: Fri May 15, 2009 5:43 pm  

buryhim11 wrote:

Point proven with this one coming from a dirty leyther

They'll be serving lobbys with words in soon enough.. I am now quite sure of it.

: Fri May 15, 2009 6:52 pm  

In EnemyTerritory wrote:

What exactly our are strengths that we should be playing to?

You have a pack that is small-but they could use that to their advantage in trying to get quick play the balls which Widnes do not seem to do much. Yesterday for example you go 10-0 up yet you ended up playing most of the game in your half and making mistakes. I personally would have been looking to get your quicker players running at the likes of Hobson-a penalty machine and kicking to keep Leigh mainly in their half and let them work themselves out of there-that did not happen! Big forwards do not like wet weather especially when fast and little guys run at them. All you had to do really last night was play basic Rugby and use your kickers better. Leigh with respect are an average team that outenthused Widnes and played the game in Widnes half and let them make the mistakes.

Wet weather means often mistakes yet Widnes were making mistakes always in their half and letting Leigh attack 40 metre or less from the line. Yesterday was perfect for a 40/20 kick due to the wet slippery surface but was never really used.Widnes just did not look to have a game plan last night.

And as for the reasons being all down to Cullen why did they exist before he arrived?

You cant blame Cullen for everything that is true but why are they not playing as a team and with any enthusiasm? Widnes just did not really look up for the game especially when the going got tough in the 2nd half. That for me is where Cullen is failing. I would want Cullen to mould the team in to one unit playing with passion and pride where players would dig deep no matter what. That does not come across. There is no shame in losing. But losing when your players seemingly show little passion and pride hurts. I would guess why many Widnes fans are unhappy is the manner of the defeats rather than the scores themselves. If Widnes lost and you felt the players had given everything and lost out on luck then its easier to accept a loss. But from what I have seen on TV and the reaction on here its the way Widnes are losing which is annoying people. I also feel the way Widnes are losing is Cullens fault as they are not a team just individuals who look lost and have little interest in fighting for each other. This leads likely to frustration leading to the many penalties/poor options you were giving away as mentally your players are not right.

: Fri May 15, 2009 7:27 pm  

First 20 we looked good, had good momentum and were starting to get control of the game.

Off goes Gannon, Tyrer, Ostick and Patterson and on come Thackeray (to the wing, moving Dodd to centre), Kavanagh, Thompson and Doran.

At that point things started to go wrong. We lost shape on Thackeray's wing which Leigh exploited and we lost the momentum in the middle of the field. We were unfortunate to lose Tyrer and we simply didn't have the fire power on the bench to continue the work the starting pack had done.

We can't compete against big packs over 80 minutes and win the contest up the middle. It had nothing to do with being "out enthused", we were out muscled.

Get Morrison back and hopefully a couple of big players on loan and that will solve a lot of problems as long as our injury list doesn't continue to grow.

Paul Cullen stated at the POTM that the current training regime meant that the squad did not train together completely, the same regime he inherited along with the same unbalanced and inexperienced side he inherited from SMc. He also stated that it is going to change.

You can't expect Cullen to turn around this mess with a click of his fingers to so be calling for his head after 2 months a bit ott to be honest. Certain individuals really need to have a word with themselves regarding their discipline because it really is our downfall though other individuals are starting to show their class and are improving every week.

I'm as despondent as everyone else at the moment but there's no point ranting on about players, calling for the coaches head or threatening to turn your back. I don't expect us to improve greatly any time soon but I do see us making improvements, certainly since the mauling that Barrow gave us. We're just going to have to be patient. PC and the team need our support if they're going to turn things around.