Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 12:32 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

This was one of our characteristics in the Cullen years, which has reemerged. We had a talented squad back then, but we had poor resilience when it came to a bad result or being in a bad run of form, it tended to perpetuate. Cullen used to talk about it in press conferences too, saying that some result from a few weeks ago 'knocked the stuffing out of us'. On the other hand if Bradford or Saints had a bad loss, the team facing them next would end up facing the backlash! That was a big difference between us and the top sides back then.

Once the rot set in this year it seemed like we didn't do anything to change it. It wasn't even like we were blowing hot and cold, we just became the same side that meekly accepted second best to teams.

BUT we also have to acknowledge that there were two anomaly results that did not fit this trend - the CC semi final and final, when we beat good sides and played very well despite our form leading up to them. Given that we won a major trophy off the back of that, it was pretty significant!

This is very true. If we look at the Tony Smith early seasons we rarely lost back to back.

I cannot explain the CC semi and final results. The obvious answer is that the players had desire for those games and not in the others.

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 12:37 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

The club's PR machine will make sure most of our fans accept the recruitment campaign as a success. They will make a big fuss of Widdop, there will be the right sort of interviews with the Warrington Guardian where the players talk about how well training is going, some of the longer serving players will be brought out to give the line "this is the strongest squad we've had in my time here". Either Karl Fitzpatrick or one of the coaches will say something like "there are no excuses now, it's time to win the Grand Final".

The mood on here will be a lot more positive after these feel good stories over the Christmas period. Wait till people start posting threads of predictions for SL 2020, at least half of the posts will have us finishing top, others who don't have us finishing top will say we're going to win the GF. Even rubber duckie who seems to be in critical mode right now, will be telling everyone that we will win the double.

There will be some thread about the Academy that concludes we have a set of young guns ready to take the league by storm. Then there will be one about what's your strongest starting 17 which will conclude that the big difference between this year and the years before is the 'strength in depth' - in 2020 we'll almost be able to field 2 squads equally strong!

Then wait till we have the pre-season army camp, we'll have stories in the Warrington Guardian about how they spent a week on Brecon Beacons training with the paras and it will be red meat to the masses on here, there will be posts saying how great the current regime is, how in the old days they used to go for holiday camp in Lanzarote but that wouldn't be tolerated in the elite set up we have today.

Meanwhile a few of the old timers on here won't have drunk the 'Kool Aid' (Wires71, lefty, me) and will start asking pointed questions, we will get told we are free to go and support Wigan, if we can't get behind the team.

Then the first two weeks of the season are going to be against Wigan and Saints and it will be a cold shower of reality.

Magic. It's so true.

No pre-season is complete without the "strength in depth", "competition for places", "player X is training the house down", "best pre-season ever".

After we lose the 2 openers it will revert to "time for Widdop to gel" and "it's how we end the season".

The reality is unless some transformative signings are made to the pack and Price changes strategy we will fall short again.

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 12:41 pm  

word on the street is, Prop announcement coming this week.

Just waiting for the Visa to clear. That's all I know, no idea who it is.

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 1:30 pm  

moving on... wrote:

word on the street is, Prop announcement coming this week.

Just waiting for the Visa to clear. That's all I know, no idea who it is.

At least we're getting someone. Still think we need another prop though.

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 1:33 pm  

Matt King's kitten wrote:

At least we're getting someone. Still think we need another prop though.

Agreed. for me we need to out and out, proven props signed and maybe another 2 reserve grade props.

Start Hill and Cooper, Tho Props, one Prop/Back row and one hooker on the bench.

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 1:34 pm  

Wonder what Jordan Cox is up to these days?

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 1:35 pm  

wire-flyer wrote:

Wonder what Jordan Cox is up to these days?

I'd take Cox back just to sing his song again. Best chant we've had in years.

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 2:15 pm  

Captain Hook wrote:

Please , please, pretty PLEASE, give me a rumour to get my teeth into!

Oasis getting back together in 2020...

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 2:18 pm  

moving on... wrote:

word on the street is, Prop announcement coming this week.

Just waiting for the Visa to clear. That's all I know, no idea who it is.

That’s great news, fingers crossed it’s someone half decent with a point to prove fighting for that bench spot along side Sita & Kibula for that 4th Prop spot.

Re: Rumours 2 : Tue Nov 12, 2019 2:45 pm  

Wires71 wrote:

Magic. It's so true.

No pre-season is complete without the "strength in depth", "competition for places", "player X is training the house down", "best pre-season ever".

After we lose the 2 openers it will revert to "time for Widdop to gel" and "it's how we end the season".

The reality is unless some transformative signings are made to the pack and Price changes strategy we will fall short again.

But what can the club say? “we were rubbish most of last season and if you think we will be much better next season you are deluded” or “ none of this shower have put any effort in at pre season” or just not say anything at all? They have to sell season tickets, create a sense of expectation and that is what this type of comment is designed for.
Even in our darkest days at the start of the season there was always a glimmer of optimism no matter how irrational.
The truth is that if there wasn’t that feeling I’m not sure that I would be bothered supporting a team. Next season the optimism will, of course, be based on Widdop. He will be replacing Dec Patton as first choice halfback. That is such a huge step up in class that it has to make a difference as will the freeing up of Austin to play off the cuff.
Now there may well come a point next season when that optimism is shown to be ill founded but in the meantime let the dreamers dream!