No you’re not the only one - I think we’re in serious trouble. Toulouse beat Wakey at the weekend and they’re 4 behind us with a game against us. As I posted earlier - we’ve won 2 out of 13 - that’s relegation form. Our defence is pathetic - the first try on Sunday would have embarrassed an under 10s team.

I agree with this. Salford's ruck speed was far superior to ours. They had runners off the ball and they changed the direction of play causing us no end of problems. We were 1 dimensional, we made un forced errors and our kicking game was useless. We we're constantly backing off in indefence.

In the last 15 minutes Salford still had gas in the tank whilst we were running on empty, both in terms of energy and confidence.

Then we agree to differ. You have no evidence of many players not wanting to win.
There is a season of evidence so far that the coach hasn't improved any of the players, attack, defence, transition, there is no well understood game plan, no real team spirit, poor selection of players, poor PR - the list goes on.
I admire the support you are giving the current coaching set up but have you asked yourself does this make common sense.

Well i'd like to say Catalans missing Kasiano, Napa an Mcllorum for our gsme against them is good news......but it proberbly won't make a difference.

Is it common sense to blame the new coach for the performance of complacent players who've underperformed for the two previous coaches over 7 odd years?

Is it common sense to lay most of the blame at the new coach when his track record over many years at different clubs shows improvement; in contrast to our players who've underperformed for 3 different coaches letting the supporters and club down time and time again?

I'm still backing Powell, but I totally get everyone's concerns and do actually agree with many points, especially regarding the squad selection, lack improvement and attitude.

It's not a black and white issue this, Powell is certainly not blameless. But for me, the biggest problem is player culture, and if it takes an appalling season to rid ourselves of this, even at the risk of going down, I'm taking it.

For years now this group of players have taken much of the enjoyment out of watching Warrington. Apart from the saints game, I know these players arent really that bothered about performing for us fans and I just want rid, even with the risks involved. I much preferred it when little was expected, yet our players would go out and give it 100% more often. But I also get that many would rather us play safe.

It's not a black and white issue this, Powell is certainly not blameless. But for me, the biggest problem is player culture, and if it takes an appalling season to rid ourselves of this, even at the risk of going down, I'm taking it.'"

We won't go down but we'll make it competitive guaranteed

...and judge Powell's credentials on the end of last season with a team who know he's leaving? And ignore 20 odd years worth of coaching experience on which to judge?

I could say that Warrington played well yesterday... if I watched the first 10 minutes of the second half and omitted the other 70 minutes. Now logically that doesn't add up.

Tony Smith has had a bad run and been sacked, is he a bad coach? Every coach has their peaks and troughs, but I believe most appointers of coaches/playing staff will judge a candidate over their whole career and seek to establish whether there's an overall rising trajectory or stable if the coach is at the top of his game.

It wasn't so long ago that Powell took Castleford to the top of the table winning the league leaders Shield with a comparatively under resourced squad. This same side were close to relegation a few years earlier.

I also read somewhere that Powell had coached 5 MOS players, but don't quote me on that.

I'm still supporting the "wait and see" line but I am perplexed as to why we are not seeing any green shoots of recovery at all and why some players are seemingly undroppable.

I think there is a real danger that Powell could alienate the whole squad including the players who are signed up for next season. Nobody seems to be playing for him, team selections are baffling, ratchford has been great for us but never really as an organising halfback. A centre in the halves instead of an academy graduate whose future hinges on getting enough game time to develop. More alarm bells every week


I still back Powell but if the players who are staying don't then his position is surelt untenable. He needs to shake up the coaching staff, we need a new defence coach and atta k coach because at the minute both are pretty much hopeless.

How long before Toulouse start to play teams who will be safe from relegation and not in contention for play off places, once this starts we will be in a whole heap of trouble if we haven't already recovered sufficiently.

This debate is a good read, on Powell he is not for me, coaching a poor resourced group is clearly his thing, an over resourced group is not and they are showing their distain. He hasn't won anything other than the hub cap, which to some is clearly priceless and others far less meaningful. Right now losing to inferior opposition in the 1st round of the playoff is something we can only dream about.

The bad apple theory doesn't explain the performances of Holmes, who is fully conversant with the Powell methodology and has still stunk the place out.

You'd think he'd be busting a gut to try and prove his old mentor right bur he ain't.

I rather think the influx of the Powell crew, players and coaches, and their attitude has put noses out of joint; whether thats the fault of the people who were here or the people coming in is debatable.

However, I repeat - plenty of the players who aren't reasponding to Powell's approach will be here next year.

I was pretty happy when we signed Holmes, as his form at Cas had been impressive and he looked a real attacking threat there. I was prepared to cut him some slack at first this season - new team-mates, settling in, etc etc. However, the fact is that we are now five months into the season and the kindest thing you can say about him is that he has been anonymous. If you wanted to be unkind, you could say much worse.

Toulouse have Wigan, Catalan and Saints in the last 4 weeks of the year. Let’s face it, they’re already nailed on for top 4 already, so by that point they could have the cue on the rack and be play off prepping. I’d hate for our fate to be in the hands of Saints putting a team out on the last game of the regular season.

That is the worst news possible given the status quo

Can`t make my mind up, if it would be better for us if Wakefield beat Toulouse this weekend, or not, even though it means Wakefield will be then be on the same league points as us?.

I agree that Toulouse will pickup some expected wins in France towards the end of the season when teams send weakened teams over there for games that don`t matter to the away teams

This is where I am. I want Powell to succeed and I'm glad there's been an overhaul of our squad but I'm still waiting to see a decent move with dummy runners etc. We've also used 7 halfback pairings. Can we not stick with Williams and Dean if fit for the rest of the season or if Dean isn't flavour of the month then have Williams and Widdop with Thewlis at fullback. At least have some consistency.

Here's a question - if Ashton is fit for this weekend does Minikin make way? Logic, form, strike capacity and common sense says yes but.........

minikin should be dropped purely for not going for that bomb

We’re a right old mess for sure, for all the reasons mentioned in multiple threads on here. But let’s all calm down a bit eh, there’s no way on God’s green earth that we’re getting relegated. Not while Wakey and Toulouse exist anyway.

I'm very concerned as our head coach, Powell should personally have got involved during training to ensure the defensive and attacking structures translate onto the pitch on match day. If he has, then he's not the man for the job, if he hasn't, then that's the final card he is able to play, and why hasn't he played it earlier.

I’ll bet If Powell could get the chance to go back to the pre-season and start again, his first words would be: “I want to come in, not change too much in the way we do things initially, but start to introduce my style once we’ve settled in to the season and I’ve worked out the players. Then over the next 12 months we’ll see who will be the future of the club as we build for a real push in 2023.

Of course this wouldn’t have gone down well with the fans, but it probably would have been a better option (easy to say with hindsight of course). The problem is that Warrington is a pressure situation and immediate results are expected. I think maybe Powell tried too much too quick and expected more from the players. If he survives this season (and personally I’ll be prepared to give him a freebie for 2022 in return for a spectacular 2023) then I expect it will have been a very very hard lesson in coaching.

If he had a time machine I'd hope they'd be a fairly lengthy list of leasons learned:

I need two props minimum
Cherry picking my mates from Cas might not work out
Mental note to self - don't publically humiliate youngsters
If they ask to go home early, say you'll think about it
Re: above, don't think about it but don't mention it
Phone Pricey and ask for a copy of his defence manual

If Ashton is fit and doesn't come back into the team, then I'm joining the Powell Out campaign.

Good heavens if Minikin keeps his spot ahead of Ashton I’ll personally march the fool back to Yorkshire by his ears.

Need to make a correction to this, as Kevin said, he did support widdop on the break to set up Ratchford's try.

Apologies though, it was currie that stuck an arm out for the 2nd try in the first half