'End of days'???... No, people just pointed out rightly that Price should be in the last chance saloon now.

As for keeping quiet after the wins, well, call me cynical, but considering our proven ability to implode, I think it actually makes sense to rein in any optimism when it comes to Wire - Until they actually deliver the big prize, it probably makes more sense to just ready yourself for the inevitable anti climax.. It helps soften the hurt.

Every team loses matches, league matches, Cup matches, playoff matches. If your team gives you 9 games consecutively between defeats then they're doing alright for you. That was 2 games ago, 2 games where we lost by 2 points, one with 16 of our starting 17 rested and another suspended and the other in horrific conditions that made the outcome far less than guaranteed.

Seriously just put the pitchforks away until the end of the season, it could well end in bitter dissapointment (likely) but price tried to win finals using negative tactics and it didn't work in 2 out of 3 finals for us. We weren't blown away but we weren't at the races and never looked like winning either when we lost. He went more attacking in this semi and that didn't work either but mostly down to defensive errors and lapses. At least on this occasion we scored enough points to have won the match were it not for those errors. If I take nothing more from the game on Saturday, at least it could be an indication that if we reach a final we will try to score some points.

Think I've just invented new terminology for exciting full back play?
For we all know Ashton is also an aspiring thespian.
Now now you are using math rmathematical terms to describe Ratchford.
Stick to old ye English and describe him..... Come on....

Rewarding continuing failure isn't exactly a policy that has got us far before, has it?'"

For certeinly, as that thise clerkes seyn
If any thyng shal wel reported be. Ratchforde very fyne at fullbacke is posityoned.
In al the land, of playeing nas his peer
Some sayde that the Coote was muche more fyne but he fumbled balles before the lyne
At Londone towne to throwe the Cup.

With sincere apologies to Master Chaucer.

And, they say Union is the game for the intellectuals! Pah...

I left out a line which Lefty won’t forgive me for
“A bokkeler much lyke his gibbonous teme maytes “

I prefer Laurie Daley's take on such matters
"Rugby League is a simple game played by simple people. Rugby union is a complex game played by w@nkers"

If we need to move Ratchford anywhere to accomodate Ashton then make him our permanent 13. As he was outstanding there, which confuses me even more as to why we decided to trial Austin at 13 when Ratchford was tried and tested a few weeks before and was successful.
Just strange times, in my eyes we've only lost 1 game we should have won as the kids against Salford i didn't expect us to win anyway, so the way they performed was a bonus.
Now lets get back to playing the squad in their proper positions and back to winning ways

That was like trying to work out the answer on Only Connect.

It would be so much easier if the décolletage wasn’t so distracting.

I find the plunge isn't too much of a distraction when viewed through the eye of Horus

Spot on OT try something it works go with the same game plan of having Ashton and Ratchford out there but don't follow the detail through

True, true.

I was thinking more of the horned viper.

We need to cut Matty some slack. 21 year old playing SL for the first time he's going to make some mistakes on the job. I really don't want him on the wing, for me he isn't big enough or strong enough to be out there, he'd just get bundled into touch all the time. He needs open space to run and freedom with the ball.

I’m happy for Ashton to start this Friday and some what redeem himself for that fork up last weekend. I think going forward for semi-finals/knock out rugby we be playing Ratchford there, especially if the conditions are bad.

Although, given that there’s a 90% chance of rain on Friday I don’t think we will be experimenting with that spine again.

Definitely pick him. He is a very quick and an exciting player. I thought I'd heard one or two of our experts, on this forum, begging for a more exciting team.
I agree with Jonathan Davies ... get your best players on the field ... positions are not that important in the modern game.
Of course though you need a fair balance of trundlers, runners & the clever ones.

I noticed that the most exciting player/best with ball in hand in Super League at the moment (Bevan French) had a very ordinary game in the horrible conditions last Saturday. I doubt he will be left out.

All players make mistakes, and those made by fullbacks can give the opposition a massive advantage. Take James Tadesco this morning, who totally misread a kick from George Williams. Stuff happens, and we move on.

Having you’re best players on the pitch is one thing, playing them in a position that allows them to get their hands in the ball and the size of pack to get them in a position of threat is another.
Playing Austin as a forward to get Ashton starting, was the dumbest selection I can ever recall. I’m not totally convinced we didn’t throw that game.

It may have said Austin at 13 on the teamsheet, but it was Ratchford who played 13. Austin played pretty much his normal game as far as I could tell.

Not included in the 21 man squad for Monday. Hopefully thewlis on the wing with ratchford at fullback. Austin and widdop had better have been working hard on a way to work with each other in this break. Surely widdop to come up with the kicking game and Austin to use his running game more.

Agreed, but I've never seen Widdop put high bombs up like Austin - they have been immense

You missed the point, playing Austin over a forward and employing a light bench, did us, we’d have had better middle go forward and 80 mins stamina in the pack with Gemma Collins on the Atkins diet.