Quote: Theboyem "So let me get this right, last week you was on here claiming Scott Anderson had a good game against Cas as he made 20-odd tackles and missed none, despite giving us absolutely no go forward. Yet Annakin does the same this week (despite playing out of position, a point you conveniently ignore) and he was average? Whose the one picking out what the want to fit their argument? Can't have it both ways i'm afraid. As for Scruton he was average which actually shows how poorly some of the others played. In fact I thought Kirmo had one of his worst games for us, even though he'd tried his heart out it just didn't happen for him. '"
I don't recall that about Anderson but anyway it was 30 odd tackles not 20 odd.....my expectations of what they both bring to the team are different too.....Anderson is a straight hard working prop....no nonsense, no flashy stuff, just takes the ball in hard does his tackling, what you see is what you get....he's also an overseas in his first year in Super League....history tells me he will come on a hell of a lot and be a better player the more time he spends here....
Annakin on the other hand has been a big disappointment for me....at academy level as I've already said he was fantastic, ran great lines and broke the line for fun....maybe I'm expecting too much of him but he's not doing what I thought he would....I thought he maybe our next Michael Jackson type player but instead he's going the way of Tommy Haughey.....I know he's only played 3 games this season and to be fair to him it's been against 3 of the better sides but he's our worst forward for average metres per gain....in his last 15 or so matches taking in this season and last he's not made one clean break....to me, that is what he's in the side to do, bust the line?
Quote: Theboyem "As for this bluster you keep coming out with about our performances when playing the top teams well i'm sorry but just rolling over and taking a beating against them is not acceptable whether they are better than us or not. We may not expect to win but there is no excuse for not putting in 80 minutes of effort every week. The occaisional thumping will happen, but we have now conceded 36 points or more in half of our games and it just isn't good enough. Take a look a the crowd yesterday, people are fed up of it. We have always been a team that has been way behind the top clubs yet occaisonly we have sprung a surprise, think of that night at oakwell, or beating Wigan on the opening day of the season amognst others. This lot have just as much talent as those teams but the attitude in those games seems all wrong. If we are 'targeting' games then it is a stupid tactic as it will cost the club dear, folk don't like shelling out £22 to watch the garbage we have witnessed more often than not this year. And if the team think they can just turn it on at the drop of a hat one week then the may just come badly unstuck, it really isn't as easy as that. We might get a result next week as Bradford are as bad as us but i wouldn't put my house on it.'"
I don't think we did roll over yesterday.....we had a decent 35 minutes in the first half and then a crazy spell conceding 3 tries in 7 minutes before the break.....we then went 24-0 down after about 6 or 7 minutes of the 2nd half....a team rolling over would have been stuffed by 50 or 60....especially from a team that had just whacked 40 past Saints in it's last game and 40 the previous week....we lost the last half hour 4-12.....it wasn't good to watch but I dont think you can honestly say we rolled over? We didn't quite manage 80 minutes but take the last 5 minutes out of each half and it wasn't the worst....isn't that generally what happens when a lesser side gets beat by a top side...they compete for a good half hour or so and then energy levels drop and the good sides and the quality players take advantage?
Quote: Theboyem "The problem for me seems to stem from the coach and the decsions he is making along with the non-existent structures in place and a sheer lack of motivation and desire. On paper this team is decent, hence why it was able to beat Hull & Widnes but it just isn't doing it nearly consistantly enough. You talk about it being how we do against the sides around us yet this team has lost to both Bradford & Salford already this season, both sides which were just as 'new' or had as much disruption as we had. '"
The game aint played on paper mate, and anyway that is definitely up for question! Take the 17 from yesterday and go and post it on every other teams board and ask them how many of our players they would put in their first team....London, Bradford and maybe Salford apart I think you would be looking at very, very few....that 17 we had out yesterday certainly aint good enough to be troubling the top 5 or 6 teams IMO....no matter who is coaching us.....we did excellent with those wins at Widnes & Hull but how quickly those are forgotten eh, after 2 beatings of the teams laying 3rd and 5th in the table.....Bottom 4 sides with squads and resources like ours aren't consistent either.....they never have been and they never will be.....you might get a couple of good performances....r.e....Widnes/Hull then you may get a few not so good ones, that happens in every sport I've ever watched......and to be fair, I genuinely believe if we had played both Bradford and Salford 4 or 5 weeks after we did we would have beaten them both....everything was in Salfords favour that 1st day and the short turnaround against Bradford made that outcome a total lottery in my eyes.....as both coaches said afterwards....
Quote: Theboyem "
You are correct in questioning the ridiculous decision to have Smith playing at Fev on dual reg whilst we went into battle with 3 props. Raleigh is also fit and available but has been left out for no apparent reason other than his face doesn't fit anymore. I am also lead to believe that the treatment of Foxy from our esteemed coach has left a bitter taste in the mouth as well.'"
As I said it seemed a bizarre decision to me as I think Smith has definitely been one of our shining lights and consistently one of our better players.....I like Raleigh too he gives us exactly what we are missing IMO....a quick play the ball.....I dont know any reason behind it, maybe they were both being saved for next week at Bradford in a hugely important game....if they both play there and play well it may justify yesterday's decision to leave them both out a little? I've no idea on Fox...absolutely no idea at all....another though who's copped loads of stick on these boards, but a player I thought always gave his all....just an average player though....one that we could afford....
Quote: Theboyem " We all want the same thing, a successful Wakefield Trinity, but right now to many already battle weary supporters that seems further away than ever and performances in derby games and the home matches like we have seen over the last fornight is the straw that breaks the camels back.
You might think that 12th is good enough and overall it probably is this year given everything that went on in the off-season. But as people keep saying this team is pretty good on paper and should be at least competive in the huge majority of games and we expect full on effort in every time. And for £22 quid some entertainment wouldn't go amiss either. Sorry but we just aren't getting any of that right now and it just isn't good enough.'"
Agree.....we all want a successful Wakey to follow....the way I see it though is we are a brand new side this year....a definite work in progress, which will take time.....two wins in our next two games which is definitely achievable then we have gone a long way to avoiding relegation, which whether people like it or not was the aim at the start of the season....a couple of months before the start that seemed very unlikely.....I just think this season so far has been made worse to fans with the combination of Cas doing so well and the return of relegation....that for me has definitely unsettled more people and patience seems to have gone out of the window....
You've made the point 3 or 4 times about how good we are on paper, but again I just dont see it as opposed to other teams in this league Bradford & London apart.....missing 3 or 4 genuine quality players like we have done for large parts will really hurt teams like us?