Mate i was disappointed when we took Betts on for another 2 years after terrible coaching in the Championship.We are very flat,bad kicking game, and cant tackle.Fitness could also be better.Do not expect miracles, but Wakey are virtually from scratch and are doing better than our e.

Can't beat a staunch Widnes "supporter",we knew we were in for a tough time 1st season back.
Proper supporters will be there again next week ! Ta-Ta

As an outsider looking in, Widnes need to do 2 things very quickly;

1. replace Betts with a coach with a more experienced and succesful track record... not Paul Cullen. Brian Noble maybe?

2. dispose of the person/s responsible for player recruitment. Some of your signings have been poorly thought out.

from a neutral who was there yesterday, the biggest problem was the fact that most of your tackling was above waste high, nobody was interested in going for the legs, and when you have a player like Feka running at you, you need at least one person to go for the legs.

When Ah Van looked injured, I was suprised no Salford player ran at him, instead they seemed to still target the other wing.

You did show some good signs though so get the basics right and good luck for the rest of the season.

You need to get Brian Noble in ASAP, let him clear out some of the things that are obviously holding you back and to appoint his own backroom staff.

Your too inexperienced in key areas at your club, i'm not being funny here but that squad thats been assembled by Dennis Betts/Paul Cullen is simply awful, Brian Noble did a great job at Celtic Crusaders in a similar situation, he put a squad together in basically just a couple of months that was very competetive given what he had to work with.

I dont think Widnes can/will move on whilst the owner remains loyal to Paul Cullen. The changes that need to be made wont happen whilst Cullen is Director of Rugby or whatever his role is.

Betts was never going to be the ticket for the job required. A Brian Noble type replacement wont entertain the Widnes coaching job whilst Cullen is meddling in the background.

Unfortunately its going to be up to the owner to make some very hard decisions.

As much as I like Cullen he isnt what Widnes need, likewise Denis Betts. Recruitment has been predictably poor, the signing of Jon Clarke as captain (probably on big money) smacks of jobs for the boys by Cullen. Dont get me wrong, Clarke can do a job for Widnes but he certainly shouldnt be classed as a major key player. I have said before that Pickersgill is nowhere near a SL player and I cant understand the decision to give him a SL contract.

I hope Widnes make the changes asap as SL needs a strong competitive Widnes team not a laughing stock.

Paul Cullen may have his faults but player recruitment isn't one of them. Almost all the players he brought to Warrington have turned out to be excellent signings, including the likes of Mick Monaghan, Louis Anderson, Henry Fa'Fili, Matt King, Chris Bridge and Simon Grix, to name but a few. PC's shortcoming was that he could never get the best out of this talent. You probably do need a better coach than Betts, but you have three years ( or at least two ) to steadily build. Right now, there's not much atttraction for a successful coach to come to Widnes - improve over a season or so and you'd look a much better bet.

Im not too sure who was pulling the strings at warrington.

Wasnt Andrew Johns responsible for attracting the likes of Monaghan, King etc to Warrington.

Fairplay though if he was responsible for Bridge and Grix.

PC was responsible for the recruitment of the vast majority of players in the Warrington squad. Nothing wrong with Cull. You've achieved your initial aim by being back in SL. No-one said it was going to be easy. It's roll up sleeves and fight it out time.

Its nice to think supporters from other clubs and our friends 8 miles away have genuine symphathy for our once great club thanks for the kind words

Do you still hang around the Spar with all those chavs?

Chin up its a long season I expect you will get better as the season goes on. Plus Salford where very good in the first half against saints and where probably smarting over their second half collapse. As a Leeds fan I think you will raise your game and catch us with a wcc hangover and give us a game.

You guys just need to tough out the first season, sure it will be difficult but there is certainly no need to get depressed. You will turn some teams over, but will probably only get 6/7 wins through the season and then look to build and improve on what you have.
BTW Ahvan looks a cracking signing

Most Wire fans want to play Widnes twice a year and to win both matches. Outside of that, we're happy to see you back in SL and hope you become a strong side again within a few years: just not as strong as Wire, if you'd all be so kind!

You cant make an omelette without breaking eggs.Keep the faith

I think people underestimate how hard it is getting to build a team from scratch nowadays.

The quick fix Aussie solution is getting harder - both due to reduction in quotas and the fact that fewer quality Aussies are moving to SL full stop. A number of sides have thankfully realised that if you can't sign reasonable quality from the NRL, you may as well not bother.

Add to that the fact that (partly as a result of fewer imports) quality British players are getting signed up on what would have been seen as ridiculously long-term deals and the market is a lot thinner than it used to be.

Wakey may have signed a lot of players but they did have about half a team, and getting the likes of Lauti'iti on board would have encouraged other players to have a look. Had you guys succeeded in signing a real star Aussie, I'd bet a few waverers who have ended up elsewhere would have given you a chance.

As it is the lesson is probably that Widnes should already be recruiting for next season now.

To be fair I have said this before widnes ended up with these players due to lack of time to prepare. Found out in march u got sl license most key players are already tied into a contract by then.

You need rid of betts he has no experience and unfortunately it shows.

I am going to go against the grain and say bring cullen down from his office job and get him in charge full time, I liked him at wire, he has a habbit of being able to strip the team down back to basics and build up.

He is also able to attract big names as he has a lot of connections in andrew johns, alfie langer, offiah etc.

But as a wire fan (married to a widnes fan) I can honestly say unfortunately u are going to lose alot this year but year one of license is looking at what your players are doing and seeing who u want to keep, get rid of etc.

Dont panic you will get back up to speed and I am looking forwardvto a proper derby.

Good luck guys

I knew all all along the soundbites from Widnes fans when they got their SL licence of 'going for the play-offs' and 'showing Warrington whose number 1 in Cheshire' etc would come back to haunt them.

Talk about trying to run before you can walk...


To finish 2nd bottom with THAT squad would be a huge achievement for the 'Vikings'.

As much as many people (myself included) liked Cullen (many people will tip-their-hat to him for saving Wire from relegation and his tireless involvement for our new ground) unfortunately he just didn't have that "something extra" to take Wire from a "nearly" team to the next level; enter Tony Smith and whatever his recipe-for-success it has reaped rewards in the past couple of seasons

Don't wanna knock Cullen (or Betts) at such an early stage of the season but I don't think Widnes will progress much under the steering of these two guys; Betts is perhaps a few more years away from a SL grade coach..........

The difficulty will be the business side of Widnes RL; how long will Steve O'Connor back Betts & Cullen when attendances diminish because fans (non season ticket holders) won't fork out on the basis "another good hiding is likely".........next season will be the acid test; if Widnes finish at the wrong end the table (let's be honest, this is highly likely) attendances will fall, available money will fall.........will O'Connor continue to fund your club then??

It's a difficult balance between finances, business and support..........

Keep The Faith........WIRE 2012

I can't see this as crisis time for Widnes. There are some decent players getting their first experience of Super League, and a lot of newcomers. It's always going to take time to pull that lot together. Realistic expectations are the key.

I actually think that once you get the team used to one another, everyone understands the plays and all players (or near as you get in pro sport) are fit, you'll see a lot of improvement towards the end of the season.

Easy to say from here I know, but keep the faith.

What is it with you and attendances mate? every post you mention attendances of some sort?

That Spar on Cinnamon Lane North. Do you still hang around there with that gang of chavs?

You are a Top .

He's also been banned from his own club!



[urlhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Back-the-beef/256033497747859[/url

This clown is obsessed with us!