Quote Adam_Harrison9="Adam_Harrison9"Quote Adam_Harrison9="newgroundb4wakey"Well I've read all through the thread and I think you've summed it up best mate. The effort certainly was there from most and I thought pauli put a real shift in but the Cas pack did look stronger in both attack and defence.
I think you do have a very decent squad especially in the backs . However you have just given a big contract to Miller who hasn't an ounce of creativity in him. No way will you finish in the bottom 4 (theres an interesting mini competition building between you and Salford) but if you want to compete for the top 4 rather than just be content to be in Super League you have to aim higher than Miller.'"
A lot of people gave it the "oh this Wakey pack is big" at the start of the season e.t.c and I even bought into it. But upon reflection there is only Fifita who can mix it with the big boys. The rest are simply average or less. That's the truth of it and you only have to see it week in and week out for the evidence. The simple fact is at Wakefield we have classy backs. Johnstone, Tupou, BJB, MCB, Arundel and Lyne have all shown that they have class. For me the big question is down the middle. We lose the ruck constantly and our contact and line speed is crap.
In attack we lack depth, we don't run on to the ball, we don't have a last tackle option, we can't kick, we don't pass when we draw a defender and we don't even pass accurately (above the head or below the knees).
What concerns me about tonight is the fact that the players actually tried. They tried against a cas side missing Eden, Gale and Roberts and still didn't look like winning at any point. It was all too easy. Paul McShane made Reece Lyne look like he was running through treacle. I've been really optimistic all year. Even when we lost to Wigan, Warrington and Leeds I came away thinking we could have won that and I think we'll finish top 6. Tonight I wanted to turn the TV off after 65 minutes as I knew there was no coming back. The attacking structure is a shambles and for me that lies with the coach and the attack has been crap all year. Let's not gloss over that. The defence could be worse but the attack. Jesus. Out the back once, out the back again... die with the ball. Repeat. Run the ball on the last tackle... turnover. Kicking game? Crap. Pretty disillusioned with that.
Pauli Pauli - well done. Looked like he wanted to be there, put a good stint in. Was treated harshly by Hicks for 2 of the pens I thought.
Jowitt - Want the lad to do well. Thought he would. Don't know if he can make it and never have. Can you rely on his abilities as a fullback?
Hampshire/Miller - Kicking game is crap even with Finn so not gonna slate Rocky for it. Miller has been garbage for half of this year now. Never draws his man before passing the ball. Always passes it with another 10 yard infront of him. Is he scared?
Randell/Wood - Classy players. Should build the pack around them.
Pretty disillusioned after that. I saw the same mistakes and the same structures which makes me question the coaching. Sick of seeing players receive the ball on a standing start and sick of seeing the same set play. If dumb spectators that apparently know nothing about rugby can see this then why can't coaching staff? And if they can see it, why is nothing changing?'"
come on you had a better team than Wigan not long ago?
Wakefield beat Wigan 2 out of 3 times last season and also finished above them in the table. This would suggest that Wakefield on the whole over the last 12 months have better players on a man to man basis.
Here's my thoughts man for man:
Tomkins - Quality player in the past... seems to have started well this year but has he been better than Grix (who has been immense for Wakefield right up until yesterday)? Probably not but he is a ore "fashionable" player. But why would I pick him over a player who hasn't put a foot wrong?
Davies/Burgess/Marshall - Johnstone is better than all 3 and I'd say MCB and BJB are just as good as them as well. Close to call.
Gildart - Really like him and I think he'd get in the Wakefield side over Lyne/Arundel (two players who haven't let us down as well may I add!)
Sarginson - Bit of an unknown as regards current form as went to Australia but like you say, I'd take Tupou as I think Tupou is one of the best centres in the league at the minute.
Williams - Again, fashionable player. Had an excellent season a couple of seasons ago - last year he wasn't all that. If he plays to the best of his ability then yes I'd have him over Finn but Finn has an advantage over Williams upstairs. He's got a better rugby brain and he controls a game better than Williams. Has Williams been better than Finn for the last 12 months? As someone who sees Finn week in week out and sees Williams whenever he is on telly - I'd doubt he has been.
Leuluai/Escare - Are either better than Miller? No. Escare I quite like but he hasn't been as good as Miller.
Powell - I'd rather have Kyle Wood or Tyler Randall any day tbh. I don't rate Powell at all.
Bateman - He would get in our side as he is better than Horo/Kirmond
Farrell - Again, a fashionable name but has he been better than Matty Ashurst? No. I'd take Ashurst all day long.
Clubb - I like Clubb but he doesn't play big minutes and Fifita is a far better Prop.
Flower - Is he really any better than Huby or England or Fifita or Pauli Pauli? Again, pretty evenly matched here in terms of quality in my opinion.
O'Loughlin - Quality player - misses a lot of games. Probably not the player he was a few years ago? Tinirau Arona plays loose for us atm. Arona made 50 odd tackles against Catalan last week - 2 interchanges down - he missed zero of those. O'Loughlin is the fashionable Rugby League name but again when it comes to it - on current form is he miles better than Arona? Not for me. It's a close one.
Where Wigan do have the upper hand is there depth and the conveyor belt of youngsters they have that are of a quality standard. Even in that department Wakefield are catching up bringing through the likes of Jowitt, Batchelor, Crowther in recent years and Luke Hooley on the fringes this year with Ackroyd.