This topic sums up why I don’t come on the board for a couple of days after a defeat. I would be inclined to a knee jerk response and then feel I have to defend that position even though my view may have changed after a period of reflection.
Saturday did not sum up our season in a single game.
That match was played in atrocious conditions. A friend text me beforehand asking if I thought we would win my response “we should but this weather could play a large part. Leeds handled the conditions exceptionally well”.
And so it proved, After the match the same friend (a Widnes supporter so every reason to take the urine) sent that the conditions “made it a lottery”.
So disappointed, but not waving any white flags just yet.
I emphasise that this is from someone who did not want to keep Price at the end of last season.
We have played well since re start, in difficult circumstances, a number of young players have shown their potential, let’s see how this most extraordinary of seasons pans out and then take stock.

The difference is though that Liverpool have a world class coach and a world class Sporting Director. Unfortunately we have neither.

That’s very true, just look at Man United the past few seasons - money doesn’t guarantee you success.

Well I can't hold that against you as you weren't the only one who thought he should have been moved on at some point. For me it was in 2002, when Briers was out of contract, and there were rumours linking him with other clubs. I remember arguing on the old Wolfweb that we should let him go and look to pick up Andrew Dunemann who was out of contract at Halifax. At the time, and maybe for the next season or so, Dunemann was probably the better player, certainly the more reliable. But that would have been a shocker of a decision in the long run so I'm glad we didn't.

Just shows that you shouldn't be too wedded to your own 'hot takes' on the internet and change your mind when reality proves you wrong.

I have been a massive Briers fan since the mid Cullen era, but I still feel a bit of a sneaky hypocrite when I talk about Briers, because of what I used to think in the early days. I thought he was a bit overrated when people were slating David Waite for not picking him.

I just thought I'd thread bump this, after last night's sh0w

Spot on I know fans of all beaten teams will complain about the opposition but Wigan are masters of pushing the boundaries

Their line speed was fantastic in defence and the interference at the Austin ptb on the 5th under the sticks 2nd half by Powell resulting in a knock on was typical.

I'm not complaining we all do it they are just better at that facet of the game than we are particularly the flat pass to Farrell routine his try was the only legitimate pass he received all night

To endorse the point, over on the Wigan forum the mood is one of "yeah we won but Lam still isn't the man for the job" ..... "don't be fooled, Wires halves were awful" ...... "only a GF win can save Lam" etc etc.

I suspect RedVee has similar mutterings of discontent after another patchy show by Saints.

I'm not a hire em fire em type, but the management team need to grow a pair. Warrington RLFC isn't your fantasy team, or your plaything, or your hobby. Get a grip.

Leeds fans had something similar with McDermott, yet look at his cV.
It's something only we can look at with envy

I don't think warrington have done much wrong in general. Over the last 10 years you've won 4 CC's and made 4 grand finals, that's a record that stands up with the other top teams (except winning a GF) you just haven't managed to get over the line in the GF. But saints once lost 5 grand finals on the trot, leeds went on a run of losing 5 CC's before they broke the streak. Don't need to radically change much, just keep plugging away and if you continue to compete for grand final's it will eventually fall your way. Just little tweaks, of course try and bring through more young players and integrate them, maybe be more creative with signings rather than always trying to sign the big name from down under, salford are a good example in terms of picking players with winning experience from other super league clubs. You still have a very good chance this year.

Yes the Salford recruitment model, and the Castleford model in Powell's early years are examples to look at.

These clubs seem to pick up players from other clubs that seem like they are so-so and then take them to a much higher level than they had reached before.

Warrington take players who have reached a higher level at other clubs and then take them to becoming so-so with us.

Ratchford and Hill being the exceptions
Cooper has returned a better player

Daryl Clark has continued his MoS level

Charnley and Lineham have neither regressed or progressed

But then

Gelling CAN look devastating, it's just when he can be bothered
Our halves look nowhere near [imarquee level[/i
If Jason Clark was supposed to be some kind of NRL Colossus, I'll show my bottom in Bridge St.
BMM and Akuaola are merely thinner versions of Danny Lima, with greater stamina levels
Hughes is just Hughes

Then there's the ones we've let go
Our two YouTube sensations
Roberts. (don't get me started)
Sandow Flaky (at times) but with errrr.... issues

Westerman.... see Hughes/Jason Clark

Then there's the "experiments"
Bailey, Wheeler, Cox etc

Our recruitment is a lot more miss than hit

Thought this many a time ,successful teams help themselves by bending rules to nth degree.

I broadly agree with lefty's list, but Lineham I think has bucked the trend. He was a 'typical Wire' player, before we signed him. Someone who looked like he had talent but flattered to deceive and frustrated the Hull fans. Then with us, after his first year or so, he became a more reliable performer, who shows up in big games, like the kind of player we usually sign and then make worse with us.

If anything Charnley has regressed, after a good start with us, but I find him hard to assess. He hasn't looked like a bad player, he's just become more peripheral, which may be more due to the rest of the team than him.

Westerman was a classic Wire signing if ever there was one.

Kevin Brown was another who underachieved with us compared to what he had been doing with Hudds and Widnes, although when he was out through injury, we missed him. Him and Kurt Gidley fall in the category of players who would have been good to sign a few years earlier, because they had a good attitude but were just past their best physically/had injury problems when they joined us. A younger Kurt Gidley could have been an Aussie version of Simon Grix.

Fair comments, sally
Lineham just let's himself down with his appalling discipline
Charnley's [iedge[/i has been blunted by his overuse as a battering ram, thus tiring himself out (to some extent)
Brown I'd forgotten about. Enjoying an [iIndian summer[/i to his career, but never really did anything for us
Forgotten about Gidley, too. All guns blazing for his first couple of months. After that, little shown/age catching up with him