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Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:59 am
by Dan2266
I think we will get to at least the semi-final of the cup, sneak 4th in the league and Id be happy with getting to the semi-final in the play offs as well. Saints, Wire, Catalan will just be too strong I think, I still think we will fair better than Leeds this season even though there's a lot of hype around them and none whatsoever around us.

I think we will shock a few people this year, especially with performances compared to last year. The place is buzzing and you can never underestimate what that does to a squad of players.

I just cant see us winning one of the competitions.

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:38 am
by Graham1
Difficult to assess how we will go this year. If the new props can mix it with the other top teams and Cade proves to be a success early on then we can challenge for the title. I know it was only Newcastle but I thought Pearce Paul did well at centre and Miski ran hard which should increase competition in the backs. No need to play Isa at centre, to be honest can’t see Isa getting in the starting 13 unless we have injuries. Useful sub. Throw in Bevan’s return about April and we could be the surprise package.

But all could go miserably wrong if the overseas signings don’t produce the goods. Fingers crossed for a better more entertaining season. HKR away is going to be interesting.

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:02 am
by Nezza Faz
Graham1 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:38 am Difficult to assess how we will go this year. If the new props can mix it with the other top teams and Cade proves to be a success early on then we can challenge for the title. I know it was only Newcastle but I thought Pearce Paul did well at centre and Miski ran hard which should increase competition in the backs. No need to play Isa at centre, to be honest can’t see Isa getting in the starting 13 unless we have injuries. Useful sub. Throw in Bevan’s return about April and we could be the surprise package.

But all could go miserably wrong if the overseas signings don’t produce the goods. Fingers crossed for a better more entertaining season. HKR away is going to be interesting.
Isa at centre will kill/stifle our attack going forward. Surely not an option, I''d go with KPP who offers so much more in attacking ability.

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:22 am
by Graham1
Should have mentioned Halsall as well. If he can kick on this season our back line suddenly starts to be useful. Just need Oneill to show the same mprovement at hooker.

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:10 pm
by DaveO
Caboosegg wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 3:22 pm "The 3/4 line minus French at the start of the season is potentially Miski, Bibby, Thornley, Marshall and that’s just weak."


Is a good Job you don't recruit and pick the teams isn't it. That is nowhere near as bad as your making out. Could do be better yes but bad no.

not one post I have seen has said Thornley is better than gildart only that how he will go is unknown. But then again his main detractor added a year to his age and then tried to point out no other superleague team would have him while he was playing for a SL team which he had moved to from another SL team.

Stats don't tell you everything but they also show he is not as bad as made put by some.
I did not say people were saying "Thornley is better than gildart" but that people are justifying the signing of Thornley because Gildart had been injured then had a poor season. Medlock has just gone and done it again. It's not a sensible argument. Gildart left and just because he had a poor season does not justify signing a replacement player like Thornley.

As to that backline not being as bad as I make out, what are you justifying that on? Whatever Thornely's statistics say he's a poor player and past it. Bibby is just not a centre. I think defensively this pair will be a potential liability. Bibby is prone to shoot out of the line and Thornley never could do a good defensive stint. The only player in the back line who would be of interest to another top SL side is Marshall and that says a lot.

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:20 pm
by DaveO
Graham1 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:22 am Should have mentioned Halsall as well. If he can kick on this season our back line suddenly starts to be useful. Just need Oneill to show the same mprovement at hooker.
I think these two are key to improving the side. Halsall is aged 20 (21 in sept) and O'Neill is 19 and in an ideal world these two would have the level of involvement Sam Tomkins had at that age. He played 27 games in 2009 at aged 20/21. They need regular games if they are being lined up for a regular first team places anyway and it's fairly obvious most people see a weakness in the first team in their positions.

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:36 pm
by medlocke
DaveO wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:10 pm
Caboosegg wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 3:22 pm "The 3/4 line minus French at the start of the season is potentially Miski, Bibby, Thornley, Marshall and that’s just weak."


Is a good Job you don't recruit and pick the teams isn't it. That is nowhere near as bad as your making out. Could do be better yes but bad no.

not one post I have seen has said Thornley is better than gildart only that how he will go is unknown. But then again his main detractor added a year to his age and then tried to point out no other superleague team would have him while he was playing for a SL team which he had moved to from another SL team.

Stats don't tell you everything but they also show he is not as bad as made put by some.
I did not say people were saying "Thornley is better than gildart" but that people are justifying the signing of Thornley because Gildart had been injured then had a poor season. Medlock has just gone and done it again. It's not a sensible argument. Gildart left and just because he had a poor season does not justify signing a replacement player like Thornley.

As to that backline not being as bad as I make out, what are you justifying that on? Whatever Thornely's statistics say he's a poor player and past it. Bibby is just not a centre. I think defensively this pair will be a potential liability. Bibby is prone to shoot out of the line and Thornley never could do a good defensive stint. The only player in the back line who would be of interest to another top SL side is Marshall and that says a lot.
But it wasn't just one season was it Dave, He has become an injury liability over the last several seasons, fans seem to be rating Gildart by a few good seasons he had several years ago, much like they did with Joel Tomkins and the miraculous Challenge Cup try

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:52 pm
by Barney841
I for one am not that bothered gilly is gone. Overrated and injury prone. He will be back in England with his tail between his legs, and I hope we don’t go in for
Him

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:56 pm
by Wigan_forever1985
We wont really know the answer to the title challenge question until we know whether or not we can score points.

I think in terms of the GF personally even if our new recruits settle in then i think we will struggle to mix it at the sharp end i would have saints, Catalan and wire ahead of us and other teams have done some goo recruitment so id say semi finals should be doable and potentially grand final i think to win it would be a tall ask, in the big games you need cool heads and the ability to change things up i think our spine is one of the weaker in the league and in big games that will show

challenge cup is possible but i think with the changes in the team we need a kind draw if we get a big team early i think we will get knocked out if we get a few lower tier teams early in progress just allows extra time for cust et al to get to match winning levels.

A lot of our success in hanging on Cust IMO

Re: Title challenge

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:37 pm
by DaveO
medlocke wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:36 pm
DaveO wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:10 pm
Caboosegg wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 3:22 pm "The 3/4 line minus French at the start of the season is potentially Miski, Bibby, Thornley, Marshall and that’s just weak."


Is a good Job you don't recruit and pick the teams isn't it. That is nowhere near as bad as your making out. Could do be better yes but bad no.

not one post I have seen has said Thornley is better than gildart only that how he will go is unknown. But then again his main detractor added a year to his age and then tried to point out no other superleague team would have him while he was playing for a SL team which he had moved to from another SL team.

Stats don't tell you everything but they also show he is not as bad as made put by some.
I did not say people were saying "Thornley is better than gildart" but that people are justifying the signing of Thornley because Gildart had been injured then had a poor season. Medlock has just gone and done it again. It's not a sensible argument. Gildart left and just because he had a poor season does not justify signing a replacement player like Thornley.

As to that backline not being as bad as I make out, what are you justifying that on? Whatever Thornely's statistics say he's a poor player and past it. Bibby is just not a centre. I think defensively this pair will be a potential liability. Bibby is prone to shoot out of the line and Thornley never could do a good defensive stint. The only player in the back line who would be of interest to another top SL side is Marshall and that says a lot.
But it wasn't just one season was it Dave, He has become an injury liability over the last several seasons, fans seem to be rating Gildart by a few good seasons he had several years ago, much like they did with Joel Tomkins and the miraculous Challenge Cup try
Gildart and his form has got nothing to do with signing Thornley. It's dead simple. If we needed a new centre, which we did, we should not be signing players like Thornley.