Having read the thread recently, how we are generally bemused by our good form, waiting for the inevitable Warrington tits up scenario to happen has got me thinking; is it itme for a change of mindset?

I appreciate we are a mere one third into a slog of a journey, but there is a cohesiveness and never say die attitude (moreso in defence than attack), that has prompted me to come to this mindset.

Don't get me wrong, I am not heralding a new dawn which will takes us through the season unbeaten as that would be foolish to say the least. It is just my belief that we should start to share the confidence that the team and coach have in their abilities to over come the opposition.

I don't need people to state the obvious about having already lost, in fact I would reflect on those losses with the performances generated by them.

Please don't misinterpret this as hubris, we can leave that to our near neighbours. It is simply a case of acknowledging the efforts of the squad and coaching staff.

If we beat Hull KR I might start to believe...

I still travel with trepidation this weekend so no, not for me yet.

If we have a few injuries and still win more than we lose, then yes I'd start to feel bullish.

After Leeds we will have played everybody (Salford twice). If we are still 2nd having lost maybe only one more game (or even 3rd) and still in the cup, then again, I'd start to feel bullish.

At the moment i would say that were a very good team, you just get the feeling though that something is still missing that would turn is into a dominant force like some of the Saints, Leeds and Bradford teams of years gone by.

Ryan Atkins apart we still have a lack of out and out pace in my opinion, you just get the feeling that Mathers, King, Hicks or Riley won`t burn off many people on the outside, Chris Riley has proven that he will finish off moves as have Hicks, King and Atkins but i wouldn`t say we have too much explosive pace that makes us a danger from long range. Again Atkins apart, we certainly don`t have a Jonathon Davies, Darren Albert or even an Amos Roberts that will leave the opposition chasing exhaust fumes from distance.

We don`t have too much pace in the back row either, also a quality loose forward is a must as we need that link on the fringes between the forwards and the backs. I`d say to be top draw we also need to be more solid at fullback, Mathers has loads of enthusiasm and he does a lot of things well but you can`t afford to have him making the mistakes that he does on a regular basis especially in bigger games, sooner or later its going to cost us dear.

That isn`t being negative, its just answering the question is it time to be bullish. I`d certainly say its time to be optimistic rather than being bullish given that this is the best Warrington team for a long time, to be bullish i would have to feel personally that we have matched some of the best Saints, Leeds and Bradford teams of years gone by, i just don`t think we are quite there yet.

At the moment i'll be honest, I'm waiting for the balloon to burst.
My fears at the moment are
1. Burnout (see Huddersfield 2009)
2. Injury crisis (see Leeds 2010)
3. One bad demoralising loss (see Warrington 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)

I'm enjoying it while it last though

2. Injury crisis (see Leeds 2010)

See warrington last two to three seasons, difference this year, pundits highlighting teams with injuries when in past seasons it was inconsistent warrington, or the yoyo team

To be honest for this season a top three finish would be success.

I don't think we have the mental toughness to be Grand Final material yet, how many play off games have we won to date? One I think.

I do expect with TS at the helm we will win the GF in the next 2-3 years.

What we need to believe we can win is simple

Stuff Wigan at the DW
Stuff Saints at the HJ
Stuff Leeds on the sandpit

then and only then will our lads and more than likely fans, be able to truly believe we can win the GF

We've had two potentially demoralising losses already this year and in both cases we've bounced back really well. That is the thing which is giving me most encouragement.

You are now a very good team. There is no more to it than that I don't think. You now have sufficient quality to win the games against the likes of Wakey, Salford, CruCruCrusaders, Quins, Catalans, Hull, Hull KR, Bradford etc even when you aren't playing all that well.

I just don't think you'll win Super League. If we fast forwarded to the semi finals now and you were facing Leeds, Saints or Wigan could I see you winning it, even at the HJ? Probably not.

Given how long there is to go in the season I think there is more than enough time for Leeds to make a lot of Wigan and the giddy Warrington fans (Not all of you I acknowledge) look very foolish. IMO at full strength they are still much better than both the 'new breed' teams.

We are bullish, we have been bullish every year. Since Andrew Johns spell in 2005, we've gone into the start of every season predicting this would be the year we won a trophy. The only year when nobody was optimistic of winning a trophy was 2009.

We have started this season like Hudds started last season so I think there's every chance we could achieve as much as they did.

I reckon we could take Wigan at the HJ.

If I am being honest I am expecting it to fall apart as that it what ususally happens when we raise expectations. That is not to say I am not enjoying it while it lasts.

Id rather not have high expectations, it makes every win even sweeter!

I think we have as much chance as Leeds, Wigan and Saints of making the GF.
The only thing we need to do is beat Saints when we play them at the HJ. Then I think the players and the fans will really believe.

i'll quote you on that, i can see us beating Wigan at there we should of won this year, we have as good as chance as Wigan. saints and leeds or have you not seen the league table yet ?

get the monkey that is Saints off our back and I will fear nobody.

It's pleasing the Wire are riding high in the table with an excellent defensive record. This has been achieved without resorting to the wrestlacheatathon which some teams have sunk to. Hopefully the powers that be sort this situation out PDQ. It's strangling the game. We all know who the biggest culprits are and I can only echo the views of John Kear. The next time we meet them in the knock out stages of a competition perhaps this underhand Aussie method of playing the game will have been eliminated. A start could be made by telling the referees to stop shouting MOVE at the play the ball. Tacklers are looking behind them waiting for the referees instruction to MOVE. If they've time to look round at the referee then they have time to get off the tackle quickly and if they don't penalise them out of the game.

Its pleasing to know we can win games even when will play poor.I would like to think we will only get better and strong and more confident in what Ts is trying to archieve with this team.You just the feeling we will just start to step up a gear as the season progesses.If the first 19 are feeling confident and the team spirt in the camp is good then surley that will filter down to the lads like Mitchell McCartney etc etc,so when they are called on for 1st team action.You know they wont want let the side down.

i agree, too many years of false dawns, high hopes and shattered dreams. last season with 2 mins left on the clock at wembley i was still nervous


it's the wire way, i pray it will change but bullish not yet, come the grand final, maybe

Fully agree with you on this one! If we can beat saints we can beat anyone! (we've beat Leeds away in the play-offs before ao it can be done, and we now have a better team).

I honestly believe we can do it. I'm not saying I expect us too, but I genuinely believe it's a possibility. Although I must add I would still be satisfied with finishing in the top four.

If we don't do very well, no doubt som people will jump down the players throats but that's just them being naive and unrealistic.

In Smith We Trust!!

I used to go into each season and indeed, each game very optimistic. These days, I take each game as it comes and don't celebrate a win and/or league position until the game is securely in the bag.

I'm doing the same across the whole campaign

I'm wobbling a bit now. 36 points conceded is just like the bad old days. Mind you it may be just a blip. We were not at the races today and missed Monaghan from the start at the Carvell loss early on took it's toll.

We are vulnerable to injuries, despite what people say about it being a big squad etc. Its easy to say we have competition for places and have good players to come in, when we have a full squad, but if there are any injuries in the front row we will struggle, we don't have the depth there. I do think however that unexpected reverses like today will happen through the season to all the teams at the top of the table, it is a fairly even league these days, the top will rise to the top over the end of the season, with us probably in the top 5, ideally the top 4.

Agreed. It is also the nature of sport generally, irrespective of the eveness of the league. Everyone has to take a beating every now and again. I heard the classic phrases at the game today 'same old Warrington' and 'we shouldn't be losing to teams like Hull KR'. What crap. Just beacuse we've made a great start to the season we're forbidden from losing games badly or to teams below us in the league? Didn't we finish 6 places below them last year?