I've just been reading the Casleford forum and its amusing how they all follow a similar template. Prior to the game theres a confidence plus a degree of respect for the opposition. During the game theres the usual complaints about the referee and the Warrington cheating. Their try should have been an 8 pointer, ours should have been called back for a forward pass. Finally, after the game theres tips and advice for the coaching staff, a review of the players who are not good enough and of course further criticism of the referee. Wonderful.

I hoped for an Alamoesque fight to the death and got it. That was my priority and that was delivered by the team.
There were deficiencies in our game, our attack isn't flowing, then there's Brand and Charnley shooting out of the line as if not being able to trust, or rely on each other.
Toby King was outstanding, and Walker had a great game.
A win, albeit an ugly one, was what was required in the circumstances.

An emotional roller coaster of a game. Huge relief at the win and appreciation of the gutsy effort and determination from both sides. Frustration a the woeful lack of attacking ideas with arguably the most creative spine in the league. Five drives and a kick and hope has its place but sometime you just wish somebody would take the shackles off and release the creativity which I am sure is hidden in there somewhere.

Last night, and Wire in general, are such a difficult thing to assess.

In an ideal world, we want to see champagne rugby, hopefully ending in a Wire win - last night's game was as far from champagne rugby as you could possibly find.

It was a very hard watch. 2 sides who were lacking any quality, but who both were determined not to be outdone by the other. Made for very attritional stuff.

Realistically though, how are we ever going to produce this champagne RL when it's apparent we don't have the players to do so? - our threequarter line is one of the worst I have ever seen in my time watching Wire.. the wingers are just 10 yard finishers, combined with the tedious runs from the play the ball, when coming away from our own line. Our centres are, in an attacking sense, almost non existent.

Throw in half backs who are either not interested in showing a bit of flair, or are not interested full stop, and a full back, who while probably one of our best players, isn't made for champagne rugby anymore through a simple lack of pace and you begin to realise that even the best coach in the world might struggle to get a spark from this squad.

Ultimately, I think Price is only comfortable playing a game like last night's. Asking him to suddenly change style, especially with this squad at his disposable, is a task that probably frightens him to death.

Maybe, and it's sad to say, RL isn't the game to be watching anymore if you want edge of the seat entertainment - players simply aren't programmed anymore for flamboyant rugby. It's all arm wrestles and dour wearing of each other down.

I hate to say it, but if the RL we got last night is our only way of being successful- and i honestly think it is with this squad of players- then I'll be giving it a miss and wishing them well from armchair.

I agree that champagne rugby way be a forlorn hope at the moment as witnessed during the early Tony Smith years but I still think we are capable of a more expansive style of play. We need a Martin Gleeson type in the centres for sure but I think most of the pieces are there to facilitate a more entertaining watch. As you suggest, what we are seeing is possibly the coaches preferred style.

We needed a game that was like 2 sides in the trenches.

What is needed is to up the number of tackles to say 10 then players & teams may be able to do more with ball in hand. It might also help with handling errors caused by rushed plays to try & do something with the ball in six tackles. Too often we see teams running out of tackles which results in the inevitable stereotyped kick repeated endlessly by both teams till the game resembles a version of rugby union.

The last 15 minutes last night was basically a game of RU - 2 sets of forwards trundling into position for a kicker to take a pop at goal.

It was everything that RL fans have historically slated Union for.

Or drop the numbers to 11

Playing centre in RL isn’t that different to playing centre in RU. For me I can’t understand why you wouldn’t play your ex England international centre - now fully fit after full pre-season - in his normal position before a young guy who is clearly struggling to step up.

Burrell does seem to be getting as bit of a raw deal. Don't know whether Price is making some kind of point here, not picking players who were signed he didn't want. Does Latu fall into this this club of the unwashed as well

They have to serve a period of mourning of at least 1 week after their side suffer a loss.

For one individual it is considerably longer than one week.

Not sure how far you go back but I just found one that boasted Maden, Alstead, Smyth and Crouthers (v Leeds 2002). It is easy to get carried away with hyperbole.

I agree. I thought we looked committed. There is obviously still a lot to work on but hopefully we can use this game as a foundation to build on.

I was looking back on the 2018 season. At the same stage we were just 2 wins from the first 6 games - Widnes (A) and Wigan (H) having lost to Leeds (H), Huddersfield (A), Hull FC (A) and Saints (H). 76 points for, 107 against.

We are currently 3 wins from 6. 78 points for, 100 against.

In 2018 we went on to win the next 8 games and made both finals. I tracked down some of Stve Price's Guardian interviews from the time and they are almost carbon copies of what we're hearing today. Let's hope that we see a similar turnaround in 2020.