Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 11:12 am  

Watched the same post match press conference. Fed up of Jimmy saying we were rubbish/diabolical , we didn't deliver etc. He's been saying that now for the past how ever many weeks. Well, sorry Jimmy, but you are the coach,. Too many question marks now I'm afraid. Hope I'm proved wrong, and will be delighted to eat humble pie and apologise. Yesterday was the ideal game to put down a marker, and put ourselves in the driving seat and we blew it.

I asked at the Radio Leeds forum in the pre season, if we had enough cover at half back. Was told we had and by the way look out for a kid called Adam Brook, (remember him?). Well we saw yesterday a master class by Tim Smith in half back play. Not saying Brook is or was a Tim Smith, but our folly in not getting the scrum half slot sorted has come back and bitten us.

We have been guilty of believing our own publicity I am afraid. Our props have looked pedestrian. Dewsbury, Batley props have punched more holes than us. Richard Moore outmuscled us, and Groat at Doncaster did the same.

One previous poster said words to the effect that another season in the Championship wouldn't be a bad thing. Couldn't disagree more. For me its promotion this season, or a long time in the wilderness. Next season will be tougher if we lose our few star players. Super league clubs can buy marquee players will will make it tougher as the cascade effect of that comes down.

So disappointing after yesterdays show. Could have taken a defeat if we had performed. After all Hull KR put 50 past us, but we scored 30 odd in reply and put on a show for 60 minutes. Yesterday was truly awful, and Jimmy trying to justify it doesn't help one bit.

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 12:54 pm  

Bulliac wrote:

At the end of the day, most of these players have played at that speed and intensity previously in SL....

Not most...ALL. In fact 10 of the starting 13 played at SL level for US last year (Clare, Caro, Clough for other teams).

All of this guff about salary cap gaps is a diversion. We fielded a team yesterday that was to all intents and purposes a SL team. But we didn't perform. Why? Two possible reasons come to mind

1. Although they are all players who have played in SL they aren't really SL level anymore (if ever some were). In other words they aren't as good as we thought - or perhaps as good as they think they are

2. There's something wrong with preparation / motivation / conditioning /training /coaching (delete as applicable)

[Bulliac]

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 12:55 pm  

Hard to say it's definitely a long time 'in the wilderness', as one would assume that if no - one comes close to promotion - then changes will be called for once again. Couple of years? maybe three? Then the question is will it be straight P&R or back to licensing?

Course it could just have been us that was a bit poor [or rubbish - take your pick..] in the one game and the system is actually superb. The rest of the results will certainly be interesting.

[Bulliac]

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:03 pm  

paulwalker71 wrote:

Not most...ALL. In fact 10 of the starting 13 played at SL level for US last year (Clare, Caro, Clough for other teams).

All of this guff about salary cap gaps is a diversion. We fielded a team yesterday that was to all intents and purposes a SL team. But we didn't perform. Why? Two possible reasons come to mind

1. Although they are all players who have played in SL they aren't really SL level anymore (if ever some were). In other words they aren't as good as we thought - or perhaps as good as they think they are

2. There's something wrong with preparation / motivation / conditioning /training /coaching (delete as applicable)

There may well be something wrong with the coaching etc, I dunno, though the circumstantial evidence seems to be fairly strong. Have to say though, that if you seriously think you can get the same things for half the money, then that's just not how life works!

Think also you're not factoring in the deleterious effect of a season in the lower division.

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:19 pm  

Bulliac wrote:

Hard to say it's definitely a long time 'in the wilderness', as one would assume that if no - one comes close to promotion - then changes will be called for once again. Couple of years? maybe three? Then the question is will it be straight P&R or back to licensing?

Course it could just have been us that was a bit poor [or rubbish - take your pick..] in the one game and the system is actually superb. The rest of the results will certainly be interesting.

As been proved in the Challenge Cup it is nigh on impossible for a Championship Team to get into the finals, the disparity between the two types of play are too great an obstacle to overcome..The only way this can change is if the P/R allows the promoted team to develop naturally over a period of say 2/3 years. Widnes will verify this 100% Middle eights is ill conceived and is boom and bust with the Championship Teams vulnerable. And whilst you say that in the wilderness is an overstatement look at the facts. Clubs depend on sponsorship, fans and unfortunately central funding from SKY, which is controlled by the RFL(look how we were docked half our money for two years,costing our Club £1.2 m ) with our demise to Championship we have been lucky to have good sponsorship, good management and a reasonable fan base. Should we still be in Championship a lot of these plusses may become minuses - what then! Also whilst all this is going on we are gambling with players futures and livelihoods -how long can the game of RL be sustained without imploding.

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:55 pm  

Rugby League is hamstrung by its geographical limitations, always has been and always will be.

It's a bit early to evaluate the success of the Middle 8s though, the Bulls failure yesterday has much more to do with poor coaching and a lack of a winning mentality (which didn't even seem to exist during the unbeaten run).

A better coach would have got us closer to Wakefield and it would still be all to play for. I think Leigh will make it (through the million pound game rather than automatically) and disprove the theory that the gap is too far to bridge. We've had every opportunity this year to make our mark and build momentum towards the Middle 8s but I'm afraid Lowes has not capitalised on it because basically he is gash.

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:58 pm  

M@islebugs wrote:

I don't buy this Championship v SL gulf in class theory. Our opening quarter performances have been largely pathetic all season. Fev, Batley, Halifax, Dewsburyx2, Sheffield have all dominated us in the middle. We struggled to overcome Workington. Batley's prop went in under the posts from the 20 m line.

As with above today our defence was rooted to the spot, Our props looked exhausted. We started the biggest game in years with no ENERGY. Teams with a fraction of our budget have come to Odsal and bullied us.

This. On paper, there is not much to choose between the sides. The difference was, as you say, ENERGY!. Wakey moved off their line and wanted to hurt us in defence, We stood back, and looked flat. In the biggest game of the year, Lowes has to take blame for this. Wakefield wanted that win at all costs yesterday. We didn't and it's an attitude i think has crept in this year. I'd say since May, there have been two games we have given our all in.

We've had patchy performances since then and Lowes reacted churlish to reporters saying it i will be all OK. When now is the time when we NEED it to be OK, and we're woeful and look tired.

His interview sounded like de-ja-vu. Lost count number of times he has said we were rubbish, but this performance won't define our season etc. That was a huge game yesterday and we put in another flat, poor performance in a game that really mattered. Before, when we've been cr@p against a championship team, he's had an easier game to recover. We don't have this now as we have another tough game coming up.

He now has a big job psychologically to pick the team up.

Oh and Adam O'Brien, one of our best players made FIVE runs from dummy half. The guy looks shot to pieces and is offering no threat in attack like he was at the beginning of the season. But hey he's a tough kid Jimmy so lets keep flogging a 21 year old for 80 minutes all season and wonder why he looks tired in the games that matter at the end

Still angry as i believe we have a team to get promoted.

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 3:51 pm  

If it's any consolation it seems Leigh did as well as we did against SL opposition....

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 3:53 pm  

Today's results just reinforcing the gulf between the two leagues. All the CL clubs scrapping for that 5th spot.

Re: Super 8's Game 2: Wakefield Away : Sun Aug 16, 2015 3:54 pm  

paulwalker71 wrote:

If it's any consolation it seems Leigh did as well as we did against SL opposition....

Leigh were competitive though and had a few things go against them. Wakey at home is a big one for them!