Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 7:23 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

A big difference was having players prepared to run off the ball and having players supporting the ball carrier. Bilko made a great point on commentary in the second half when Field followed Bibby and dropped the ball. Joe Mills said another player had got in Fields way and he had but as Bilko pointed out, it was great to see two support runners trying to get there. I don’t think we’d have had one last season.

I mentioned the one up rugby numerous times last year.

Makes it too easy for the defence.

Great to see it’s changing!

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:39 am  

Didn’t see the game due to work but I am pleased to read the comments about the performance. Especially with regards to Iain Thornley, it sure looks like he’s set on a course to make me - and a few others - happily eat our words.

I’m looking forward to the new season, though I certainly won’t be getting carried away, the performance and overall buzz about the place is promising.

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 11:41 am  

nathan_rugby wrote:

I mentioned the one up rugby numerous times last year.

Makes it too easy for the defence.

Great to see it’s changing!

The benchmark is clearly Saints and looking at them these past few seasons, it’s the basics that set them apart. The line speed in defence, the movement off the ball in attack and just a general willingness to bust a gut and support each other. All our efforts these past couple of years has been put in to hanging on in during games and trying to defend our way to wins because the attack was an absolute mess.

There’s still work to do because we did revert a bit back to the errors and penalties of last season in the second half and we then had to defend all half but I’m putting that down to the raft of changes made and we still looked comfortable enough.

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 12:14 pm  

I noticed the support runners too.

Rugby league basic, run one out and get smashed by 3 defenders.

Run with someone on your shoulder and up against two defenders (increased chance of a quick PTB or offload.

Noticed Tommy and Cust going out of there way to add support to runners especially coming out of our own half.

Great to see.

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 5:07 pm  

Impressed given this was a 2nd match.
Mago, Field and KPP had good games.
You're in a good place.
Cant read too much into this, but its a better position than we are in.

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 7:34 pm  

Admittedly two friendlies in but we look to have a strong, mobile forward unit with lots of options. Hopefully Mago and Ellis can kick on, neither is here to run out the clock on their careers, they both have points to prove.

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 7:44 pm  

Excited to watch KPP this year - looks a real x-factor player in the making.

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 7:55 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

Excited to watch KPP this year - looks a real x-factor player in the making.

He’s the sort of kid the whole game would love to see develop in to a special player. A young Southerner from Rugby Union territory, a kid who with an athletic ability that we don’t see enough of in the game over here. He’s like a young kid you see coming through Down Under, big, rangy, holding the ball in one hand etc. I just hope if he does develop as hoped that we can keep him in Rugby League, even if that ended up being Down Under. His brother is at Saracens and that always worries me.

Talking of kids from Union territory, I read some rumours over on RedVee that Regan Grace will head over to Welsh Rugby Union for 2023. That would be a real shame. I have to hold my hands up and say he’s developed in to a better player than I expected.

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:34 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

He’s the sort of kid the whole game would love to see develop in to a special player. A young Southerner from Rugby Union territory, a kid who with an athletic ability that we don’t see enough of in the game over here. He’s like a young kid you see coming through Down Under, big, rangy, holding the ball in one hand etc. I just hope if he does develop as hoped that we can keep him in Rugby League, even if that ended up being Down Under. His brother is at Saracens and that always worries me.

Talking of kids from Union territory, I read some rumours over on RedVee that Regan Grace will head over to Welsh Rugby Union for 2023. That would be a real shame. I have to hold my hands up and say he’s developed in to a better player than I expected.

Didn't know about the brother at Saracens - gulp. Would be awful if he heads to the NRL in a couple of years but far worse if he ends up in Union.

Seemed nailed on that Grace would be moving on when he only signed a 1 year extension.

Re: Warrington pre season : Mon Jan 31, 2022 11:00 pm  

I guess that comes down to money for Grace? I mean, he's a bit of a superstar at SL level, but he won't have the room, or the ball, to do that in Union. Most Union wingers are big,chunky fellas too.