One of the problems I think I am having with this current side is the lack of endearment to the individual players within it. Much of the connection we have with our own players is built over a long period of watching them - good and bad - and slowly growing to recognise that they are 'one of us'.

Many of this years 'crop' have not had time to do this yet, nor have most of them performed so well as to force their way into my heart and short cut the system.

Players such as Southern, John, Smith, Mellars and Collis are still in the 'could be passing through' phase, although maybe by year 3 of their contracts they will have won me over.

The likes of Fox, Kirmond and Wilkes are easier to get along with due to their earlier stints. Ben Cockayne is quickly getting there through sheer physical effort, as is Aiton - but then again, due to the lack of team results and the shortness of time served, if these guys left tomorrow they would, as yet, leave little lasting impression on me!

Now I may be a old funny duddy (plenty will agree), but I do believe that this is one of the difficulties that many of us older fans have and that this is contributing to our general lack of enjoyment and the apathy we are now seeing from some fans. I also believe that it helps when we see the younger players as, in part at least, we consider them to be truly ours, rather than hired guns.

This is not an easy situation for anyone and there are only solutions that I can see - 1 is time, which will take care of itself - the other is a winning habit, which could propell some of these players deeper into my memory banks - or 3 (it IS the Spanish Inquisition) a combination of them both.

It's a bit of a rambling post, but whilst we have analysed the club and the players to death (and we all have opinions on them), I don't think anyone has yet considered this 'softer' side to our situation.

I suppose the older you get the harder it is for players to become 'heroes' on the pitch as those places are mainly taken by players from our younger years, but it can be done - Sol and Jd and Willie and a few more have that mantle in my eyes. I'm not sure what the club can do to propel these players forward - perhaps a few more 'audience' type engagements where we can get to know them a little better - but mainly it is down to the players themselves to force their way onto the list! This isn't meant to be personal, nor arrogant ( I Don't expect people to dance for me), but rather a collective issue and, IMO, a genuine barrier that must be crossed by at least some of our current collective.

PS Twitter helps, but as most of the dialogue is with fellow players and in the language that is 'jibberish' it's not the whole answer!

I think I know where you are coming from. Players such as Nigel Bell, Johnny Thompson & Billy Conway would die for the cause. 80 points down at Cas and Belly was still giving 100%. You had trust in them.
I think much of our feelings are as a result of fire fighting for many years and a revolving door constantly needing WD40. In this current crop we have several overseas players for whom the jury is so far out it will need GPS to get back. Southern in particular, has had more thread than anyone in recent years. Mellars, Collis, John and Smith have not been warmed to yet. For me, I only seem to feel this against the overseas players because they cost more to keep and come with reputations which are often unfulfilled. Stability has to be the key and like it or not, we will have to run with these payers and coach and take a balanced view after this season. I hope to be wrong but think that most of the above will not have endeared themselves to us by then.

I can identify with a lot of your post, certainly the spirit of it, but I do believe I'm further on than you on my list

I have made the comment recently about heroes and how my heroes tend to be older than me. When I became an age when the players were younger than me, I still loved watching them, but very rarely did they become heroes of the likes of Wally Lewis or Nigel Bell or David Topliss or Trevor Skerret.
JD broke that barrier for me. Not through skill or speed but for spirit and endeavour for ‘MY’ team and my ‘cause’ if you like. He gave me the impression that it meant as much to him to play for Wakefield Trinity that it did to me to watch.

The current crop as you say have not had time to do this. It is unique that nearly every member of the team is new to the club and has no one to bond on to that has already won the fans over.
Although players like Aiton, Cockayne, Wilkes, Washbrook are endearing themselves gradually I think this is where I think I am ahead in that two players have made it on my proverbial list.

It is probably no surprise that Kirmond is there, but some will be surprised that the other is Steve Southern.
Kirmond doesn’t just work hard and use his skill to his best endeavours. He fights for every yard, and clearly feels a passion for the club already. Add to that his comments on Twitter as you say and he shows how good a Captain he is becoming (whether wearing the arm band or not).

Southern did it for me in the first game. I was sat near the front, behind the post, and so was close up to the action. I could see Southern was psyched more than most and three times right in front of me, he smashed someone back in a tackle when they should have just fallen over the line. Each time the attacker had broken through but Southern was the rock that the others were relying on. That has stuck with me even though he has clearly struggled since then with either fitness or position. I have seen the passion since, but he hasn’t been able to use it to such effectiveness. Of course that will only last so long if he doesn’t get to do that again but his first game gives him a lot of credit for me.

I’d also add Smith to the list I think. Again, he is taking some criticism but again for me, when I watch him, I see a guy trying to bring on a group of players that will never be able to play at the level he has played. I think he has always showed skill, though sometimes I think he has limited it to the level of the team. He will be able to do more in my opinion when the team gets better and we get dry pitches (which may be a while unfortunately). He has his issues, which is why some pick fault but I see something I like and I think he could great for the club. Time will tell.

If anyone reads John Grisham, Tim Smith’s story reminds me of Rick Dockery from ‘Playing For Pizza’. He could have ended up a has been but he took a step down and although he didn't understand it at first, he grew to love where he played and understand why everybody else was so passionate about what they did, and learned to be the same.
The breakaway try by Salford surprised me, because Smith was the one chasing back. He made the effort even though it was unlikely. He nearly save the try, and on another day would have saved us 2 points. That is a step up for him I think and he is starting to show that this means something to him.
I hope Tim Smith reads that book.

I have thought the same for some time, that there is no one who personifies the club such as a marchy or demetriou, someone who would run through brick walls for the club, or maybe that was the 'backs to the wall' spirit that we have had to have since coming into super league. Maybe now we can rely on player quality to win games rather than guts alone

Interesting and thoughtfull post,perhaps the modern day proffesionalism doesn't help ? In the days of Johnny T,Nigel Bell and Billy Conway these were guys who lived at the end of your street,went in your local pub and went to the same supermarket your family did.You ran into these fellas in the street and they would tell you honestly how much any defeat hurt and sometimes tell you things they maybe shouldn't have ! but this made you part of the Trinity and you shared every tackle with them,every win and every loss.Nowadays players think nothing of travelling fair distances to play and perhaps the local hero element is lost because of it.I can remember Wakefield signing players from wrong side of t'Pennines and the worries this used to cause about how said player would cope with all the travelling and would he settle over here ? No such worries these days it would seem and looking back most seemed to manage,with the odd exception! To sum up I suppose what I am saying is that we trusted Tommo,Belly etc because we felt we had known them for years, and it will take a good time to endear to the current squad as most of them are still relative strangers but hopefully it will come.All good relationships are built over time so let's see how it goes.Forgive the nostalgia trip but their my memories and I'm proud of em.

You worry to much you sentimental old booby

Have to agree with tyhat, this current side doesn't, at present, have a real local hero or one that has earned the adulation of the fans through sheer blood, sweat and tears. Ther fact that we found it so hard to choose a club captain kind of typifies this. It will hopefully come in time but as we stand now we haven't anyone who fits the bill. Closest to it is probably Danny Kirmond due to his style and his previous stint but hes a bit to go yet to reach cult status. Though Peter Foxs' general enthusiasm and try saving tackle with his face last saturday helped his cause as well!

Its not just the older generation though that has a problem like that but the young kids as well. Up until last year there was the pre-match or halftime chats with a young fan and the main question always was 'who is your favourite player'? Even in recent years it was a Danny Brough, Jason Demetriou, Korky, Sam Obst type player that was the favourite. Hell even Morrison got the honour last year, mainly due to his style of play. But this year there are a lack of casndidates for the kids to relate to. A personality who they go 'I want to be like them'. Foxy is probably as close as we've got at present. Again it will take time with a whole new team to build new heroes but its fair to say that for this year there is a lack of people for many to relate to.

Was hoping that Southern would be the one to show the never say die attitude.
Be a real Talisman and fit in with the backs to the wall Trinity style of recent years.
Still feel he can be.
Hope he settles down and really shows us all those attributes.

I think much of this stems from the Admin situation, which decimated the squad, followed by a clearout/ exodus and then makink 16/17 new signings.
In every sense of the word we have a new team, with very little continuity from previous seasons.
From last season we have Johnson and Mariano, who themselves were new players to us last season.
I know its been said but, even if most of the current squad stay with us (and there is no certainty of that) it will take a few seasons for many of these players to feel like ours.
Having said that, we have some excellent players at the moment, Mathers, Cockayne, Aiton, Wood, Amor and some good young 'uns coming through, it will just take a while.
For what its worth (and with the benefit of hindsight) I think our turnover of players in the close season was far too dramatic and although there was good reason for some of the changes, the turnover of players was far too great.

Sometimes it takes just one or two moments/actions for a guy to become a 'hero' to the fans.

Examples: Korky belting Jim Gannon (?) at Featherstone on his debut, or his run at Hull

JD knocking off two forwards and scoring under the posts in 'that' match against Cas, or his running out of his own in goal against Bradford the week before.

One that sticks out for me involved Wally Lewis. At home against Oldham he was laid out by the Kiwi fullback Nick Wright in the act of putting his brother Scott in for a try. It was a bad one and he went off on a stretcher, unconscious. Me and my mates thought that was it and he wouldn't make it back on the pitch before his contract was up. The roar that greeted Wally as he ran back down the old tunnel and onto the pitch a short while later was huge.
Up to then whilst I was glad that he'd signed for us there was always the nagging doubt that he was 'tossing it off' and had only come for the money. Coming back on put an end to my nagging doubts. That day he went from being a great player to one of my hero's.
Others may disagree but it's that kind of thing that does it for me.

The first of our players to score the winner against Leeds at Headingley having previously laid out Ryan Bailey will be well on the way, to similar status.

Thank You