I could understand them getting all giddy when they finally acquired a SL licence after being rejected time after time after time and being told 'thanks,but no thanks' so often.

However...

Some of the things they were coming out with were ridiculous like 'let's go for the play-offs' and 'we'll beat Warrington,they are feared' etc, and these sort of soundbites are coming back to haunt them.When even the 2 other weakest sides in the comp in Wakefield and Salford can see them off with ease on their own patch it shows they are miles out of their depth and they won't even be challenging them,let alone the top sides like Wire.

And they are already turning on Betts. He's a quality coach but even a world class one wouldn't get this current Widnes side any higher.

Widnes Vikings are the weakest side to EVER play in SL and shouldn't be there. Scoreboard operators throughout the country are going to be rushed off their feet when ever they are in town.

They should have their SL licence revoked with immediate effect and be sent back to the Co-operative championship NOW. They've become an embarrassment.

The only embarrassment around here is you. I feel sorry for our respected neighbours Warrington when idiots like you dare associate yourselves with them. Back in the box now son.

Maybe we should replace Widnes, who let's face it have had their chances in top flight rugby, with a team from a developing area of the game.

North Wales seem ripe for picking ....

That's one of the fattest opening post worms I've seen dangled on here for quite some time. What a Charlie

The Widnes fans were better than most in Superleague today. Really got behind their team right up to the final whistle. No "Wigan walk" despite being well behind and gave their team a good hand at the end. They knock spots off moaners like Hull and Bradford.

Can't fault the Widnes fans, they've been great in our league the past few seasons.

Nothing wrong with having hope and ambition.

You can tell the fans of clubs that are established in SL, can't you?
Of course Widnes fans were euphoric after getting promoted, who wouldn't be? I seem to remember similar scenes when HKR were promoted, and they got the same abuse for over-claiming their prospects in their first year. A lot of people were demanding that the embarrassing HKR should be sent back where they came from too, but now look at them! (A lot of people demanded Leigh were relegated in our season in SL too, but they probably had more right......)
Give them the three seasons and Widnes will be fine. Maybe not challenging for the championship, but still doing OK.

As for their fans, considering that we were fairly local rivals for the last few years. they can't be faulted for their passion for the game, their attitude to losing (and they did a LOT of that at Leigh

) and their love of their club. There are a few clubs whose fans could learn a bit from The Mutants' following.

A few fans may have said they would challenge for the playoffs etc, but the Widnes staff and players have always appeared very grounded and realistic of the challenge ahead. I think their goal is simply to improve throughout the season and make another stride prior to next season.

And maybe they could give Warrington a real game of it? The Warrington/Widnes derby has been missing for years now (ignoring the Boxing Day Warrington waltz) and the Widnes players will be pumped up as if the games are cup finals. This combined with the fact that any side can have a bad day means it could be an 80pt win, or one hell of a derby battle.

As for their fans - fantastic bunch, great banter and passion and it's great to have in Super League to see how much the Warrington that relegated them has improved.

(Joke)

Remember, they are 4 weeks into a 3 year franchise and there is no doubt that they will get stronger as time passes.
All fans are "guilty" of blind optimism and at the other end of the sppctrum, the big boys think that they shouldn't even be playing clubs outside the top 8.
Hats of to the new boys.

Fair play to them but they are in for a long season. I said it when it was confirmed that Widnes were a bad choice as they were stuggling in the championship. Yes I know they have brought players in but no one of quality.

Ah Van is quality, still waiting on the rest.

First season after promotion/elevation is always hard. We were delighted with second bottom in 2007, Cas took the spoon in 2008, Salford and Crusaders were bottom two in 2009.
I didn't notice Widnes fans giving in large especially. 6, 7, 8 wins would be a par effort this year - and the franchise system means they can build on that.
It's not just Widnes that are struggling to compete - they and the teams that finished last year 9th-13th are 0 from 10 against 2011's top 6, conceding 424 and scoring just 134.

judging by this weekends results, super league is no more competitive than it was 10 years ago, the bigger.stronger teams are still racking up big scores.
widnes look very poor but thats to be expected, the thrashings that established clubs like hull kr,london,cas,wakefield are more worrying.

Harsh on KR, they've got some rough injuries and so far pushed leeds, drew with saints and won away at wakefield. London have only been "thrashed" once from Wire, who have that ability to thrash anyone on any given day, as do Wigan.

Thank god my team Fax were never in with a shout of getting in to SL. No chance of ever competing near the top of the table, getting hammered every week, im very thankful that i get to see my team compete for trophies and not just make up the numbers like Widnes, Lonquinns, Wakey, Salford, Bradford and the 2 Hull teams.

sorry, i was referrring to this weekends results.
thats the point though,the idea of having a competitive league is that thrashings are a rare thing not something we should expect week in week out.

Aye, coz Catalans were always expected to beat Saints, weren't they?

Going on last year's standings, it was 3rd vs 6th. Crazy turnaround, but if that is what we're calling a shock result, it's worrying.

Some teams will always be better than others, but the gap looks problematically big to me at the moment.

I said last week that I didn't think cutting SL to 12, and certainly 10 teams, was a good idea. People say there isn't enough talent to go around, but in this context it is about how evenly it is distributed, not the total amount. We have a salary cap, I'm not sure anything more can be done. Still the talent clusters at a handful of clubs.

What about Salford beating FC, now that was a shock nd it cost me a few quid, but well played Salford.

Yes, but apart from Cats beating Saints and Reds beating FC......

Shock is pushing it, IMO. A little bit of a surprise, but Hull FC were bottom half of the table last year and Salford were at home.

Definitely a shock to me (especially in the pocket), but fair play to them.

The only way to stop the 'clusters' as you call them is to go to a NFL style draft system.
That is unworkable due to how Junior's are trained in RL however unless the RFL are willing to cover all costs on junior develoment.