At the start of the season most people suggested 6th and a play off win would be about right for this season. That's still very possible. I just don't understand what's changed to fans' expectations.

You're 2 points off 5th (and Leeds have the welcome distraction of a cup final), Bradford are fighting for their existence first, play-offs second and Hudds are in freefall pretty much.

If you can get some players back and turn your form around it could still be a [igood[/i transitional year. Decent looking run in you have late in the season, too.

Didn't Warrington finish tenth in Smith's first season? He was appointed in March 2009.

We've took points off Wire, Saints, Leeds and Hudds. We've dropped about 8 points in the last 10mins of games.

I don't think we've got backwards. This year was always going to be unsteady with all massive changes we've had.

Exactly.

We are three points up on this stage last season and need six points to beat 2011's total. We are four points down on what we had after 20 rounds in 2010 and need ten points to match that season's final total. We've already got more league points than we finished with in 2008 and 2009.

Its not the league position that bothers me and seemingly a few others, its the completely dire brand of rugby we play that simply hasnt changed since Agar and thats with Gentle now having twenty games to atleast make some difference.

To be fair we did start to play some decent stuff in patches. I honestly think that Gentle has seen the players now and realised who he wants and who he doesn't & has taken the chance to do the surgery on the team now rather than wait another season. It seems that there are players who will give it their all in the side and some that don't quite. This we have seen before previously but this time the coach and owner have acted to stop it.

We have also been lightweight up front due to poor recruitment previously and the long term injuries which is a big problem for any team plus we lost a major weapon in our attacking structure with McKinnon going home. Things have not gone quite the way anyone had expected but I am pleased that the club have not wasted time until the end of the season to act.

If by the end of next season we are no better then I admit questions need to be asked a little. However don't forget what a mess the club was in prior to AP taking over and without the huge changes made by AP & PG throughout the club I think we would be in a far bigger hole than we are now.

maguire didn't change the core of the team - interesting thing, I was at the Cats v Wigan game the season Cats finished bottom - they had a bbq after with the players & directors plus fans present - I just happened to be next to messers Guasch and Lenaghan and Guasch asked the Wigan supremo, who speaks pretty good french "just what do you attribute your dramatic change in fortunes ?" - Mr Leneghan replied " well we changed coach with new ideas and with basically the with the same squad we have found a different level"

agreed new players can change things so why doesn't PG and AP do this ? can't they see the basic problems within the squad ?

it's not rocket science - just commen sense and a bit of dosh wisely spent

20 games with over 30 players played for us. Hard to play any 'brand' of rugby with so much change throughout the season.

Maguire took over a team who were one game away from the Grand Final the season before, Gentle has taken over a team that has struggled to make the 8 most seasons.

We've lost an attacking fullback, a specialist winger, centre and a full front row in the last month or so, coupled with us also losing our leading points scorer.
We've brought in 'Squad' players to fill the gaps, knowing that some/most are to be replaced. Horne is playing injured, there have been more debuts in this one season than the last 5. Gentle has also binned players that were signed before he arrived. Add to that the lack of a quality pivot (Seymour wasn't signed by Gentle) and there are grounds for an almighty excuse on Gentle's behalf. To this day he hasn't used this excuse, unlike Shergar.

I've lasted through the likes of Len Casey, Tony Gordon, Shergar et al. I WILL be here next year and onwards. Gentle is the man to take this club forward, have 'Some' patience: Roots upwards and all that.

Correct....and this is reflected in our drop in gates, fans are sick to the back teeth of excuses year in year out.

Our recruitment really needs to be impressive for next season and hopefully AP & Gentle will get it right

Not comparable I'm afraid. Wigna had a good squad who, for whatever reason, were seriously underachieving. They also had a long tradition of young player development, that hadn't stalled or been ignored.




Of course they can but the major recruitment for 2012 had already taken place. They've tried to bring players in and get shut of others but there's only so much that can be done mid-season.



Agreed and I don't doubt the willingness to do both prior to 2013