This is exactly what I am talking about.

I appreciate you are trying to be supportive but any suggestions of writing off this whole season based on one friendly are not just premature, they are ridiculous. We are, FWIW, not going to be world beaters next season. We all know this. We all know that even a playoff place is an unrealistic expectation. Other teams in the league have had a massive head start, and are mostly working with a similar squad to last season. They know each other, they've played with each other.

We will be fresh and new, and have not had time to really build in the way that top teams can. I.e. from a super league base.

That said, our expectations will not be massive and our victories will be relative. Not everyone can be fighting at the top, and teams which aren't do not "write the season off" as a result. They and we will enjoy being a part of super league, taking some scalps, and seeing our club at the top of the game again.

As for concentrating on the three biggest derbies, there is a certain logic to that but from the perspective of our aspirations beating teams like Wakefield and Salford will be more important than going down valiantly to these teams and losing everywhere else.

Was it the amuse bouche or rather some amusement with added boosh!!!

Nope.. just can't get it to work.

One of the big things for me was the fact that we didn't really tire... I mean they did get tired but it wasn't as if the players were out on their feet or anything.
Warrington moved us around really well and they have some gifted players... Ratchford marshalled them well, but they really spread the ball with pace and have a number of willing back-up players. Once again we saw how devastating dummy runners can be when employed correctly. As a squad, they have obviously trained together a great deal and I look forward to seeing Widnes play with equal measure of fluidity in the future but first things first...

I think this game would have been about fitness and revenue... from the players point of view it's just nice I guess to be let off the leash after doing a month of running up mountains over sand dunes, rowing competitions and go knows what else. Someone commented earlier last week that they had just started doing some ball work now so things should click a little more in place in the upcoming weeks.

I don't think anyone had a bad game.. I'm trying to not get drawn in on the excitement around Watts following one chip through but I thought he was just finding his feet when he went off which was a shame. He remains the player I'm most excited about.

Two things from the other board... I think Isa was struggling with cramp most of the match, he pulled up sharply letting Evans run past him for a seemingly easy try from the scrum.. he went down at least one other time and was constantly stretching before and after the miss. And I saw someone having a go at Craven for not being 'in position' to stop the try. From the scrum I think it's fairly standard for the FB to join the line which is why people scream for the kick and chase if they have a pacey winger.

Oh and I though Ah Van looked strong on a number of his runs, taking the first try out of the equation I thought he looked okay in that department too.

Impeccably sir!!! *[ichecks spelling of impeccably[/i*

As always.

Positives : the best away support in superleaue is back

Negatives: not seeing much of watts and the 32 points we conceded

Were there photos taken? Asterix?

There's always a slight irony about a Wiganer who brings up clubs, their grounds and, inveitably, the size of their crowds.....Coming from a fan of a club who don't have their own ground and, because of that, don't have an option about ground improvement, it just seems a bit funny...

Must admit I enjoyed watching Widnes...But some areas need attention:-
a) The play the balls and pass to the first reciever were slow. Four or five knock ons at the PTB and first recievers getting picked off easily
b) Ineffective exit sets with Widnes struggling to get out of their own half. More agression and more runners needed
c) Not enough variety/dummy runners/lines on attack.

No lack of effort though...

Bring dougie back

congratulations on the embarrassing post.