Widnes - NOT IMPRESSED

[MrsLam]

Well that was the most boring half of rugby league I have watched all season. What is going on at all?
First 20 minutes were only exciting because I was nervous that Widnes were gonna score.
Our defence is about 10% existent but the tackles are pathetic, we're not going in hard, I know we're short of our big men but come on little more effort lads please.

Anyway like any true proffessional (spelling?) I have written down a few pointers...*clears throat*

• The tackle around Faz's neck was very similar to one I saw last week, can't remember who it was although I think his name began with N ended with 'n'and had 'ewto' in the middle, only difference being he got a two match ban for his.
  
  Am worried about Millards tackling, we're getting towards play offs and we need all our lads to choose from but I'm getting panicky (word?!) that we'll lose someone tonight because of him.
  
  Hay DID play the ball and we should have had another 6 and while we're on that subject, how did O'loughlin get caught for not being square?
  
  Don't know what Widnes are moaning at, Hughs did knock on whether it was finger tips or not.

End of half time rant, am going back down for a beer and hopefully to watch us win the second half. Gawd I hope it's more interesting..

[MrsLam]

I'll reply to my own messages since I'm the only one that isn't there

First 20 minutes of the second half pretty much the same tactics (if there were any...) as the first.
We played one man rugby for 60 minutes and I'm wondering how we lost it, self explanatory really.

Some very bad refereeing though tonight, send him back now please. I'm still trying to figure out how Hansen knocked that ball on after it stumbling IN HIS HANDS and him regaining it, and then a tackle later how they knock on and we get done for lying on.

Really, he lost us that match I agree that we would have been very lucky to win it with the way we played but the chance was there and who knows, if he hadn't given a knock on we could have scored under the sticks and won it...but we didn't

Since I've had to listen to Eddie and Stevo go on for about 95 minutes, could someone answer these questions for me purrlease.

• You might notice when other teams go 10 points behind at half time, they say it's not a lot in this modern game of rugby league but today why did they decide there was no way we would come back.

• And why when saints come back are they amazing come back kings that deserve to win because of the effort and determination but today when we started coming back it was a "shame" and Widnes really didn't deserve to lose?

I'm not a happy bunny at all, have had the worst week possible...think I need a punch bag

[king carney]

wigan cant expect to beat poor teams like st helens in the play offs when they cant be BOTHERED to play anything like for 60 mins the only reason widnes didnt put 40 past us was 'ish' defending and poor attacking play im well unimpressed. Saying that widnes did play well BUT the ref, surly they must play the same rules in new zealand as they do up here??????????? coz he was aloada poo! at least 8 major mistakes NOT even GANSON (yes thats right steve ganson) is that bad!

[robjoenz]

I thought the referee did very little to control the game. The only good decision he made was to sin-bin the Widnes player that was all over Lammy and then started him.

How did he give that knock on against Hansen? How did he give them a penalty when we released the ball before the carrying arm touched the ground? Has he never heard of laying on?

Widnes were allowed to lay on on every tackle and slow our attack down to great effect. We never got the chance to get going and only once (that I can recall) did they get penalised for it.

The referee was useles but we can't really blame that for our defeat, we just weren't good enough. I didn't think Farrell was his usual self, he missed some relatively easy kicks which cost us the win/draw tonight and it was very out of character for him to drop the ball.

[GeoffN]

3 factors in our defeat tonight, as I see it.

1. We only played for the last 20 minutes, having taken an hour to realise that we had to do more than just turn up. Missed Newton, Smith and Carney, fair enough, but the team we put out should have been good enough.
2. Widnes played the best rugby I've seen from them all season. The "Happy Frank" effect?
3. the ref thought he was a Ganson, making it up as he went along. Have they changed the knock-on rule?

Couldn't bear to watch the video tonight, maybe tomorrow (or maybe I'll just tape over it)

[MrsLam]

Tape over it Geoff it's too upsetting to watch. We were outplayed but I don't even think they played that well which makes it even worse!!!!!

[GeoffN]

Were there as many crazy reffing decisions as I thought? I remember about 6 or 7 that I thought were just plain Ganson.
(Not using that as an excuse, we didn't deserve to win!)
Thought Brown played well when he came on though.

[MrsLam]

There was a lift when Brown came on and he looked determined to make the score look more respectable, O'loughlin was doing a lot too but the ref seemed to have some sort of O'loughlin hatred campaign going on lol!

There were definitely a lot of decisions that I disagreed with and I let the telly and the cushion (now shredded fluff and material) I was holding know about that.
Normally I'd tell you exactly what decisions I mean but I'm too p*$$ed to remember, will tell you tomorrow though!

[ian.birchall]

GeoffN, you are slowing up too much as you get older! I overtaped the first half thinking the second half would get better and have already taped over that with The Shield and I WILL NOT watch the Superleague show this morning.

[Alex the Warrior]

We were absolute garbage, and the ref still managed to be the worst person on the pitch.

It got to much for me when he went to the screen for our first try. I ran down the length of the stand to advise him in no uncertain terms that he should return to NZ as soon as possible!

All this and our home record to go next week too.