Some of our forwards need to man up. Mentally, they come across as soft, unable to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in. They need to start dominating in the tackle and run harder and faster when they've got the ball. When they get dominated our backs have less time on the ball and they're up quickly on the fringes, stopping Tomkins from doing anything. IMO he needs to get involved sooner or Wane needs to come up with some different set pieces. We're way too predictable at the moment...

The team don't seem to relentlessly put pressure on the opposition forwards or try to overwork the players around the ruck area.

We've got some good forwards who can make strong runs but no pressure is built from them. As soon as a good run is made there is generally no one on his shoulder waiting for an offload as the halves are stood well away trying to organise the next sweeping passing move. Those big drives don't seem to be followed by a quick play the ball and another big drive by a forward.

It's as if one good run by a prop is all that's needed and from that point on it's time to swing the ball from left to right, but the good defences aren't going to be troubled by that at all.

You don't find overlaps by throwing the ball wide all the time, you create them by tying players into the middle of the pitch. The most effective way to do that is hammer the players in the middle of the park relentlessly before going wide. The vast majority of overlaps out wide are created in field, by forwards not sliding across quicker in defence, not numbering up correctly or by being too slow retreating from the tackle. It's as if the team has either forgotten this or they are deliberately ignoring it.

Maguire's style at Wigan was ultra conservative - possibly too conservative for Super League, but I'd argue that the set plays put on under Maguire had a much higher success rate. They used to be our try scoring plays - when you knew the team was going for something big. Now cross field passing moves are the default option.

Prop forwards seem to be taking the ball to the line and passing as often as taking a drive. Too often those runs to the line are half hearted and give the game away and it's too easy for defences to slide across and deal with our players out wide.

If the team was a little more willing to do the boring stuff and try to focus the big men down the middle repeatedly or to look for an offload and have players backing up then there might be a bit more space created out wide.

In the cup final there was so much pressure, so much possession and territory but the Hull defenders out wide kept rushing up to cut out the passing moves. It's not surprise because there were never any overlaps being created. They could afford to hold their line when rushing up because there was no risk of a gap being created from a quick pass. Hull did defend well in that game but Wigan made it easy.

we also need a 9 who will add more energy into the game. this is something that Leeds did very well on Thursday. It gets the opposition moving backwards, and so long as you can keep the PTB quick allows the big men an easier opportunity to punch holes.
Leeds slowed down the PTB so that they were able drop back into a settled defensive line, and MM and LT were so slow that the Leeds defence were on top of us before the forwards were hitting their stride.
I think Smith's organisation has been decent and his kicking game very good. But if he and Green are keep receiving the ball with the opposition already in their face, its difficult for them to create much.
Donkey 9s are long gone. The best of the 9s now are live wires. MM has lots of attributes but pace isnt one of them, and having LT on the bench doesnt really change the game plan at all.

Both green and smith were on fire early in the season they have nor been the same since their respective targeted injuries by the opposition

Injurys have nothing to do with it. As much as im no fan of Green he and Smith are being made to look worse because they are playing behind a beaten pack. There are not many half backs that can play behind a beaten pack.

One player who frustrates the hell out of me is Lee Mossop. He runs with hardly any aggression and is easily dealt with by the opposition. He is supposed to be our number 1 prop forward yet he hardly ever causes tacklers problems.

The forwards are the problem, not one of them seem capable of gaining any yards. You only need to watch the match on Sky and see the big difference in yards made per play. I remember one saying at the 4th tackle 24 yards were made and this was similar through the night compare that to Leeds and it woud appear that their average yard was around 8-9 yards (but no doubt some statto would prove me wrong on these).

If the forwards do not provide a platform by manning up, the backs cant do naff all. Whats the saying forwards win matches, backs by how many.

He needs some one to belt him before the match starts. He needs some one to slap him to get going.

Yep.

I'm not an RL coach. There are aspects of RL on a tactical level that are simply "above me".

However, on a strategic level, RL is a very simple game.

Dominate in the forwards and you will dominate the game. I look to Bradford in the days of the "awesome foursome". Look at how many tries Vainokola (sp?) scored.

He went to RU and couldn't score for toffee.

Reality is that in contact games like RL "a good big 'un will beat a good little 'un". Often coaches try and overcomplicate it.
It really is very simple. Get on the front foot in the forwards and the game becomes easier.

Think back to when our pack was enthusiastic but small. We battled to a GF ..........then got hammered vs Bradford.

Dominate in the forwards, have decent half backs and the rest will take care of itself.

I personally think the biggest issue is we are standing a little too flat. This may be deliberate. Over the course of the next couple of weeks I think we will drop deeper again.

Our senior prop is 24 years old and therein lies our problem IMO.

I think that is a huge issue. Look at wire with Morley & Carvell, Leeds with Peacock & KL, all well into their 30's.

Also, look at Chris Hill. He's older than Mossop but Wolves' youngest front line prop. There's just no getting away from it.

Mossop has never been the same since the 2011 CC final when he popped his shoulder, yet he struggled on in that game and remember the infamous foward pass to Lima? Not bad for a man who had one arm..
Prescott soldiered on for about 2 years and got slated for that same period. Injuries have everything to do with it, its a contact sport

One of the reasons we bought Powell imo.

+1
If we could get Lauaki right that would help, but sadly I don't think that will happen.