Agree wholeheartedly with your post.
When we were under the cosh it was madness for Hock to concede that penalty.He has to act with consideration for his teammates.
Higham in the first half at Warrington and now McShane in the second half yesterday have dominated the ruck.
If the much publicized Scott Moore does the same on Saturday it could be another biting of nails down to the knuckle - and it is their big opening day at a new venue with hopefully new supporters:they won't roll-over.
We'll need Gareth Hock on his best behaviour for the full 80.

I made my mind up about Howarth after his first season. He is never in a month of Sundays a hooker. Yes he worked hard and put some shots on when defending, but there's more to a hookers game now. He's given two interceptions away in 2 out of the 3 games we've played in so far. The criticism of him is fully justified.

I never said it [iwas[/i a knee-jerk reaction, and I agree he isn't sharp enough to play hooker. The point I'm making - and it's something that really es me off about some of our fans - is that they'll make a decision about a player and then all they'll see is what that player does wrong and never what he does right, even to the point where they make some of the wrong things up (the loose ball thing being an example). Defensively, he was outstanding yesterday, but in attack he was less good. To hear some people, though, you'd think he just stood in the middle of the field with his finger up his arse while Wakefield ran rings around him.

I'm sorry but Paul McShane pretty much did.

I saw him miss and fall off more than a few tackles and he didn't even attempt to catch the high bomb that landed right next to him. He had a shocker yesterday.

Think hock played really well yesterday and good to have a forward that can take a game by the scruff of the neck! Think it was a close choice of man of the match between smith 1st half and hock 2nd imo.

As for howarth, haven't rated him since day one (3 years ago now i think inc stint at saints?), no variety at the play the ball, never given first receiever (normally smith) a chance because every play the ball he would stand his body behind the play the ball that you knew which side it was going (never dummied) and just starred at the person who he was going to throw to an then took his time to get it to that person, letting the line come up and giving them something to aim at!!

As people have said here just didn't look sharp, and imo,Tommy Lee and gareth owen brings a lot more variety to the ruck.

Appreciate with rangi going off that was the only option.

Hoping he has some better days.

This definitley happens - where players can't do right for doing wrong. Jack Murphy getting booed for Ashley Gibson missing a high kick which lead to us conceding a try was an obvious example. It also happens in reverse where players get lauded from day one despite being consistently poor. Korkidas being treated like a demi god when he played for us because he punched Ben Westwood in a pre-season friendly - despite the fact he was an error/penalty machine for the rest of the time we had him. People like jumping on an easy bandwagon to look like they know what they are talking about.

That aside, Howarth was dire yesterday and I don't the reaction on this thread (as opposed to people near you in the ground) is based on the general anti-Howarth bandwagon. I think people were willing to wipe the slate clean for the new season and he was praised for his display at Wire in the friendly. However, as others have said his distribution was painfully slow. There was a period when we were on their line before the Hansen try and he consistently gave Smith poor ball that lead to attacks dying before they got going. Noble in his post match interview also pointedly didn't praise Howarth (unlike everyone else he mentioned) and said that Theo etc need to be looked at for next week.

Plus now Simms has left we need someone to blame everything on.

29 tackles, 2 missed tackles according to the SL stats. Could this be a case of you just seeing what you want to see?

Can't disagree. As I've said, I don't think he's a hooker and would much prefer to see Gareth Owen there. I just don't think he gets recognition for what he [idoes[/i do.

I'm no Howarth apologist but know enough about people and perception to know that some comments on here are factually incorect: that's why eye-witness evidence is checked. The stats say a different story. I agree with Red John that some posters have made their mind up before the game.

I also have never posted a criticism of a player that I will not say to his face.

However, "Plus now Simms has left we need someone to blame everything on.": it should not be a player so votes on who?

No.

I did as Walshy states above and gave him a clean sheet for the opening game, I thought he had turned a corner when at Saints and for one bad game I have not given up on him nor do I intend to pre-judge him on his next game. I may have an opinion of him afterwards as I would any player. As I have stated he had a shocker yesterday, you say he was outstanding defensively? He wasn't, missed tackles and the high ball being a perfect example.

That high ball was pretty bad. He didn't even attempt to jump or catch it.

As I posted on another thread Howarth had a shocking game clearly not good enough for super league.

Just watched the highlights on the official site and the pass for their intercept is worse than it looked to me yesterday, and that's saying something. Telegraphed it and didn't even see Godinet who was 2m at most away by the time he threw the ball.

Think some of the criticism of Howarth is a little over the top. To judge a player when he's playing out of position is harsh. On the interception he messed up but this even happens to the best every now and then. Anyone remember Rangi throwing a speculator against us that cost Cas the game?

Throwing a spectacular pass to win you the game is different from a simple 5 yard pass in your own half that is so slow Godinet called it 10 minutes before it happened.

Bad game, needs to accept the criticism and move on.