Quote: Itchy Arsenal "I agree with a lot of your comments but I just have a feeling that SW will go with Powell at 7 as this is the "safer" route and ST has stated that he wants to play FB.
All the talk about changes after the 2017 season I just think wont happen. If you watch the interviews on Wigan TV SW believes that a CC final (even though we didn't turn up as a team or supporters) and WCC was successful which to a degree I understand however, the style of play is slowly killing the support so unless IL has given SW the go ahead to entertain then I just see another season of poor "rugby".
I don't rate any of our props with perhaps the exception of Sutton who I think could become a good prop. Even if we do change tactics I just don't think that our props are good enough.
Hopefully I am being grossly pessimistic and we will see ST in the halves & the forwards have under performed rather than it being a lack of ability in the last few seasons and a successful season awaits us.'"
Sadly, I think your pessimism is fully warranted.
The absolute minimum that we needed after the "performances" for the back half of last season, was an attacking coach for the backs, to (finally) replace Paul Deacon/Iestyn Harris.
We have done bugger all about that, and I suspect that we are expecting Leuluai to fulfil that role - Well, he didn't do it last season, and I don't expect any more from him this year.
I think we are in for even worse than last year - At least we won some silverware before the rot set in. This year, I foresee nothing but slow, boring rugby, with little end-product, which could well see us scrapping to stay in the top 8.
OK, we have had just a little coaching in kicking, but unless this RU guy is also teaching the halves some new tricks for the attack, I honestly don't see us finishing in the top 4 again this year.
I have never been this blazé or negative going in to a season before and, whilst I have retained our season tickets, I have almost zero excitement about it - It feels like a duty, rather than a pleasure.
I really hope I'm wrong, and SW will set the team loose, with Sam back in the halves and Escare at FB, and that we see some of the flare return...... But who am I kidding? More of the same - Plod, wrestle, kick (poorly) and repeat.