I am a new contributor on here but the recent discussions about recent form has prompted me to write.
I have been watching Warrington on and off since my dad first took me to Wilderspool over fifty years ago. We travelled everywhere following the side and I can remember being gutted hearing the cheers when we were queueing up in Fletcher Street trying to get in when Bev scored his 700?? th try.
Throughout the years I have been a fan of rugby league with the Wire being my favourite team. It really didnt matter to me that we sometimes got beaten. If my team had put up a good show to the best of their ability that was enough.
I never wanted to be a Wigan fan when they were winning everything, in fact that must have been boring watching so many one sided games.
In recent years although I would have loved us to beat the Saints I came away thinking we nearly did it and one day the lads would get their reward for playing so well and being pipped in the last minute.
Every team throughout those years had their stars from the "home grown" lads such as Jackie Edwards/Grenhough,Fossie,Des Drummond, Melling, Mike Gregory etc etc but when we imported Aussies many of them still had a team ethic and worked their socks off with les Boyd, Bob Jackson, Tamati and Greg mackey being prime examples. Others failed and were shipped out.
Ok nowadays the game has changed and prop forwards need to be sprinters , wingers need to be man mountains etc but the one thing that has not changed is the need to want to play, to do ones best and whether you are a world beater or not you can go home and say I tried my best.
In the current team Riley is no world beater, I feel sure he knows that but what does he do he tries his hardest with the limited abilities he may have.
There are others however who could be world beaters, who have the physique, the skills and the ability to be just that but simply dont try.
Almost every good team I have seen have revolved around a good pair of half backs, Gregory / Edwards for example. Our half backs who may have the individual skills just dont work together and worse still they dont seek out the killer pass to bring others into play. They dont seem to have time when on the ball to think out the alternatives and react as a Murphy would have done. What is worse they dont have the nasty pocket battleship type of mentality to bully their forwards into making runs and protecting them.
Is that from the coaching, maybe. However I think that players like Murphy didnt need coaching they just made people dance to their tune.
On paper this year we have a good set of forwards strong enough to make the runs but in fact they are like tissue paper in defence and are so predictable in attack that other sides can cancel them out.
This week we have had lots of posts blaming coaches etc it will not change things whoever gets in as coach if the thirteen players on the field dont get off their backsides, believe in themselves and each other and give an honest days work!!

Sorry about the rant!!!!

Good post, although I disagree with this bit

Surely you've just described most of the role of the coach - i.e. to motivate, inspire and direct them to play to their potential as individuals and as a team.

I expect a well disciplined side that can complete sets and work hard in defense.

I was impressed what Wakefield did early last season with a few quality players and a lot of hard workers.

What i expect is quite simple - i make the effort to drive a 500 mile round trip with all the costs involved petrol, ticket, food, drinks and using up holiday entitlement for friday night games. All i ask for in return is a squad of players who when they put the Warrington shirt on, give it their all for 80 minutes or so. I dont expect a trophy laden season, though obviously would love it!!, but i do expect pride & passion. Over the last 6-7 games i havent seen the above apart from flashes in games and then to top it off i see players laughing as they leave the pitch on saturday without even a wave to the fans, it does make you angry. I for one never boo players and always support them but i can understand others who do though i dont condone it!!

All we are saying is give us 80 mins and if we have been beaten by a better side on the day even when we have matched them with attitude, pride & passion i for one will gladly applaud the players off the pitch till my hands were red raw!!

I totally agree.

I noticed at the end of the cup match with Saints last year that Matt King was all over his Aussie mates at the end laughing and joking and I was a bit saddened by that at the time.

I know it is only a game, and when I used to play I would have a drink and the crack (in the way the word used to be used!!!) with my opposite number after the game, that is what sport is about. However there should be a period of remorse, disappointment call it whatever if you have just been stuffed and I would expect that to last until you get off the pitch at the very least