https://twitter.com/ALooseWire/status/1 ... 89669?s=09 Not sure how accurate this is, but it doesnt read well. Questions need to be asked but they wont becuase we won the cup.....

https://twitter.com/ALooseWire/status/1 ... 89669?s=09 Not sure how accurate this is, but it doesnt read well. Questions need to be asked but they wont becuase we won the cup.....

he just sounds so bad when he talks... we could be doing alot better thean steve price.

Should’ve gone at the end of the season and the fact he didn’t, totally sums up our club.

Squad wise we’ve still not addressed our deficiencies and we’ve got far too many luxury players, one of which we gave a new two year deal to last season.

A decent effort against Wigan and the win against Saints changes nothing when we’ve won something like five out of our last 17 league matches.

Boring, dull, too lateral, no creativity and going nowhere. A rudderless ship. Time to make a change before we write off another season.

A coach sounds as good as his recent win/loss record.

Early on in the Price era he was saying a few things about commitment, toughness and everyone was lapping it up saying what a refreshing change from the TS era.

If you lose 10 from 12 then whatever you say will sound bad. In fact its even worse when you get the Mr Positivity types on a losing streak. Remember how Martinez at Everton and Rodgers at Liverpool turned in to joke figures when they went on bad runs.

Only looking from the outside in but I said at the end of last season that you had to get rid of Price and replace him with Watson. He did a dreadful job at the Dragons and he’s doing a similarly bad job for you. For about the last 3 months of 2019 you were in relegation form which is shocking when you consider some of the players he has at his disposal as well as the low quality of the league.
Ultimately it seems that a misguided sense of loyalty, because of the CC win, is keeping him in a job, likewise McNamara at Catalans and Radford at Hull. Appoint Watson and you’ll get close to a Grand Final win this season, he’s an outstanding coach and one of the bigger teams will poach him soon, it’s just a question of who. I’d argue the Warrington job is the most attractive in SL so there’s no doubt you could do much better than Price who is a failed head coach and should go back to being an assistant.

The stats show that we are a disaster under the current regime, the CC win does not gloss over the shocking loss to Les Cats at Wembley and the poor show at Old Trafford. The losses to weaker teams is a real worry and shows me that the coach isn't on top of his game.

The evidence only points to Price being relieved of his duties, whether or not Wane would come is a debate, but him now having taken the England/GB job makes the chance much more difficult to persuade.

Sticking with Price will bring nothing but gloom to the fans on a weekly basis. Time for change for me.

Price's league record 2018/19/20
P 60
W 34
D 1
L 25
Win Ratio 56.7%
Outcome - Contract extended to 2021.

For contrast ...

Keiron Cunningham's record 2015/16/17
P 74
W 43
D 1
L 30
Win Ratio 58%
Outcome - Sacked and Saint's win GF within 2 years with new coach.

If the board fail to act then we deserve exactly what we get.

The difference is Keiron Cunningham didn't win a Challenge Cup.

I've had plenty of arguments with the 'boomers' on here (ie the ones about 5 years older than me

) about the team of the 1980s and their inconsistent league form.

Ah yes, but they beat Halifax in the Premiership Final at Elland Road and that is worth a lifetime of memories, the boomers will say.

In 30 years time, the current milennials are going to be saying the same. Someone will pipe up "I've looked at the win loss record and decided Price was crap".

"Wind your neck in, son" they will be told, and then someone will tell the story of the 2019 Challenge Cup final, when we beat the mighty Saints against the odds with a legendary spell of defence on our own line.

I do worry about Price. Yes we had the magnificent win against Saints in last years CC and again last week in the SL but the latter part of last season was awful and it seemed that the players picked their games. When you hear Price interviewed it just not inspire me with any insight or innovative thoughts / comments / observations. As MPhil12 says we must surely be an attractive prospect for any coach so why was it seemingly so difficult to get a replacement for TS. The squad we have should not be limping along against teams like Wakey. A damming statement from Chester about Warrington's lack of attacking threat for me says a lot. Yes it was Widdops first game but it was still a loss that should not have happened

I think you are wrong on this Sally, and I have the benefit of being there at the Halifax game. The reasons I think you are wrong are :-

1. Most fans talk about the Premiership win because it was such a giant killing at the time and we played spectacular rugby with a complete forward performance. (i.e. it's a fond memory). I don't think anyone who cites the Wire teams of the 80's claiming they were world beaters with an exceptional win/loss record.

2. Not much was expected of Wire at the time due to limited resources, comparing with the current set-up is pointless. Like comparing a pre-money City with now. However Tony Barrow certainly did more with his available talent when compared with Steve Price and in a shorter time frame.

You haven't highlighted man management and comfort within the club.

How do you mean?

Cunningham was alleged difficult and some players didn't settle.

Are you really saying that Barrow was having to make the most of limited talent and comparing that team to a 'pre-money' City, whereas the current team is like City now



What would have the 1986 pack done to the 2019 pack?

Was Patton better than Andy Gregory? Does Price have more talent in the backline than Brian Johnson, Phil Blake etc?

Those guys in 1986 might have been on meagre pay packets compared to what players earn today but we had genuine world class talent back then, which we don't now.

Price had to come up against a dominant Saints team with an elite coach in Justin Holbrook, and yet we beat them at Wembley on the big occasion, just like we'd gone to their ground and knocked them out of the playoffs the year before.

Phil Blake didn't play in 86
The 86 prem winning team and the late 80s teams backlines inc. such stars as Kevin Meadows, Paul Bishop, Cullen and Barry Peters and you seriously compare them with Lineham, Ratchford, Austin & Widdop?
As for Holbrook being an elite coach ....... really?

I think I sense a fellow Harvey's Bristol Cream devotee.

Tony Barrow
1986-88 P97 W63 D2 L32 64.9%


Tony Barrow achieved a lot with the lesser players too. Don't forget we were not full time professional then. That side that beat champions Halifax included world class talent such as Mark Forster, Paul Cullen in the centre, Brian Carbert, Paul Ford, Gary Sanderson and Billy McGinty. With a star studded squad of Barry Peters, Carl Webb, Tony Gittins. Brian Johnson was substitute for the final and Phil Blake was not even playing.

It's wrong to think we had a star studded side then compared to now.

Also, those watching then will remember what we were like under Reg Bowden at the start of the 1985/86 season before Tony Barrow replaced him.

Reg Bowden
1984–85 Warrington P68 W28 D0 L40 41%

We were so bad under Bowden, he came out of playing retirement to try to get us winning.

I suggest a shortlist of 3 for your new coach

Cullen
Agar
Smith

Ahh, nostalgia. It's not what it used to be

I don't hold a great love for stats, for the sake of arguments. They can be manipulated to suit. Luck and circumstances play huge parts, as well.

Don't believe me?
That Prem side of 86 WAS class (an unbelievable pack, helping out a poor 3/4 line) , it would've been invincible, bar the camp bookmaker making it his mission to tempt A. Gregory away from us, so much so, he went on strike, to get his move. After the Prem, we started the next season losing the opening 2, then went on a huge winning streak, including thrashing Wigan (h), Leeds (a) 54-16 and Widnes 35-4 in the JPS semi-Final. The loss of Gregory to that side ####ed us, and we never recovered, until the second coming of Mackey. But its not as if we didn't spend money. Boyd had a huge contract (subsidised by Peter Higham, iirc), Then there was Tamati and Rathbone who commanded decent fees. We'd done a deal with Widnes previously for A. Gregory with Fieldhouse and cash going the other way. We'd also paid for Blake's 6 month stint and to prize Johnson away from Oz. So we DID act in the transfer market, just not in the same bracket as Wigan (on verge of full time pro), they went and signed Hanley (Ford, Donlan and cash going the other way) Goodway (record) and Lydon (record, again) in the space of 5 months, we just couldn't compete.

Fast forward 4-7 years, and we have the Welsh RU experiment, with Bateman, Ellis, Phillips and eventually Davies coming, we could and should 've won the league, with devastating backs, (3 of the above 4) add to these Mackey, Shelford and young Harris, Roper and Penny. It was just that we had a pack that could be described (at best) as workmanlike... an ageing Jackson, 31 year old Cullen (with dodgy knees), Tees, Elliot and then the Godawful Tietzel and Thursfield (shudders). Wigan had been full time for years, and bought ANYONE they liked, because they could.

We've obviously spent big in the Cullen and Smith eras, yet the GF win still eludes us.

Circumstances and luck.

Let's look at Price. Yes, I'm extremely grateful for the CCwin, and we did it the hard way, but it's only 4 wins. As W71 says, it's a sticking plaster, to cover a wound.
The fella's out of his depth, and (imo, we've hired a dud).
It was obvious that Smith was going to go in 2017, and he announced in the summer. It took us 3 months, 3 MONTHS to come up with Price. What we're our hierarchy doing in Oz at that time. Surfing all day on Bondai? Too many barbies? Shark fishing?

Our club philosophy is too laissez faire since Gatcliffe left (as Sally has pointed out before), and we've created a jobs for the boys attitude, and not being ruthless enough with under performance.

Time for the board to grow a collective pair, eh?

... and we went even worse.
That 84/5 season was torturous

I am not the biggest fan of Price but I was encouraged by the style of play and the attitude when defending in the first 2 games.
Maybe yesterday was just a blip but on the same token the performances against a Wigan team that was undercooked and an injury ravaged saints team could be the exception in the sort of run of form that saw Lowes lose his job in 2009.
Back in 2009 Smith was waiting in the wings with 4 years to go until the next world cup. Wane has less than 2 and I am sure that the RFL want him on it full time.
We don't know what impact the Gelling situation had on the squad in yesterday's performance. When you look at the impact on wigan when the story was about to break on the Tomkins brothers night out in standish. The story broke straight after we nilled them so you would guess that everybody knew it was about to come out, they then lost the next 2 games but still beat us 3 times during the rest of the season the last game being the GF.
The next 3 games will indicate where we are at.
Only 1 win in the next 3 then price can go but it has been pointed out who comes in?
What are the Walker brothers up to these days.

Never mind Rickkaaaaayyy from.Toronto, lets throw money at a coach for a change. Ward or Wane (PT) please.

Wanted him gone last season, noting has changed.

Got and get Ian Watson. The man works miracles year on year.

Bet your life we're already 'throwing money' at a coach. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Price was the highest paid coach in SL. We'd probably get Danny Ward for a fraction of the price. Leutele is also not the answer. Brand should get first dibs at replacing Gelling and the option of Ratchford to centre should it not work out.

Price's next team selection should be very interesting. Ashton will come back in but where?

Can't say I agree, JN

Watson is a streaky coach. Nothing more, nothing less.
Cast your mind back to the 2017, after a typical start, they went on a remarkable run (for them), winning iirc 11 out of 12 or 13 games, and making the CCsemi v Wigan (they took the lead, then promptly poohed their pants). After that they went on a similar losing streak to finish the season, very poorly. Nothing much in 18, then overachieving for a while, last year, with the MoS at his disposal.

I'd want a bit more than streaky runs. They've hardly set the season alight, so far, and the less said about GB last year, the better (he surely had SOME input)