When Alex was coach we went through a similar situation to now, the first team players were under-performing, lazy, uninterested etc etc.

Alex's respense was to drop the whole team and play the reserves. He said "I would rather see a team of young enthusiastic lads playing 110%
than a lot of prima donna's under-performing".

Despite criticism from all quaters and screams of fury from the fans, it worked like magic ! The following week all the first-teamers played like men-possessed !

Mind you, they were being paid for wins then, not on lucrative contracts as now.

Shame we don't have a coach with the same iron discipline now, although to be fair, he did drop Penny ?

Murphy was an instinctive player with inate skills and a fantastic win ethic.

He couldn't pass on his skills because they were natural but he could coach and he could motivate. I well remember an international winger saying after a session with Murphy (when he was GB coach), that he had never before been as motivated to win as he was by Murphy.

I wonder what the effect would be of dropping those in the team under performing and playing the youngsters. I'm sure we'd get hammered but at least it'd be a game with our players being honest to themselves and the fans, plus it's no worse than is happening now!

Out of interest, if Lowes was to drop those under performers, who would you keep in?

I'd keep Reiley, Hicks, Higham and Carvell. Possibly Bridge, I don't think he had enough of a chance to break into the first team last game so is deserving of the opportunity.

westwood and morley?

Westwood - 5 match ban and penalty machine.

Morley - Been somewhat lacklustre in my opinion.

NOT IN ATTACK HE'S NOT!
Unless I've ben watching a totally different game to you......

She doesn't even go the games cocker.

Quick question for you.

Which one of Ben Westwood and Mick Higham conceded most penalties last year?

I'll give you a clue, it was not the one that you referred to as a penalty machine, but the one that you would keep in the team.

This was all before my time, but do you have any more details on it?

Did he drop every player? What score did the game with the reserves end up? Were they all then dropped for the following week?

How did this work out long term? I could potentially see this being a short term fix, but just couldn't see it working long term.

Dave T wrote: =orange:33rwkn36This was all before my time, but do you have any more details on it?

Did he drop every player? What score did the game with the reserves end up? Were they all then dropped for the following week?

How did this work out long term? I could potentially see this being a short term fix, but just couldn't see it working long term.=orange

Sorry its from memory but its pretty well correct.

1. I think just one or two were retained.
2. The youngsters got thrashed but did give 110% and were clapped off
at the end. It was a pretty important match too.
3. It only happened the one week but the lesson was learned.

It was an Alex off-the-cuff response to a situation that really angered him. He just couldn't take lack of effort and would not be messed about.

Most of his actions were off-the-cuff, thats why he was so un-predictable on the field.

There is a video on some website or other on t'internet of Murphy in the Wigan changing rooms (I presume it's Wigan, could be Leigh), threatening to put anyone on the transfer list who doesn't turn up for extra training.

So let's lynch me for that shall we? Of course don't bother bearing in mind that as a supporter of 19 years and a season ticket holder until this season I obviously don't know anything about rugby. The only reason I'm not going this season is because we have a 5-month-old baby and credit crunch plus statutory maternity pay (which is a pittance which still gets taxed) means we can't afford it. Of course I will accept your criticism and conceed that I'm not a proper fan because, of course, you go to all the games



Coincidentally, I was at Saints and the other two have been on TV

Tiz true. He also tells them that he's taking no more Doctor's notes and that one of the players is to train 3 times a week coz he's too much of a fatty. It's going quite well until the shot of a crate of ale on the physios table and one of the players knocking one back having come straight off the pitch. Not really the Wire way is it? Hang on a minute ....................

Tbh I did not pay any attention to Highams on-field behavious last season, with him not playing for us. My comment about Higham was purely because I think he's a good forward. Something I also think of Benny Westwood but that doesn't excuse the fact that he's banned for 5 matches, so out of my theoretical comments about dropping and keeping players for the next game. The penalty machine comment was borne purely out of frustration as I really want to like him as a player but find myself getting so annoyed by his constant lack of indiscipline and silly penalties which sometimes I feel cost us more in field position and points than he actually scores.

It's only an opinon, to which I'm entitled.

I have to agree here. As good as Morley is, he is way off the form of his sydney and leeds days and as captain i never see him trying to gee up his team. That said, you are guaranteed he'll put effort in.

I thought Morley was one of your triers on Friday night, ran with aggression and made plenty of yards.

Really? No seriously? Really? For the love of god put him back on the wing out the way!

As I've said on other posts - I'd have him over Readon any day.

He was but Warrington fans are fickle monsters that have weird motives. For instance with Morley they don't want him to be captain anymore so people try their hardest to believe he had a bad game to suit the bile they spout.

Last year Ben played 26 SL games and conceded 23 penalties - less than 1 per game. When you consider he probably plays more than the average number of minutes per game for a forward and his aggressive style, then in no way should he be described as a penalty machine and he certainly does not cost us more than he contributes. Probably been our most reliable player for 2 or 3 years now - until that shocking high tackle of course.

He's not found his 'Syndey Form'. Would you believe it? When he was signed, people were talking about him as a 'thug' who would spend more time suspended or injured than on the pitch.

Lets be serious, wire tinted spectacles off for a moment. Morley has had a poor start to the season (like almost every player). It may be world cup fatigue or carrying a knock etc. but his form (admittedly after only 3 games) is nowhere near last seasons or ‘NRL’ Morley. His defence and discipline looks particularly suspect IMO.

So it's bile I'm spouting? Can you honestly say that Morley's had the form he showed in the NRL or even last season yet this season? I've never once said I didn't want him to be captain, I merely said he's been lacklustre this season, which is true and I'm not the only one that thinks so.

I'm quite happy for Morley to be captain, he's an experience player and on his day can be an awesome player. He's just not shown it yet this season and I haven't seen him 'geeing' up the team much, which surely is a captain's job?