Do players stop playing well once they hit the big 30?

Funny to see Wigan fans rating Saints again at the start of the season you lot had a thread writing them off this year and the next few years.

This year Saints beat us on points difference (rather dodgy try if you ask me!!) and Wigan were not that far ahead. The one area we were VERY bad on in 2011 was goal kicking. If we had a good reliable CONSISTENT kicker we would have been ahead of Saints and possibly challenging if not beating Wigan for top spot. That was how close 2010 was and if we can be that close again next year I'll be happy.

Only when the likes of the Evans brothers step up into Super League will we know what we have.

I don't think our Youth set up is that bad. Riley, Harrison, Cooper are all first teamers now. But overall our squad is a lot less likely to deal with injuries as well as St Helens did.

We have an injury stance as "well we lost to crusaders but we had 5 first teamers out".
St Helens have one of "we don't care who is out injured we'll just have to beat them without our first team players".

If all our old players are more susceptible to injuries how come they never got injuries this year?

Although it is obvious that youngsters are much more capable of playing on through injuries and recovering quickly - see Kyle Eastmond for proof.

As for us standing still whilst Wigan and Saints have progressed recently there are two Challenge Cups that might beg to differ, let alone going from 10th to 3rd but don't let that stop anybody dragging Warrington down whilst bumming up Wigan fans.

Apart from the last post, this is a ludicrous thread. I don't think there is a shred of evidence for the suggestions that we have little strength in depth or that our squad is older than it should be. Wigan did not have an injury crisis this year either.

we're standing still

Is anybody in Wigan aware of this injury crisis?

Makes me laugh this 30 plus comment that keep raising it's head how long as the morleys ,cunninghams, longs, fitzgibbons menzies need i go on etc been in their 30's doesn't matter one jot if your fit your fit end of i've seen 70 year old guys running 7 minute miles in races its all down to the individual how fit they keep them selves personally i think kc could have done at least another year

We've had a lot of injuries at different points this year, fortunately though they haven't been to key personnel like Sam or Richards or Fielden, i.e. the players people notice.

Precisely. We missed Briers, Bridge, Clarke, Carvell for good stretches this year. Others missed here and there. Neither of us had big injury problems this year which is probably why St Helens and Leeds didn't finish as the top 2.

So if Leeds and St Helens don't have the same injury run we'll finish about 4th next year then, yeah? ludicrous thread indeed

what is it with some fans oh i think we will finish fourth? hope TS or any of the players aren't thinking like this. smith said last year werte going for both, next year will be the same as he will make them aim for the top not just fourth!

But we are on an upward trajectory. The whole negativity of the thread chimes with the booing of our players ther week before last. If we don't win every match, it's seen as some sort of disaster. Add the scapegoating of Clarke to that and you have Warrington fans down to a T.

If you think a 4th place finish for Warrington 'negative' comment then you need your head looking at.

I'll bet you a tenner we won't finish higher than 4th next season.

p.s. you seem to have a huge problem with Warrington fans. Why not love off and support a team who's fans you adore then!!!

You said "is 4th realistically the best we can hope for"

So you're not saying they will finish 4th you are implying that is the BEST to be HOPED for.

Christ when Steve Anderson took over I HOPED we do the double.

I really don't see what you're argument is? Do you even have one? Or are you being awkward in non-witty way as per?

Oh don't worry, it's not just Warrington fans. There's whole swathes of society I have problems with.

I don't see why we can't finish top next season. We was not the complete package last year and missed out on 2nd on points difference. Smith is still learning about the side and making the minor changes( such as a consistent goal kicker) to take us to the level were we can challenge for 1st each year. We have learn't how to be consistent and avoid slip ups against the "lesser sides". It is just when we play the games against Leeds and Saints that we need to improve.

Regarding stength in depth we have a number of players that have the ability to step into the 1st team. These being:

Cooper
Grix
Mitchell
Mccarthy
Blythe
Williams
R.Evans

That list is correct and until they have a run in the team, we won't really know. Foster, Clarkson, Goulding all did well this year when they would have appeared in a similar list for St H, Leeds and Wigan.

There are a few who feel that buying in players will = success. Look at us 3 years ago all the big signings and we are going to rule the world never happened. Smith in his last interview said that consistancy is the key , that is the club / team / training etc etc . Those lads will be miles ahead of many of the teams next year as each one will know exactly what each other is capable of and when.

There are teams who buck this trend , Crusadors for one TBH but you normally find that it is short lived.

I agree with another post on here that kicking is the key to winning close matches and points difference in the league.

I predict a fine year next year.

I am more confident going into next season than I was going into this year.

Saints are playing at a substitute home and have got a new manager to bed in. Mcguire at Wigan got off to a racing start and has done fantastic but with a new manager it is the exception to do well in the first season and not the norm. They have lost Cunningham and if the rumours are correct may well lose Pryce.

Wigan in my view will be in the top three but I am not sure they will manage to match this seasons achievements. Leeds are a bit of an enigma for next year, they have been the best side in SL for the past three seasons but appear to be on the wain or at best in transition, I am in no doubt though that Leeds will be back in the medium term and as strong as ever.

I think the biggest decision facing TS and Mr Moran will be the setting of our priorities for next season, TS will of course say that we are going all out for the CC and a Grand Final appearance. But in reality it takes a very very special team to be able to win / challenge for both and as much as I love the Wire we are not a very very special team. Saints were that very very special team back in 2007 (or was it 200icon_cool.gif when they won both trophies but we are not that team and nor is the current Saints team a patch on their 2007/08 team

So I think either Wire, Saints or Wigan to finish top and it would not at all surprise me if it were us.

exactly. How can people think Leeds are going to be above us next year? Leeds need 2 new centres,have a winger thats too bulked up and lacking pace, a full back thats been found wanting and a hooker that has started to lose his head. Coupled with a halfback carrying a serious injury (will he be the same when he comes back?) and a forward buggering off to NRL then i can't personally see how anybody can see Leeds above Wire next year?

4th place and a place in the semi finals of either competition? I'd take that. Its easy to say we should be progressing, but there are years where we won't succeed. Success is a long term project. From 03 to 08 we won nothing but steadily progressed from relegation candidates to play off hopefuls. Then we won the cup in 09 and 10. But anomalies happen, and two semi final spot shouldn't be ignored if thats all we get next year.

Agreed..!

Another thing thats annoying me is the way everyone is banging on about these 3 Melbourne Storm players Wigan have signed..
Ok they are proven quality NRL players..But so were Monaghan and King....King especially suffered a culture shock in his first season.....
Wire fans of all people should know that some overseas players require a bedding in period others take to England like a duck to water..Hicks and Grose are just 2 off the top of my head...

To say that Lima,Hoffman and Finch ar going to walk in and start ripping up Super League is a touch naive IMO....