Flash wrote: ↑Sat Jul 08, 2023 12:43 pm
Most seem to be trying to put the loss down to a single issue; say "missed kicks", "discipline" or the "French/Field conundrum", maybe even "recruitment" when, in truth, it's a combination of all these things.
The overriding thought from last night is that if I'd told you we were going into a game with Singleton, Mago and Byrne as our only props, who would have expected a win? I certainly wouldn't! We were already without Cooper and Ellis and lost Havard after 6 minutes. Take Walmsley, Paasi and Lees out if the Saints pack and they probably lose too. Add Batchelor, Percival and a couple others and they definitely do!
I'm as angry and disappointed as anyone else at losing to the bottom placed side but were a stupid penalty away from winning that match. Things to address, certainly. But one individual problem was not the reason.
Good perspective and agree, add to this we were down one sub space as well - this really put us on the spot where we already lack quality. Look at it this way, our back line is better than Wakey's but they still ran us close, eventually winning, why? Their big lads wer able to get a roll on and we couldn't stop them. Contrast this with Saints v Wire, Wire threw everything at Saints but they brought their big lads back on and closed the game out.
Any news on Havard?
Interesting view of the wire game.
I didn't feel saints closed the game out. That game was won because of the ref missing a forward from saints so obvious even Wilkin called it. The wire players didn't play to the whistle for it which was stupid but it turned the game.
These are two reasons not to trust people.
1. We don't know them.
2. We do know them.
Wiganer Ted wrote: ↑Fri Jul 07, 2023 10:36 pm
Listened to Milko and both of them seemed so frustrated by the team's indiscipline. The hit on the kicker seemed a really bad piece of play.
Week in and week out everyone says Bevan at 6 isn't working but no on e seems to know the answer. Perhaps start the game with Bevan at 6 then 2nd half we put Bevan at 1 with Jai at 6. If we trained to do that then we'd be able to see if it produces results. It would also give the opposition something they wouldn't expect.
To win a trophy we have to improve and by some degree. To do that we need to bring about change to the squad and perhaps moving Bevan and Jai could produce the changes required to get the improvement we need.
It’s Cust at 6. French back on the wing. Cust is the only player who can play 6 and he was fine when we won the cup.
Peet needs to stop trying to fit form players in the team out of position.
That means Miski is dropped not because he’s playing badly but because we can’t have a player at 6 in French who isn’t a 6 just so Miski gets a game.
I agree moving French to the wing, and Field to full back is the right way to go. Bevan was SL top try scorer last year and played most games on the wing. (And if you look at the highlights reel, there is no way Miski would have scored a good few of those). But I wouldn't play Cust at 6. He's looked awful this year.
Give Hampshire a run at 6, at least he is a natural half.
As some have said, its a bit tough on Miski, but its's professional sport.
With French on the wing and a natural half at stand off, the balance of the team looks much better.
Flash wrote: ↑Sat Jul 08, 2023 12:43 pm
Most seem to be trying to put the loss down to a single issue; say "missed kicks", "discipline" or the "French/Field conundrum", maybe even "recruitment" when, in truth, it's a combination of all these things.
The overriding thought from last night is that if I'd told you we were going into a game with Singleton, Mago and Byrne as our only props, who would have expected a win? I certainly wouldn't! We were already without Cooper and Ellis and lost Havard after 6 minutes. Take Walmsley, Paasi and Lees out if the Saints pack and they probably lose too. Add Batchelor, Percival and a couple others and they definitely do!
I'm as angry and disappointed as anyone else at losing to the bottom placed side but were a stupid penalty away from winning that match. Things to address, certainly. But one individual problem was not the reason.
Good perspective and agree, add to this we were down one sub space as well - this really put us on the spot where we already lack quality. Look at it this way, our back line is better than Wakey's but they still ran us close, eventually winning, why? Their big lads wer able to get a roll on and we couldn't stop them. Contrast this with Saints v Wire, Wire threw everything at Saints but they brought their big lads back on and closed the game out.
Any news on Havard?
Exactly. Just because players wear the same jersey doesn't mean they're equally as good. A forward pack with Cooper, Havard, Ellis and Byrne is a hell of a lot different than one with just Singleton, Mago and Byrne. It's unreasonable to expect the same level of performance from the latter that you'd get from the former. It really is chalk and cheese. If we faced a Saints team with that latter prop rotation we'd expect to give them a drubbing! However a Saints team with Walmsley, Paasi and Lees and we'd expect a tough game or even a loss.
The bottom line is we have certain issues but these are massively exacerbated by the continual loss of so many players. The disruption alone makes it difficult to get any consistency and that's before you factor in the poor quality of some of the replacements.
I'm not making excuses or taking an "everything is rosey" stance but we do need to look at each situation for what it is. In this case a prop rotation of Singleton, Mago and Byrne wasn't good enough to get the win. No sh!t Sherlock!
*I believe Havard has a hamstring problem. No news as to how long he'll be out but you would imagine several weeks at least.
Injuries and suspensions are bound to happen during the season and I don’t find it acceptable when injuries and suspensions to three props have fans virtually expecting to get beat by the bottom side. Losing to a top side with your best props out is maybe not an unexpected event but not to a team with Wakefield’s record. The idea we were odds on to lose the minute Harvard went off is ridiculous.
Just how bad are Singleton, Mago and Byrne if this is the general case? Cooper, Harvard and Ellis will never all go the full season with 100% appearance records especially Cooper who given his age is likely to be more susceptible to picking up the odd injury but our alternatives are so bad we are worse than the bottom side apparently.
