faith in wane

[BriH]

Absolutely right Steve.
The LLS reflects what a team has achieved throughout the regular season.
The Challenge Cup and the Super League Grand Final are knockout comps. and have no bearing on how the team has performed all season. Leeds are the perfect example of this.
I would like to see Wigan get the LLS and one of the others.

[Wes]

Do you think LLS and 2 semi final defeats is good enough Stu?

[Kittwazzer]

Do you think LLS and 2 semi final defeats is good enough Stu?

Good enough to keep faith in a coach. The alternative says that 11 coaches deserve the sack!

[Wes]

So would you be happy with that this year too?

[Kittwazzer]

So would you be happy with that this year too?

I wouldn't be majorly disappointed provided we were still competing at the 'business end' of the season. I know the RFL/Sky have indoctrinated fans into believing that the only games that matter are a handful in September. I just don't buy into it!

[Kittwazzer]

That's because its the way Super League has been peddled to us all. I doubt there are are many coaches/fans who would have chosen this ridiculous format!

[Stan Dish]

I have posted elsewhere that I have faith in SW, and also the ‘Kids’ coming through the academies. We have a good squad. And if, (let’s hope not) we lose the odd match, we won’t suddenly be at the bottom of the league table. Providing we stay relatively injury free, I think we will be contesting for all the silverware come the end of the season.

But,
the way the super league is presently set up, for me, devalues its’ very existence. To argue that playing twenty six games (?) is worthy of only a minor prize, proves to me that those in charge are only interested in “bigging themselves up”.
In effect what they are saying is that all that endeavour, and all those injuries the players inevitably suffer, is not worth any thing much more than a pat on the back, because they were only sorting out who plays who in a five match knockout competition. OK, that doesn’t sound so hard, and I’m not saying we should not have a knockout competition at the end of the season, but just that you should not be able to win it, having only finished eighth in the table . Being consistent all season, and accumulating nearly a thousand points as the Wolves and we did in the last two years, ought to be recognised as a huge achievement , and not relegated to the wooden spoon end of the prizegiving.
For me, Warrington won the “Big Prize” in 2011, and we won it in 2012.
Leeds won the knockout competition both years.

The RFL can argue till they are “blue” in the face, that the Super League is decided at Old Trafford, but you won’t convince me that the “premiership” isn’t a damn sight harder.

[Kiwiseddon]

I have posted elsewhere that I have faith in SW, and also the ‘Kids’ coming through the academies. We have a good squad. And if, (let’s hope not) we lose the odd match, we won’t suddenly be at the bottom of the league table. Providing we stay relatively injury free, I think we will be contesting for all the silverware come the end of the season.

But,
the way the super league is presently set up, for me, devalues its’ very existence. To argue that playing twenty six games (?) is worthy of only a minor prize, proves to me that those in charge are only interested in “bigging themselves up”.
In effect what they are saying is that all that endeavour, and all those injuries the players inevitably suffer, is not worth any thing much more than a pat on the back, because they were only sorting out who plays who in a five match knockout competition. OK, that doesn’t sound so hard, and I’m not saying we should not have a knockout competition at the end of the season, but just that you should not be able to win it, having only finished eighth in the table . Being consistent all season, and accumulating nearly a thousand points as the Wolves and we did in the last two years, ought to be recognised as a huge achievement , and not relegated to the wooden spoon end of the prizegiving.
For me, Warrington won the “Big Prize” in 2011, and we won it in 2012.
Leeds won the knockout competition both years.

The RFL can argue till they are “blue” in the face, that the Super League is decided at Old Trafford, but you won’t convince me that the “premiership” isn’t a damn sight harder.

I completely agree. We all want to be the Champions or CC winners as the schedule is set out by the RFL and Sky but it isn't what's most difficult to win.
The simple truth is that the hardest trophy to win which represents the most endeavour, consistency and hard work is simply not recognised because it doesn't suit idiots at the top to do so. We won the SuperLEAGUE last season and I personally refuse to acknowledge Leeds as the Champions of anything other than a minor under-attended knock out competition that took place after the proper, properly attended season finished.
I know we all knew the rules going into the season but it doesn't change what we achieved over 28 (not 5) games last season.
In terms of faith in Wane, I think we should be looking much more closely on what he actually achieved last season and our league position this, with massive injuries to boot, rather than concentrating on what we may or may not do in several month's time. All he can do is coach the team to win matches and I think gearing a team up to win a particular game at a particular time of year says more about luck, squad strength and fortune than it does the ability of the coach.

[DaveO]

In terms of faith in Wane, I think we should be looking much more closely on what he actually achieved last season and our league position this, with massive injuries to boot, rather than concentrating on what we may or may not do in several month's time. All he can do is coach the team to win matches and I think gearing a team up to win a particular game at a particular time of year says more about luck, squad strength and fortune than it does the ability of the coach.

There is certainly a lot of luck in it. I often mention Bradford winning it from third under the much harder top 5 play off system. They had players like Hape returning from injury for the play offs and both Leeds and Saints had several injuries to key players such as Long and other equally important players. Bradford despite being relatively poor all season were IMO clear favourites for the play-offs due to the luck they had with injuries and the bad luck of their rivals.

We could find ourselves in the same position. On paper we have a weaker more inexperienced squad this season but who is to say we don't go into the play-offs fully fit and Wire and Leeds end up with players missing?

That sort of luck is only one aspect though. All teams could be at full strength and it is then you need a coach to have prepared the team properly and one who doesn't screw things up.

Looking at what Wane did in that respect last season shows he made mistakes. For example because he made daft selection policies in a couple of games, Widnes away and Bradford at home we blew four points that we should not have. That meant having to bust a gut to beat HKR two games from the end of the season in order not to have to do the same v Saints the week after to win the league which he wanted to do. So instead of taking it relatively easy he went all out to win it so close to the play offs. Not good preparation.

Then as we know Sam is missing for the Leeds semi and instead of doing the sensible thing and moving Richards to full back and putting Gelling on the wing he plays a rookie with one game under his belt in a crucial game which was stupid.

The point I am trying to make is success in the play-offs isn't all about luck. It's about preparation and good coaching for the few games involved. In fact there is less room for error than in the league. Everything has to be spot on for all the games bar getting a second chance if you finish high enough. There is little room for mistakes like playing Murphy and these can be just as costly as bad luck with injuries.

At the end of the day continued failure in the play-offs (and CC) will ultimately cost Wane his job. It did for Noble and it will for Wane unless he delivers a CC or GF victory in this or next season IMO.