We took nearly 5,000 fans to that game. we sold out the West Terrace and a good proportion of the North Stand. I was in the North Stand surrounded by Widnes fans, including our former chairman, Tony Chambers. Considering we knew we had little chance of winning, that wasn't bad at all.

We regularly took 5,000. or more, to the 3 NRC finals we got to as well.

We expect to get the wooden spoon, but we also expect to be reasonably competitive. We are, surprisingly, only £200k short of the full salary cap. We only stopped spending because there was no-one left worthy of bringing in. So they kept a bit aside, should some quality players become available.

surprised they didn't go in for Pelissier at Catalans,at least for one or two season contract - with Hendo & Fisher it's hard for him to get a game at the moment

We already had Moore, Clarke and White. You could also add Watts to that list of hookers.

point taken but I reckon Pelissier is a cut above the others...reminds me of a young Luke Robinson

Listen sunshine, read and most importantly understand my post before you go telling me to get real.

You won't find many more behind my team than me. Seldom am I seen/heard/read slagging them or the coach off at every turn. I back the club with my hard earned cash and vocal chords the vast majority of weeks. There are only the most deluded Widnes speccies who expect us to win more games than we lose. I think we've done well to win 2 games so far but it is the manner of some of our defeats and the Bradford performance in particular that prompted me to vent my frustration. That performance would have been unacceptable from an under 8's team and if you'd have had the misfortune to not only witness but pay for the dubious pleasure, you'd have been pretty hacked off too.

We've had some very dark days at Widnes over the last decade or so but the teams we sometimes have had to cobble together have by and large played to the best of their abilities. Not last week. It pains me to say the effort & commitment shown by a large percentage of our team against Bradford was nothing short of pathetic.

I'll be at Saints on Friday night and most other games this season pennies & holidays permitting.

Would it surprise you (and these are SOC words), that we have spent £1.4m on the cap this year?

We'd see how they would feel if their club had the worst points difference of any club for 15 years, regardless of their start.

Put it this way, Widnes's PD at this stage is -339. Catalans in their first season were on -109 at this stage. Even Leigh from 2005 were only -241.

Some Widnes fans think that whilst we only expected between 12th and 14th, we could be putting up a better fight with a more experienced coach and the club are refusing to accept this. Many Widnes fans never wanted Betts in the first place and most were gobsmacked when he was given the SL contract; now we're being asked to stick with sub-par performances in the presumption that improvement will come, when there is no reason to think that it will.

A few fans did 'boycott' the game, but it's important to say that this was instead of cancelling Stronghold. When SOC brought it in he specifically said that if we felt the club aren't performing we can cancel it as a message. This was a much less harmful message.

It's hard getting people to pay for watching dross. This isn't a go at Widnes the club but more a comment about how they are being coached. There just doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency, or determination to put things right. With the players Widnes have, most games should be at least competitive and defence better organised. Betts seems to have written this season off already and O'Connor appears to be backing him.

Wonder how things would have been if relegation were an issue.

Indeed, although, on the plus side, you have time to build a stronger team.

If they have spent the majority of the cap money on the current squad there isn't much that time will do for them.