Quote: NickyKiss "Serious question here- Were you surprised with your lack of adventure in the final? I've seen Wire throw the ball around and play with lots of flair but Saturday looked different. I said on the night that I was shocked at how little risk you'd played with. There seemed a reluctance to do anything different then scoot from dummy half and put bombs up from all over the place.
Grand Final night is a tense affair and it must be tough to take the handbrake off. I felt Wire looked as though the occasion had robbed a bit of freedom from them.'"
Well Nicky (I always look forward to your posts on here, a level headed Wiganer....who'd've thunk it), you only have to look at my opening post on the "home truths" thread. Smith has wrung EVERY bit of creativity out of us, in the last 2 or 3 years. We play formulaic NRL style rugby, where no risks and field position is the order of the day. At times, the players don't know what they're doing. They run across field, scared they daren't do anything "off the cuff", like we used to do years ago.
Counter this to Wigan's philosophy on Saturday, your players were throwing the ball about, with gay abandon. The most unWanelike performance I've seen, since he's been in charge. I've never seen your lot do so many looping/missing men out passes.
It's almost like Smith has told them, none of that Harem Globetrotters b0110cks, or I'll drop you, so the players simply take the easy option of driving, or scooting from dummy half.
DULL, DULL, DULL.