nose of the ref and Lulia offloads to nobody. Argh! Stupid!

On the positive side I thought our fist 30mins was great albeit we could've been further ahead with a bit of patience. Sidlow and Scruton looked good and even tubby Diskin caused some problems. Donaldson and Blythe looked hungry too. Trouble was when Evans, Manoakafoa, L'Estrange and Olbison were on the field we were half the side.

Widnes showed how to be patient. They kept plugging away and stuck to a great game plan inthe 2nd half using a strong wind to pin us back. We'd do well to follow that example.

Is the problem that Francis Cummings cannot motivate the players any more? Yesterday was woeful and to see a plodder like Ah Van go the length of the field without any significant chase was awful. Perhaps we would have been better off if the first coach to be offered the job had taken it (now at Castleford).

Not sure where all this talk of Ah Van not being quick has come from.
He went the length of the field for us in his first game against the Rhinos iirc. The guy is no slouch.

as a widnes fan who has seen both games against bradford this season i'd say your biggest issue is fitness.

in both games you started strongly but tailed off badly at the ends of each half. Not sure if thats a patten you have seen alot but its noticeable in the two games i've watched closely.

It wasn't a great game with both teams making some daft mistakes but it made for an exciting game.

Close. If you replace the letter "f" at the start of the last word in your first sentence and replace it with "sh" then I would say you hit the nail on the head.