September 1 deadline

[Mike]

Doug Stand posted:
After the win at Hull (the first one this year when Betts was in charge) the team went in a rapid decline and probably hit bottom at Saints in the 75-0 game. Yes I know injuries and all that... but I don't think we are back to were we were when we beat Hull the first time away. I honestly beleive Hull has a big eye on the final when we beat them a second time...

Maybe Hull did have an eye on the final, but our first half performance at the KFC was much better than the first win there. In that first match we didn't look like we would ever score, we posed no threat to Hull at all. Then came the interception try and we didn't look back. THe story of the most recent match was the opposite, we really looked dangerous in the early parts of the game and fully deserved to be in front. Hull were not playing badly - as they showed with their comeback in the second half. Noone could accuse Hull of having one eye on the cup final in the last 20 miinutes, but the major factor in their comeback was our young team tiring badly. Our defence dropped off in the last 20 minutes and it looked like Hull cwould be able to score everytime just by chucking the ball wide.

I think Wigan tiring will be the big problem today. DOn't be supprise to see us within 10 points until 20 minutes to go (we may be in front), but I would expect the kids to fade in the last 20 minutes. It just takes too much out of them, tackling a bigger and more powerfull team for the whole 80 minutes. Hopefully we can hang on for a win like we did last week.

[GeoffN]

Mike posted:

Noone could accuse Hull of having one eye on the cup final in the last 20 miinutes, but the major factor in their comeback was our young team tiring badly. Our defence dropped off in the last 20 minutes and it looked like Hull cwould be able to score everytime just by chucking the ball wide.

A big factor there, though, was that we only had 2 substitutes available after the injuries to Carney and Newton.

[Matthew]

Got to say that I agree with DaveO.

Leeds are about to go into a state of transition. As well as the loss of several key players, several of their existing squad are getting older - the likes of Senior for example. Whilst they still have decent players, I think that it is very unlikely that they will be the force that they were this year.

bradford have been in decline this year and with several of their better players leaving I can see no reason why that should change.

saints are the only side without any major changes, however they have proved brittle when sculthorpe has been out injured and long is now past his best. The injury prone hooper is not being replaced at stand off - something which I think is a mistake

We are in the position of not only having several very good players joining the club, we are also in the position of having several of our younsters coming of age - as well as a couple of players coming back from injury. Provided the team can get some early wins next year and get some confidence I see no reason why we can't be there or there abouts.

We may not win the league, however I think that we will put in a much better effort than we have this year - to say that we have no chance is not really the spirit of the club that I follow

[DaveO]

Doug Stand posted:
I honestly beleive Hull has a big eye on the final when we beat them a second time... so to say we could beat any one of the top 6 now... I don't fully agree... It would have to be that the team we play basically doesn't perform and really leaves the game after them i.e Warrington at home or the team has one eye on another game eg Hull away... I think in a cup match between any of the current top 6 sides with the team we have now...we would be left wanting.

You can only play the team the opposition puts in front of you and none of the "rest of the top six" are guraenteed to perform to their best all the time just as Wigan are not.

We are not going to meet every side at the top of their form so if we meet a side that isn't quite firing on all cylinders so what? That is the way the game goes. I don't think we should be quick to dismiss wins against Wire and Hull but equally we should not dismiss stupid losses either like V Wakey.

Next year I think there will be an improvement and with a decent draw and a bit of luck could see us challange but there would have to be a lot of luck in there.

I don't think we will need as much luck as you think although we are due some luck with injuries.

Our 3/4 will be much bigger next year and our pack a lot stronger with some depth to it. Looking at next years side I wold expect to win quite a few more games than we lose.

I agree the team building is not finished but given the other sides such as Leeds will be rebuilding it gives us more than an even chance of pulling something off IMO.

A lot depends on how Richards goes at centre and how the half backs play when they have a decent pack to play behind but I can see us make a challenge.

If we can beat Wire and Hull with patche dup Wigan sides we ought to be more than competative with the new signings and hopefully less injuries.

Dave

[DaveO]

Doug Stand posted:
It is kind of hard to say one way or another because there are more unknowns in our side... you are assuming that the newbies live up to the repuations and Hock and O'Loughlin live up to their own (I think unfair) reputations..

I do think the newbies will cut it but I am concerned not so much about Hock and O'Loughlin's reputation but how they will have coped with the injuries so I am not without reservations of my own.

but believe me when the draw is made for the cup next year I will be secretly excited.

Well after tonight you can add Leeds to the list of teams in the current top six we can beat on our day!

I am not getting carried away but wins against Hull, Wire and now Leeds when we have 9 players out injured has got to give some cause for optimism next season.

Dave