I keep having this argument about the conditions and whilst I have to agree they were the same for both teams, even before the kick of I said I was worried that the conditions wouldn't be in out favour. They were of course bad for both teams, but I feared that we wouldn't handle as well as Wakey and that proved to be the case.
We were beaten by the better side on the night, that's beyond dispute and the tactical awareness of JK, who has done his homework on us, but we did still blew a number of chances in that first half that might have changed the complexion of the game.

Still think you're hot at the minute!

I agree and that is fundamentally what I'm saying. We are a marginally better side (and SL is a very marginal thing) because seem to be able to adapt this year, don't forget you are the fourth team we have beaten by a 20 point margin this season with tries scored mainly from the backline.

The difference for me comes down to options and it stuns me none of the pundits have noticed this. Cas and a number of other teams have a couple of playmakers, you have three IMO in Hudson, Shirwin and McGoldrick.

Now look at Wakefield. Yesterday we had, Martin, Drew, Obst and Brough - that is twice as many options as you had - and I feel when Drew came on it showed and then it showed again when Brough re-joined the fray. It only takes one to fire to win a game as it happens Drew and Obst were stand outs in this game.

Further to that not even in the 17 were Latu, Rooney and Grix. Now I'm not saying individually these guys are the best, but it gives us options, it gives us a chance to pick on form and above all it keeps pressure on players to perform.

Kears philosophy seems to be that you need playmakers first, then a pack then the fancy dan backs. Without playmakers and enough of them you can't change the game to suit the situation, without a pack of course you can't give the halves the space they need.

You can see it in ours squad, the only backs to arrive with a reputaion were Petterson, Martin and Blanch the rest are all bargain buys and homegrown.

Not so with the halves, they all came ready made apart from Grix and we have plenty of them.

Now before you think I'm getting ahead of myself I'm not. I don't think we are vastly better than you and on any given day you could reverse the result, or that we are likely to win SL I'm not that daft or up myself. I just think we have a far better team than we get credit for and the way it was constructed is an object lesson in how to use your resources. That's not to say it won't go t*ts up, that is the thing with sport anything can happen and we are as vulnerable as the next.

There are terific things happening at Cas and SL in general IMHO as well but you need to runs before you can walk and it's taken us 3 years to get to here (here is pretty fragile place all the same). We now have a backbone of players who have been with us a while now, you have not quite got that yet for obvious reason and I think it makes a difference. We will only know how much about August time

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Are you serious ???

why we still talking bout this game, we've got an other one to think about in a couple of days.

Because we want to, and because its a forum.



If you want to talk about mondays game create a new thread.

Very well put and agree completely.

Wakey's "cup final"...

Nice 1, quite funny tbh. Although after fridays result if you didnt have humour what would you have

**Cough** **Cough** **Cough**

We have too


All will soon be revealed

whatever

, well done last night wakey well played and all that, a few of our players need a kick up the bum we never seem to get up for these games! that said i was hammered can't remember much thank god

Iron Brew with a cherry in it

oh no , you mean conditions like September 2004 and 2006

T


Good luck at identifying a site, getting permission and funding, I am sure you can fill the new ground and not default on any loans..............

thanks

Well done for having the site, obtaining permission but being millions short

So what's the hold up?

We're not. We could have pushed ahead with smaller plans, but we're trying to hold out for a 15k capacity.

Really I am sure all will be revealed shortly

This thing about bigger and better squads. I am a big Tigers fan but I am sorry but anyone who thinks we have got a bigger and better squad than Wakeys needs a wake up call.

I have been saying all season that our big problem this year is our lightweight squad in terms of numbers. We will do all right whilst we keep our numbers intact but the minute we get any sort of injuries or unavailabilities, which all teams at some time or another are going to get, we are going to be in big trouble.

This was borne out on Friday. We had three players out in McGoldrick, Ferres and Jones. The only others we've got apart from them are Ryan Boyle, Ryan Clayton and James Ford and with due respect to the last two named, they are hardly going to set SL alight to say the least.

Out of the Wakey team that comprehensively mauled us were Jamie Stosic, Ricky Bibey, Luke George, Richard Moore, Frank Winterstein, Tevita Latu, Matthew Peterson and Jamie Rooney, eight players who are largely all proven at the highest level.

Yeah whilever we get our best 17 or so out, we will go alright but thats not going to happen. If we want to compete over the whole season and not just the start or certain periods of it, we need another three SL qualitish players.

Wakey I am afraid to say at present, are far better equipped to compete and go the distance than we are.

Again FWIW I think a lot of people and not just Cas fans mistook a flurry of signings as being strength in depth. But that isn't the case, those teams who sign the least players are generally the strongest, because they obviously feel they already have the staff for what they need.

Wakefield only signed Stosic, Snitch and Winterstien in the closed season and they were generally straight replacements.

I realise that is of little concern to you but it's just an outside perspective.

Winterstein signed after the start of the new season..?

Good post, though Scott Grix is missing from your list too so that makes it 9 players! If Sherwin or Goldy or God forbid both get injured then I can see you being in trouble as everything seems to revolve around these two. Chase isn't a bad player but he's more of an individual player than a team player. At Wakey I believe we've got a very well balanced squad and we've already shown we can overcome an injury crisis - at Hull KR the situation was that bad that we had two part time players playing we lost Drew in the first minute and we still gave them a game!

Thats true and the strange thing is I had Grix written down and forgot to include him. Also your right Shifty and McG are extremely pivotal to our season and if one or the other are missing we are going to lose a lot. If, or should I say when both are missing, we will really feel the heat. We have only got Chase in reserve.

Sherwin is massively pivotal to us and he is a player that not only has to be hidden in defence, he is being hidden if you watch closely. This, many people think is because he is advancing in years or carrying an injury, but its also an admission that we need to look after him and keep him free from injury if we are to have a good season and keep the momentum going.

Our threadbare squad is and has been a worry to me and I sincerely hope that if any players of the right calibre do become available, that we make a genuine attempt to recruit them.