We leaked roughly the same points vs HKR & Wakey - which doesn't look like we learnt anything in the intervening months. I think if our attack structure hadn't been disrupted by injury we probably would have put a couple more tries on Wakey. Again, getting roughly the same score as we did vs HKR in the cup.

I hope this isn't the template for the next 3 games...

We weren't able to think quickly enough therefore we didn't react and organise quickly enough. That's down to the differences in how the game is played and refereed in the 2 leagues. A top SL team would have totally bamboozled us. A team full of players with SL experience have become a team of Championship quality. It's a big ask to get players to play at a higher level than they need to on a week by week basis. Maybe next year will raise the bar.

The breaking news at Leigh this morning is quite interesting, it's took a while for it to come out

Have they signed Keegan Hirst for next season?

Go watch the first 5 tries again. In 4 cases the defence is set and Smith passes to a man who runs through a huge gap. Molloy and Smith have taken a simple pass and walked in. We didn't move up or number off - that's not the difference between SL and Championship, it's the difference between under 14s and under 11s.

Second Leigh player to be banned soon

I hear he used to play for us

I think if there have been any Leigh players not available for selection due to injury over the past 3 months, and there's not been much in the way of injury updates, then people will assume the worst.

Why string this out? Leigh need to get all the bad news out there, one press release, it'll last a couple of news cycles and they can concentrate on their next game. This speculation is bad for everybody.

You've hit the problem in the first sentence. We were doomed however we played it, as it appears Leigh are proving.

It's the concept of play-offs [which this mini-league effectively is between teams playing at different levels which is the problem. Our team is on a higher plane than the bulk of the championship, but the way rugby is played [imakes[/i the team lazy; why should they bother rushing back to make the ten when the ref is perfectly cool with letting them lie on? That is how standards slip and why the teams which have been playing at the higher level look so much quicker and stronger.

Certainly doesn't explain why we stood back and waved the Wakefield forwards towards the line though, that is a fact.

You sum it up well Bulliac. We've become accustomed to championship rugby and its different level of intensity.

Wakefield ran harder yesterday. Made more ground after the collision and in defence their line speed was way quicker than ours. In summary their level of play was at a much higher intensity than ours apart from 10 mins either side of halftime.

This has been coming for a while as we've looked increasingly unable to put in a consistently high tempo 80mins against any of our championship opposition.

You are right. I don't care. Especially not amongst the Wakefield fans who are so myopic that they think that they can pick faults in the views of fans of every other club yet "conveniently" miss the "abuse" that is handed out by their own fans.

Especially when you guys are switched-on enough to notice a random comment on page 21 of a thread yet cannot seem to notice an entire thread aimed at provoking people.

I must say that the collective Wakefield braincell is getting a bit overworked this week.

No wonder the team didn't turn up if the owner couldn't be bothered

He's Jewish. Saturday is the Sabbath. Do the math

Listen fella!

As Wakefield fans we'll take that type of criticism from most but not from you!

You've spent the last week trolling on the Wakefield site, looking to get a rise out of anyone that'd bite on the Bull that you were spewing.

You're a hypocrite, so get off your sanctimonious soap box and stop preaching stuff you don't practice yourself.

Nah. A game with high intensity needs both teams to be at it. The Bulls came nowhere within a seven day camel ride of displaying ANY "intensity" that I could see. I would say we have had several more intense games in the season, but those were games where we turned up, and were ready to play. E.g. Blackpool.

Given that I have only made, no more than a handful of posts on the Wakefield board in about a year then to claim that I "spent the last week trolling on the Wakefield site" is just complete bobbins.

However, I am touched to know that I have my own "hate mob" over there in Wakefield.

Oh, and nice meltdown.

The point I was making was that Wakefield took the ball up quicker and their line speed in defence was quicker. Their kick chase was better too. They did it all quicker than us and were playing at a higher intensity than us.

Not sure why we were so lethargic. We are capable of better.

I think this 'intensity' argument is a red herring. If you stand still and don't move you will make Lee Smith look quick - and by God we managed it. The truth of the matter is that we have looked thoroughly lackadaisical by Championship standards with 3 or 4 exceptions, Blackpool, HKR and Leigh at home. Other than that we have relied on Lee Gaskell and part time teams tiring. 38 players? And a loose forward at scrum half who is then moved to stand off to accomodate a kid who wouldn't get picked at Dewsbury. Gaskell returns and appears not to know where to stand in the defensive line. Who is our captain?

These issues haven't been highlighted by SL opposition, they've been there for all to see all year.

And the point I would make is that this isn't strictly accurate, as in that opening, because of our statuesque tactics, we hardly had a sniff of the ball, so there's no basis for a proper comparison. I think the half time graphic showed that Wakey played about 7,248 PTBs in the box directly under our posts.


But it must be Lowes' responsibility. And as I've said, if we had gone out and played hard and as if we wanted it, but got beat, I would be fine with that. I agree that we are capable of much, much better against SL clubs but it's no good having a box full of fantastic ammunition, if you leave it on the bus.

Maths, we aren't in the USA

Math or Maths are both equally valid, and as it's only 1 thing that's needed to be worked out, there's no need for the pural

You tell 'em, mate - we had someone going on about our 'alternate' strip last week...

Our statuesque tactics/lack of intensity in our play compared with Wakefield's quicker way of doing everything, seemingly "wanting it" more/higher intensity.

The comparison was quite clear to me. They were all trying harder than us/doing everything at a higher level.

Wakefield had 98605798 play the balls on our line because their line speed stopped us getting out of our 30m area and forced us to kick defensively. They also kicked and chased better and had umpteen options for Smith who we laid the red carpet out for. They were all thinking and working together. We were the opposite. It wasn't help by injuries but we were getting spanked before Gaskell and Pitts went off.

I'd agree it's partly Lowes responsibility. It's not the first time we've played like that so you'd think he'd see the signs beforehand in the lead up to the game or in the warm up or even if the atmos isn't right in the dressing room. It's also the players responsibility. I do wonder about a lack of leaders in the dressing room.

Of course your absolutely right about the Leadership on the field. Plenty of us agree and we know about the intensity that SL brings. Its an inescapable fact. So would I be correct in saying all the games up to the 8s meant nothing? It seems so.

It's entirely Lowe's and Ferres responsibility. 38 players and yet no experience, leadership or depth at 7 or 9. AoB made 44 tackles and 5 runs from dummy half on Saturday. What possible purpose has this idiocy served?

Who is our captain btw? Didn't just about every person on this board go ????? when Chev was resigned?

This whole 69 page thread has reminded me of something a famous Welsh rugby player who played RL for a while (for the money) once said at my local RFC- 'I think Union and League fans have alot in common. They are both obsessed with Union.'