So, as I was saying...


Can’t work out whether it is better Widnes win to leave our fate in our own hands, or Toronto, so Widnes have nowt to play for next week.

Widnes, I think.

I hope McGuire’s knock on over the line isn’t one of those moments we’re talking about months and years from now.

Oh my word.

One consolation is that next week’s qualifiers fixtures are spread over 4 days, Thursday to Sunday. Which is ridiculous tbh, but because ours is the Sunday game, we’ll at least know what we need to do qualify, or, in one scenario, at least reach the MPG.

Win, basically, but points difference could throw up some tortuous scenarios.

Just found out the score. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED THERE???? We are now in deep doo doo. Not only got to win next week,no guarantees there after this, but if TWP beat Leeds, and they might, we have to overtake their points difference, and we are losing players. Oh dear..Really sickened off.

The McGuire knock on would have made no difference. To allow a championship team to come back from 19 points down to win 34 – 23 is inexcusable.
Once again, (How many times is that now?) we have built up a good lead but then allowed a team to come back. They’ve come close to been beaten at the death in previous weeks but it would appear they haven't learnt their lesson and this time they’ve come unstuck, big time!!.
Based on this fact they don't deserve super league status in my opinion.
As some friends of mine who went today and sent me a text said. ‘’ It was all smash and bang rugby once again with little or no flair on display by rovers, you could count the breaks from deep on two fingers It was the same in previous weeks when we’ve been so predictable in attack’’

What is more worrying is the fact that our defence is woeful and big games are often won in defence. This been the case I would say our chances of winning a million game would be quite poor, I know it’s not what some people might like to hear, but the truth isn’t always palatable.
With regards to our coaching set up. We seem to hear the same excuse and reasons given every week but nothing appears to change, which makes me wonder if Sheens really is the man for the job. He may have been a brilliant coach in years gone by, but like all top professionals in all sports, there comes a time when they just don’t have that edge any more.
These are worrying times because if the club, god forbid, do end up in the million pound game and lose it. The contracts of the current players will become null and void. That would almost certainly lead the club to lose good players such as Mulhern, Atkin, Adam Quinlan and Mose Masoe , plus Super league clubs will also undoubtedly come sniffing around the likes of youngsters, such as Will dagger, Will Oakes, Elliot Wallis and Joe Wardill. This would set the clubs ambitions back many years and undo all the building work of previous seasons.

I know that, apart from Adam Quinlan, it’s maybe not at the thing at the forefront of many people’s minds - but what a potentially horrible situation for him.

If we do go down, I really don’t know what’ll happen. Scary prospect, in a few ways.

It’d be a real shame, as I think we’ve generally made a decent fist of it this year. But the qualifiers are such a tight rope - one slip can be all it takes.

The famous "mental strength" on display..

We are a Super League team of 11 years and we are told at full cap. We had our most experienced players out there to manage the game T Carney, Lunt, Mcguire, Masoe, Lee, Hall. We have an international coach. Toulouse have been in the Championship 4 years? Many of their team had never played top tier opposition until the middle 8's. Their cap is far less than ours. Their coach is a farmer who gets up at 3am to work on the farm. They scored 34 unanswered points against us. That is a real disgrace in a game the should have guaranteed our top tier position.

I have no concerns about our survival. But come back to the same point. Whatever the Propoganda machine churns out about next year's reason for optimism it's just based on a wing and a prayer. 12 seasons of the same leadership, mediocre appointments, relying on a mix of has beens, journey-men and kids. The chimps will be clapping our survival all well and good but there is no evidence whatsoever we can break out of the bottom 4. It looks like we got extremely lucky with Morgan and without him there's nothing doing. The membership renewal letter celebrates 10th position. Tells you everything about where we are .

.

Not seen or heard the game.At nephews wedding Will take a proper view on it tmz...Stinking result

This is how bad it is now after that unacceptable capitulation(if my sums are correct) points difference compared to teams that could catch/overtake us, (not league points) are as follows..We are minus 12 against Toronto..plus 5 against Toulouse, plus 15 against London....Although unlikely, it is possible that unless we beat Widnes we could end up sixth and be relegated next Sunday!
Admittedly unlikely, but this is what this result has done.
Hopefully we beat Widnes, Toronto lose against Leeds,and that will be enough,BUT, if the Whinos pile points on Halifax tomorrow, they are all but up and done. They could simply not turn up against a fired up TWP and lose, and I never expect any favours from Leeds. If that happens we have to absolutely hammer Widnes and claw the points difference back.
After that result today I am not confident. We just cannot defend well enough. Mental strength is missing.
The simple fact is we have to better TWP,s score by 13 points or it,s likely another MPG.
Some serious conversations have to be had, and they have to have their game head on next week.
Don,t do it to us again!

The Salford-Toulouse result will give us something to hang onto and something to worry about, whatever it is.

If Salford win then we’re guaranteed a spot in the MPG at worst, but we will be relying on a probably more or less safe Leeds not wazzing it off against Toronto to retain realistic hope for better than that. And I wouldn’t blame Leeds - we started thinking about 2018 as soon as we were safe in 2017.

A Toulouse win puts our fate back in our own hands, but could effectively make our game vs Widnes a MPG for us - win and we’re safe, lose and we’re possibly straight down... depending on PD.

Wonder if this is all part of JP's five year plan

I know the manner of the defeat today for you guys is a major concern, but I think you are safe as I cannot see a now relegated Widnes having any desire/fight left now and can honestly see you putting the cleaners through them, especially if your attack clicks like it did against us (Leeds) a few weeks back.

Also as crap as we have been this season, I think we will beat Toronto for you so it will be us, you and Salford for the top 3 and probably Toronto v London in the MPG

2016 all over again. 1st MPG is next weekend vs Widnes. Relegated already and disheartened, their players will want to look good to get a new contract elsewhere and go out with a bang.

Leeds will be safe by the end of tomorrow and Hetherington hates Hudgell. Looking forward to next year and not wanting any more injuries may field a young side.

London to beat halifax.

Salford get Hastings back at home to Toulouse but lost the last 2. Outside chance of a Toulouse win.

I could easily see positions 2-6 all on 8 points. Our pts diff is shocking and could see us auto relegated in 6th. Would Hudgell carry on?????

Or beat Widnes and at worst be at home in the MPG and maybe 3rd if Leeds win (but the whole fielding a weakend team thing is massive).

This is 2016 all over again and I feel sick.

I wonder if Hudgell wishes there was a way more than one could get promoted from championship next season, some sort of round robin 8 type set up with multiple promotion chances rather than just one up?

Wishful thinking on my part.Widnes have already stated they are staying full time and rebuilding to get back into Super League asap.
Taking another SL full time pro club down with them would make their job a lot harder than it will be anyway.