Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:54 pm  

ThePrinter wrote:

No I wasn't a fan of this extended concept last year and I'm not one for going gooey eyed at anything NRL.

And ppl need stop with this "it'll show us what we need to do" BS.

It's almost 20 years since the 1997 competition. They'l area still miles ahead and they always will be. Playing them one game a year won't improve us. The likes of a Mike Cooper has gone to NRL turned into a good prop BUT that's because he's playing against then EVERY week.....not ONE week a year IF you qualify every year.

And it's not the 80 mins on the pitch why they win, it's the things off the pitch you don't see why they win. Plus again I'll repeat this, too much respect for the Aussies thing. Compare and contrast if that is Wigan or Saints coming for a playoff game to the reception NQC got tonight and all week, like chalk and cheese. I mean Thurston was one of their best players but definately not MOM yet he was given the MOM award such is the brown nosing given towards the NRL.

Correct, their comp is and always has been a step ahead of ours, we need our best sides to have all their best players fit and firing and in good form to compete or this is likely to happen, no surprise to me.

Rather than trying to get equal with a far superior competition, which will never happen, we need to keep trying to produce enough top players to make England strong which we have done of late and the players going to the NRL helps. that is where we can compete with them if we work hard enough where it isn't all down to depth of talent which is where we get shown up on weekends like this.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:57 pm  

The moment we give up trying to be the best in the world should be the moment we give up entirely.

If we accept ourselves as second best we cant complain when the world treats us as second class.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:05 pm  

Great first half, where we more than matched them, good defence, and although critisized by me thought Sutcliffe was running the show. Then second half, a combination of poor one on one tackles, handling errors, and the stupid tactic of kicking off short.

Ferres was great throughout, Cuthbertson had good moments. Still can't see how Kienhorst gets a game at this level, and Delaney is no threat at all. Nobody really wants to kick in general play, and after that second try in second half,mat no point did a leader show themselves. Each try nothing was said, and nobody talking. Thought the scoreline flattered the Cowboys in the end.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:10 pm  

SmokeyTA wrote:

The moment we give up trying to be the best in the world should be the moment we give up entirely.

If we accept ourselves as second best we cant complain when the world treats us as second class.

We shouldn't stop trying to be the best but people are kidding themselves if they think getting beat by 30 points one weekend a year by an Aussie side will improve us. By that token Wakey and HKR should be as good as Leeds and Wigan because they spend most of their year getting beating by teams who are better than them yet they aren't catching the top teams up.

The idea that ONE SINGLE 80 mins a year (if your qualify every year that is) will help us catch up to the Aussies and improve is ridiculous.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:12 pm  

Cuthbertson and Singleton were great in the first half, knackered in the second. Galloway had a good first spell too. Wouldn't blame McD for his use of subs and keeping them out too long, it's clear we didn't have enough depth on the bench so damned if you do rammed if you don't. We needed to get a lead in that first half and we didn't.

The disappointing aspect and what stopped us getting that first half lead was a complete lack of 6th tackle plays against what was obviously a quality defence. Part of that was down to their linespeed closing down kicking options in a way SL teams just don't do, part of it down to slow service at dummy half which might be adequate in SL but wasn't here.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:40 pm  

ThePrinter wrote:

We shouldn't stop trying to be the best but people are kidding themselves if they think getting beat by 30 points one weekend a year by an Aussie side will improve us. By that token Wakey and HKR should be as good as Leeds and Wigan because they spend most of their year getting beating by teams who are better than them yet they aren't catching the top teams up.

The idea that ONE SINGLE 80 mins a year (if your qualify every year that is) will help us catch up to the Aussies and improve is ridiculous.

Ash Handley, Jordan Lilley, Brad Singleton and Liam Sutcliffe will have learned more from that game than any other they will play this year. Not least that awe isnt necessary

Whilst a single 80 minutes isnt ideal, the idea we will benefit more from 0 minutes is absolutely moronic. Handley now knows what its like to be under a Thurston bomb. That is something no amount of games against Wakey or HKR or Leigh or anyone in SL can teach him.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:42 pm  

craigizzard wrote:

Cuthbertson and Singleton were great in the first half, knackered in the second. Galloway had a good first spell too. Wouldn't blame McD for his use of subs and keeping them out too long, it's clear we didn't have enough depth on the bench so damned if you do rammed if you don't. We needed to get a lead in that first half and we didn't.

The disappointing aspect and what stopped us getting that first half lead was a complete lack of 6th tackle plays against what was obviously a quality defence. Part of that was down to their linespeed closing down kicking options in a way SL teams just don't do, part of it down to slow service at dummy half which might be adequate in SL but wasn't here.

I thought Singleton was outstanding against a very good Cowboys pack.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:49 pm  

SmokeyTA wrote:

Ash Handley, Jordan Lilley, Brad Singleton and Liam Sutcliffe will have learned more from that game than any other they will play this year. Not least that awe isnt necessary

Whilst a single 80 minutes isnt ideal, the idea we will benefit more from 0 minutes is absolutely moronic. Handley now knows what its like to be under a Thurston bomb. That is something no amount of games against Wakey or HKR or Leigh or anyone in SL can teach him.

Really? Whilst I concur with most of what you said, your example of a "Thurston bomb" being any different than a "Brough/Walsh/Williams etc bomb" is bizarre. In fact, I would go further, I don't think that Thurston's bombs tonight were all that good - very few (if any) were executed well enough to be contested.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:54 pm  

son of headingley wrote:

Really? Whilst I concur with most of what you said, your example of a "Thurston bomb" being any different than a "Brough/Walsh/Williams etc bomb" is bizarre. In fact, I would go further, I don't think that Thurston's bombs tonight were all that good - very few (if any) were executed well enough to be contested.

Yes, Thurston is a far far better kicker than Brough, Walsh and Williams, able to kick with different spins and movements on the ball with pinpoint accuracy.

Re: WCC : Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:59 pm  

I think the SL needs to increase the cap if we want our top teams to compete, the cap relative to inflation has gone down in recent years and the poorer teams are holding us back
Theres enough quality in SL to beat NRL teams but it gets spread out by the salary cap, if the top players all played for the 5/6 teams who could afford it then they would be as good as NRL teams
If the NRL is the premier league then we should aim at being La Liga, where the league on the whole isnt that good but the top teams in the world are in that league
It would mean a less competitive SL but the players would improve by playing superior opposition on a regular basis, leading to a better international team as well
If the international tea got better then there would be more TV money in SL and eventually the weaker teams would catch up