Must Bulls fans know realistically it was gone weeks ago.

12th is pretty embarrassing anyway.

Why was Jefferies dropped and not Deacon?? injury issue?

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 152490.stm

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 152490.stm

A par performance. Not as bad as some displays this year but not good enough to beat an equally up and down Wigan team. Probably sums up how ordinary we are.

The half time presentation to the service men was superb though.

I think it's fair to say we had enough ball to win the game but lacked the imagination to get through the defensive line for me. I do however think we were hard done to by the tries that were disallowed, 1 at least looked good to me.

Our kicking in general was better but i think this was something to do with some of the responsibility being taken off Deacon (about time).

I don't know what else to say really, am i surprised we lost...no not really, I'd be surprised if McNamara doesn't say something about the tries and it being a different game if they were given.

The worst Wigan side to visit Odsal in my 35 years of watching Bulls/Northern and we STILL couldn't beat them!

Under the cosh constantly in first quarter but did not yield. The better side by a bit for most of the rest of the game, albeit against a Wigan side who hardly looked world beaters. Then that Newton screw-up (again) with a few mins to go, momentum lost, they get all the ref calls when it matters and you know the rest



Not a bad Bulls effort IMO, but in the end still not good enough. Think we looked to have had about four potential tries ruled out, and had a long spell when we were camped on their line with repeat sets but could not break their try-line defence. They had few chances near our line after the first 20, but seemed to score of every one. Guess that was the difference. That and Paleasina when it mattered - what we would give for Big Joe now, eh?

Was it just me thought we looked far better when Godwin was on for Newton? Thought Platt was going to blow it again after a bright start, but he settled down and seemed OK to me thereafter. Our kicking in general was not too bad this time out, I thought? Sykes is surely more effective at 6 than in the centres? Youngsters seemed fine. And at least we did not do the defensive collapse. But that's just how some things looked to me, and there are others far better qualified to comment whose views I look forward to reading.

I won't suggest the ref cost us the match - usually when you say that, the replays make you look a wassock. But I'd sure be interested in seeing how the ref arrived at some of those calls late in the game, especially the knock on to...Wigan! And those no-tries. Be interested in views of others who may have seen those incidents more clearly. But it would have been academic had we turned all that possession and field-position into more points.

Still lost though, and that's the playoffs gone for sure now, I'd say?

Bloody marvellous to see the lads from the army, and the fantastic reception they got. Great to see RL fans know real heroes when they see them, and show their appreciation accordingly.

That little kick thru by Deacon that was chased by Langley, it was clearly a worked move as they tried it at least 3 times. However, it was let down by Langley's lack of pace. If it'd been tried with Worrency it might have come up with a few scores

A poor game played badly by two poor poor teams. It was always going to be the one that made the least errors/had the most luck that would win. And so it was.
In spells, we were average, we did some decent stuff to level it and then take the lead but then same old story.
Hard done to by Silverwood, Langley's try looked good to me (it was right in front of us) and he obviously saw stuff that noone else did to award Wigan repeat sets of six but we just don't get the rub of the green these days. We looked pretty clueless in the last 20, had we taken just some of our chances then we would have been out of sight.

In one word: disappointing. Again. As we have been, all bloody season.

+ives
Sykes at 6 looked useful.
Godwin had a good game.
Whitehead and Donaldson went well.

Newton was poor today, think he is already half way to Wakefield.

Checking out the combination ahead of next season?

5 tries disallowed in one match is bad. I'm sure at least 2 should have stood.

It's getting very predictable saying this every time but the officiating was absolute .

For Wigans gamebreaking try, Amos Roberts (IIRC) made an absolute f**k up of the PTB, not a minor thing a total screw up. The linesman (the bald headed one)watched this and proceeded to do nothing.

I know what it sounds like.....but the officials were absolute garbage. Still at least it's an end to our misery now.

Starting to get fed up of the match officials ruining my Sunday afternoon, the disallowed tries, the blatant knock on's in the crucial Wigan try at 14-12,

Can't wait for next season

Plenty of effort but no win again.

Awful start, we didn't complete a set in the first 20mins and had to soak up far too much pressure. That said the try Worrincy let in was very soft and Wigan looked as bad as us in attack.

The middle period of the game that saw us pull back from 0-12 to be winning 14-12 was much better. It was determined stuff and I was pleased with how that part of the game went. Unfortunately Newton came back on and made some awful brain farts, gifting the ball to the opposition. Our completion rate went downhill again and the Wigan tries were to be expected.

Pluses? Thought that Burgess and Lynch had good games and Donaldson certainly didn't look out of place. The defence was much better with Menzies in the centres.

Minuses? The completion rate was pants in the first and last quarters of the game, Newton's efforts in the last quarter were awful and we do seriously lack ideas in attack at times.

Hope we see Donaldson and Whitehead at Celtic next week.

i thought when Cook and Lynch came on in the second half our energy levels and aggression went up. This coincided with us pressing Wigan back into their own half and only ended when we made the mistake of taking 2 points when Wigan looked knackered. Cook for me would be a natural replacement for Morrison if he's going as his enthusiasm and work rate help get us on the front foot.

Cook did have a better game than Worrincy and did well.

They both have serious issues to resolve in defence though.

Agreed

Cook, along with many others, has been worse this year with more missed tackles and penalties but he's improved over the last few years. He always seems to put in the work and has the fitness to last long periods of games.

It seems he's on his way but next year will probably be the one he starts to achieve his potential.

I thought Steve Menzies was brilliant for you. We couldn't put him down at times and he looked your best player.

Was Sykes playing at stand off? I thought he played alright considering he was out of position.

Your forwards owned our pack for the entire game. An area we really need to improve in. I thought your defence in the first half was pretty good. You just lack strike power to me. You don't have a "go to" player that can create something for you.

Wigan didn't play well today but they had that "go to" player in Martin Gleeson who effectively won the game for us.

Menzies rarely has a bad game.

Sykes as played SO a few times this season now, he's less of a liability in defence there aswell.

Our pack was on top for most of it, although I do get a little nervous everytime Paleaasina attacks our line. Credit to Donaldson for going for the legs and getting him down though.

Good analysis there. We are lacking that spark that can create something int he backs. At the moment we have some honest triers but no real class in the backs. We seriously need an injection of creativity at halfback and threequarters.

5 in a row now. A new low for the Bulls as McNamara guides his side to more embarrassment.

He says he is not worried about the play offs? Well he bloody well should be but I am hardly surprised.

Utter failure of a coach.

Always good to get sensible comment - usually do from Wigan fans, mind.



Syskes was, yes - Jeffries was dropped. Although Sykes has been OK at 6 before. I said at the match that had we have had a really effective half-back we'd have won that game. And we defo missing Solomona (the turn-up-to-play version) or similar.

Imo we're missing Morro the most. Then Deacon - Can't remember him turning up today.