I was hoping for a turnaround after last week's disappointing final 15/20 mins against the Cougars. Unfortunately, it was déjà vu all over again as the Bulls delivered yet another lacklustre and uninspiring performance.
From the opening whistle, it was fairly evident that the we were plagued by the same issues that haunted us in the final quarter against the Cougars. Lethargy seemed to permeate every aspect of our game, with sluggish attacking play and a lack of urgency apparent throughout the game. Credit to Widnes who defended extremely well throughout the game. It's also concerning that we played a quarter of the game with an extra man but still looked inept near their line.
We struggled to make any meaningful progress, often resorting to predictable plays that were easily snuffed out by the opposing defenders. Poor decision-making (WTF was Appo thinking) and a lack of cohesion further hampered our ability to generate any scoring opportunities. We missed Gaskell massively today and as soon as Souter left the field we lost one of our only attacking players. Jowitt's try was very well taken but apart from that he offered very little and gave away 2 silly penalties early in the game.
Our tackling was particularly sloppy, with missed tackles proving costly as the Vikings capitalised on our defensive lapses.
In terms of individual performances, there were few standout players for the Bulls. Despite some flashes in the opening 15 mins from some key players, overall, it was a disjointed and unconvincing display.
A bad day at the office.
