No excuse not to improve the quality of our second row and stand off. There’s better out there than that current triumvirate of cack.

Pardon my intrusion but, after reading quite a bit on your forum, I feel quite a lot of Wire fans might just refuse to purchase a ST next year due to being uncomfortable with DP in charge. Best of luck staying up, and hope we can meet next season.

I bought one for me and my son this year (he’s still not talking to me for this unjust punishment) due to the fact that at least I would see some good attacking rugby under Powell. How utterly wrong I was. I won’t be purchasing one next season and hopefully I can rebuild my relationship with the boy!!!

I won’t be buying either.

Who is long in the tooth? Most of the starting 17 haven't been at the club for 5 minutes or are first team debutants from the academy? They haven't had time to get jaded they should be full of new environment vigour.

It was in response to another post; I was describing the players who Powell inherited at the start of the year.

Do you really think I'm describing the current squad? I should have perhaps made it clearer though- the whole post was comparing the squads inherited at the time by both Smith and Powell.

my main concern is this: DP identified our lack of composure when under pressure (I’m paraphrasing) as the main issue the club had to deal with. Yet after a virtually full season to address that problem our resilience seems to be far worse than it was. Putting aside everything else this casts massive doubt on his credibility as a coach who can effect positive change. I hope he proves me wrong, but feeling thankful to Jack Welsby for (hopefully) saving our season is not a pleasant feeling.

And apart from Cooper, who was long in the tooth? And if age or duration of their Wire tenure was an issue why has he just rewarded one of the oldest members of the squad with a new contract? And signed four props who are hardly in their first flush of youth?

Charnley, Lineham, Ratchford, J Clark, Hill (though not criticising him whatsoever). I think could could have found a better term than long in the tooth though.

Charnley, Lineham, Ratchford, J Clark and Cooper who you've already mentioned.

.

This is a very good point. I have Powell doubts now because he is saying the same things after each match about our inability to cope with the pressure. (Pressure of playing Hull KR at home

being the last case). He even acknowledged he is saying the same things in the last interview. Its his job to fix this and he hasn't. I ak beginning to wonder if he can't.

Pressure is a tricky one, in mitigation. I said in the lead up to the Catalan game that we might benefit from the Magic enjoyment, away from the microscope of the hope game and the crowds on the terrace like at Castleford.

When you’re down, you need something to snap that momentum and to give you that lift. My concern is, we've had a few “little lifts” so far. Mikaele coming in should have been a lift, it certainly was on the terraces. Then we got the win against Hull, really toughed it out and got the points. Then the Magic round itself.

So we have been given that lift, arrested the momentum of the downward spiral, but then have failed to do anything with it.

We have got away with it, as Toulouse and Wakefield didn’t get the results at the weekend, but we need to win this week. Wigan is unattainable, then Toulouse is THE pressure game, without something going into that I fear the worst going into a tricky final 4 games, all with playoff ambitions.

There have been veiled complaints about the fans from Powell about the crowds impact, and it is valid to a point, but what we need in response is a show of effort and commitment.

The fans theory is all horsecrap anyway. Fans weren't getting on their backs at 14 points up. Fans didn't create a toxic atmosphere even when Hull KR when 4 ahead. Fans pretty much vented their frustration after the fact the players threw the game away.

This fan noticed Thewlis and Minikin let 3 bombs drop during the course of the game and spotted the fact that Ratch wasn't playing well at 6.

The last chance for us to score some points, 3 mins to go, last tackle and Ratch threw the decisive pass into the crowd, behind his teammates.
Their last try came from a bomb that wasn't dealt with.

This fan thought at half time "thewlis to wing, Minikin to centre, Matautia to 6, Ratch to 1 to help sure up" but Powell didn't. I'm no coach, never have been, but I can spot some glaring weaknesses as they unfold

I will admit, when Amor, Mikaele and Bullock were all on together the other night, we looked really solid and effective down the middle. We can clearly see how effective Mikaele is but Bullocks efforts have gone under the radar in the last couple of weeks I feel. I think if we are somehow going to make a push for Top 6, those 3 will be the main ones to help us do it. Although, Harrison has offered a little more to our pack as well, so I'd be happy to see him start alongside Bullock. It's unlikely that he (Bullock) will get in the squad over anyone other than Mulhern next season (if he's here) but while he's trying to prove that he's a valuable part of the team, let him continue to try and prove it. It can only be a good thing. I also reckon being dropped for so long was the kick up the backside he needed. He's a big guy, he just didn't put in the shift. But I welcome the shifts he's been putting in the last few weeks.

Thewlis looked a little slow making the runs in behind on Friday, but that's probably a consequence of the squad being moved around so much and not being comfortable with the role. Same with Ratchford. He knows where he will be next season but week to week he has no idea. I think once we have a consistent 17 man squad, then we will see the improvements. We actually do look like we have a somewhat competent forward pack compared to what we started with, and the more that we dominate through the middle, the more Williams can play the 'off the cuff' style that he likes. And Ratchford can start to settle at halfback with Dufty hopefully starting at Fullback next week, adding some much needed pace to our spine. We have an abundance of it with Thewlis, Wrench, Wardle and Ashton out wide but Dufty is the icing on the cake.

I'm personally excited about the squad we have for the rest of the season. But we are then relying on sensible squad selections and consistency in those selections from Powell, which is hard to be confident in unfortunately. But hopefully that consistency breeds an improved squad overall.

Lineham is 29, Charnley 31 - hardly long in the tooth.
Ratchford IS long in the tooth and ineffective these days yet has been awarded a new contract.
For all his sbortcomings as a player I don't think many would question Jason Clark's attitude

Like Powell, your rationale, mitigation, arguments and excuses are becoming increasingly contradictory.

Sage words Sir.

Long in the tooth wasn't the right description, I agree, I rushed a few posts through yesterday and this morning.

If you find any points I've made contradictory, then please discuss the point. I think it is too easy and discreditable to tarnish a poster's general comments without discussing them individually.

Now Moz, you have a track record of making things up or twisting the content to suit your own means. The difference between us, is that, I'll state 'that you make things up' or 'twist things' and will back it up with evidence. You pal, just make it up.

To summarise Moz. Instead of using generalisations, just discuss the point and let people make there own minds up as to whether a poster contradicts/makes things up/or whatever.

People can make their own minds up. They don't need a self appointed 'moderator of opinions' to make their decisions.

Well I have to agree with Morrisey, your defence of Powell is quite frankly all over the place and contradictory at times. When this is pointed you become overly defensive and insulting....are you sure you're not Daryl Powell?

I only insult when someone has insulted me or tried to make out that I'm an idiot...and if they do, they get it both barrels and I will not make any apology for that.


Some of my defence of Powell will seem contradictory at times because I'm having to debate on many different fronts with different posters. And I'm having to do this because no-one else is sticking up for him despite 50% of people backing him.

The truth is, there is no black and white with this, and as the debate unfurls, there will be contradictions as posters take on board other comments and alter their stance including myself.

It's worth mentioning too, that although I'm behind Powell, I agree with many sentiments on the Powell out side too and this will cause contradiction.

Its clearer to debate the point and let people judge for themselves. It doesn't need anyone to dip in and make casual generalisations. If you or anyone else thinks I've contradicted myself, fair play, but prove it.

Hmmm ok GazWire. Here's one for starters, you said that part of the problem for Powell was that he inherited a squad was perhaps a little long in the tooth.

Since inheriting that squad, he has extended Ratchford's contract despite it being clear that he's a busted flush, and has signed four aging, albeit decent (on paper) props. He also persists in playing Matautia (31) over Wrench.

Irrespective of the playing abilities of the players concerned this clearly shows either Powell doesn't feel the age of the squad is an issue or, as people have reasonably opined, he seems increasingly desperate and erratic in his approach.

I have yet to hear any coach, who's team is losing, produce an after-match interview that satisfies the fans.
The same criticism were thrown at Cullen, Smith, Price and now Powell and of course it is every coach in virtually all sports.
If Powell did have the answer he would do it. If he was totally honest he might say ... "Some of our more experienced players and our youngsters too are not as good as we thought and the Coaching Team are unable to improve our defence and our fans don't help"
That would go down very badly.

I personally never expect anything from the after-match interviews or the match previews they are lovely when things are going well but so painful to watch when losing. Unless you enjoy watching a man struggling (and I don't) I think it's best to give them a miss.

Although it was against a much depleted HKR ,the Wire played some good rugby until HKR came back into the game . When they got within touching distance our bottle went & the mistakes & penalties crept in & let HKR overrun us. Yes ,we threw it away. Confidence & viable game plans are the issues.
As for the Hull game ,somebody mentioned , the biggest hope that night was that it didn't go into golden point ,that was a turgid affair contested by two bad teams.

I've already corrected myself with the 'long in tooth' and stated it wasnt the best description, or words to that effect. I should have said 'players who'd been at our club for medium to long term'.

I'm sorry, but I'm not accepting a sanctimonious hmmm from yourself - from somebody who hasn't misworded something - but someone who has, a few times, misinterpreted and twisted posts to suit their own agenda. You've done this twice since the weekend and I've highlighted it.