Dont know if I agree with you there PT.
We were ok in patches but, getting beaten 45 - 20 is too far away from being play off standard RL.
Maybe "only" getting done by 25 points by the top team in the comp isn't shocking but, we were a distant second in a 2 horse race.
One thing really puzzled me with Chester's team selection and that was playing MCB at centre, opposite Webster ??
Surely Tupou should have played centre, with MCB outside him, which may have given us a fighting chance of defending and left us with our fastest player on the outside.

Credit has to go to Cas' defence which was excellent but, despite being 4th in the comp, we are a long way behind Cas.

We certainly missed Wood around the ruck and made too many errors to give ourselves a chance plus, a couple of dumb plays (Williams interfering on the last tackle was unforgivable).

Very poor for large parts of the game, several key players are totally off form. I think that may be our chances of a top 4 finish over now, our points difference has been killed in the 8s and I can't see where another win is coming from.

Bags of effort, of that there is no doubt but we were second best for large periods and Cas' right side attack of McMeeken, Roberts and Webster tore miller and Caton-Brown a new one, you could have driven a bus through the gaps. Why Tupou wasn't inside with MCB on the wing i'll never know. Our kicking game was dire after the first 15 minutes and Williams just doesn't work as a hooker. I hope Randall hits the ground running otherwise we could struggle as we missed Wood and it sounds like he'll miss a few. We can still get that 4th spot but we need to smarten up and play eith more consistently week in week out.

And what would 4th give us, another chance to be shown up by Cas again. Three times is more than enough for 1 season for my liking

Wouldn't it give us more money for next year?

Exactly this.
AFAIK the money is split dependant on final finishing position. I think we got nothing last year for 8th. We need to finish as high as possible. It could be an improved player contract for next season.

I thought he took the wrong option going for glory. The line had moved across nicely and he was perfectly placed to tackle Eden.

Think Huby losing the ball on the 40 metre line was just before that Cas set. That changed the momentum of the game when we had just got back to 18-16. He really has poor ball retention at times.
As said by many, the whole game revolved around Caton-Brown versus Webster.

Needless penalties on the 4th and 5th tackle killed us, some really dumb play.
But, it wasn't a bad performance all in all.

We'd have also got more money had we finished 4th in the regular season but the players didn't seem to care too much about that when they let Saints walk all over them

I think there at least two more wins yet, but that depend if Wood returns and how Randell fares.

Need to finish 4th. You should always aim to finish as high as possible.

Would be good monetary terms and also club profile.

I agree with Coco. The money could be used in an improved contract or bringing in a higher calibre of player where it is needed

Last night also showed what is needed for next year. A monstrous back row forward, and (budget allowing) a new halfback. Think if Williams was staying for another year he'd signed by now.

Still plenty to play for and no reason why we shouldn't feel confident in going back to Cas if we get in the four! Miniken? bombed a few high balls early doors but we never got a lucky bounce. Shelton got in a great tackle on Lynn when he looked likely to score. We were missing a couple of key players. An interception attempt and some poor penalties given away hurt us and we didn't deal with Webster who was top drawer. Not bagging MCB he shouldn't have been there.

Not sating we are gonna win the GF but if we play like that there is some more wins to come.

Williams giving a terrible penalty away late in the tackle count near our own line (pulling Millington's ankle) was a killer turning point.

Max kicking out on the full and they score back-to-back was another.
Finn's missed kicks also important as we could have been leading at HT.

Final score is irrelevant as we stopped playing play-off style rugby once we went 12/18 behind and lost all respect for the ball chasing the game.

Those saying we don't want to finish 4th so we don't have Cas again want their head-testing. These high pressure games are a learning curve for our team who usually have no chance at this point in the season. All this experience will make us better.

Just wanna say best of luck for the rest of the season. Been some real bad blood between Cas and Wakey fans for the last decade.

Last night you more then matched us for 55 minutes. I just think we found that extra gear and I think you guys missed wood and grix.2 key players this year whereas we were at full strength fortunately for us.

I hope you guys make the top 4 and you can, probably means winning 4/4.

Doubt we'd need 4/4. Beat Salford and Saints and that's probably enough.

To come away with 2 points was always going to be a tall order, to come away with 2 points with 2 pivotal players absent almost impossible .
When you add to the players missing and the switching around of players positions I thought we did ok. If we could have got the rub of the green on a couple of occasions and cut out a couple of stupid mistakes the result could have been closer.
With a full squad I honestly think we have nothing to fear should we be 4th, a return trip would be better all round than missing out. The club needs progression .
We have a new hooker on the horizon and along with the return of Wood and Grix I don't see a problem
Cas have had a great season their confidence and expectations are sky high . Our progressions in a good place at the moment and with a couple of improvements and a slightly stronger squad I see no reason for more stable results. Our season for a number of reasons probably 7.5 or 8 out of 10. Not much adjustments required to make it 8.5 or nine.
WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY

Agree totally with all of this especially the last para - we should aim as high as possible. Re Jowitt's kick off though - I don't think we should be too harsh. It looked to me that the ball, had it bounced, might have landed just in the field of play. The foot over the line rule penalises good kicking and is illogical and just plain bonkers imo.

The foot out rule from kick offs effectively shortens the in-goal area length by at least another metre. Having said that, it is pi55 poor to commit the offence when you have plenty of other metres available.

Daft penalties don't help. Fifita pushing, Williams holding on to an ankle for way too long. Moments like that change momentum.

I thought we played well, with vigour and effort, but just couldn't hold them when they got over their jitters. We did better than a lot of teams who've gone there. I've no complaints really. The best team won. It was their night, their party, and good luck to them.

Hopefully Leeds will do us a favour tonight.

Although we were to some extent the Architects of our own downfall, we did not have much luck either.

When Minikin knocked the kick on it bounced out into touch, but when Toupou deflected the pass it goes behind him and bounces up just perfectly for Webster to collect and dive over being an example.

Also don't know whether Finn had put his boots on the wrong feet but felt all the goals he missed were kickable and that could have given us some impetus in putting us ahead early in the 2nd half.

Agree, some of the calls could have made a little bit of difference, they may have kept us in the 2nd half a little more.
.
Yes Finn's place kicking is a strange one because he looked like he couldn't miss the game before, but that's RL for you. Against Leeds the combo of Finn & Miller really clicked and Milky really caused some doubts in their defense Against Cas it splutted alomg at times, particulalry 2nd half. PMaybe Cas were better prepared for them, but it stil doesn't account for silly unforced errors etc.
Even with the big adgusments made for Wood, Grix and Arudal being out, I thought we stood a slim chance, especially if we came with the exect same desire in all facets of the game, as we did against Leeds. Ball control,no silly penalies & the excellent compltetion record, with a decent kick at the end of each set. Although at times we did see that, we really missed the dynamissim of Wood at Hooker and they took advantage of Arundal being out. Our poor choice in playing MCB at and then BT on the wing. Which made no sense to me. MCB is one of the fastest wingers in the game, a he is not a conistant one, especially against the better teams and is often out of poition in the defenive line.


I;m Down beat yes, but not end of the world. Hopefully we'll have Woody back, plus we can see what Randall is all about and I think when we have a proper Hooker playing, it brugs out the best in the forwards as well as creating that quick distrbution for the backs to score points..

Anyway well doone Cas on the LLS. It's been quality wise one of the best series of wins and games I've seen to win the LLS.

All penalties are daft.

The only one that really irked me was Williams. It was on the fifth, the defensive line was set, there was just no need and it was so obvious.

There were two expensive players on the field last night.

Jowitt cost us a fair bit with a kick off into touch, a wasted grubber and an horrendous missed catch - however the kid tried all night, he gave his all and he scored and had a few other great moments. I can accept all that.

Williams came on for Hadley, essentially a forward to do the hooking roll and frankly was nowhere near as effective. He did nothing and as a quota player with NRL experience we needed far more from him. I'm finding his lack of impact (other than negative) in almost every game hard to defend. Maybe I expected to much but even if I hadn't he's not doing it for me. I think I'm being fair, it is after all the end of the season now.

If Randall is anywhere near ready and decent and Wood gets fit I can't see Williams playing again. Jowitt, possibly and if Grix is injured definitely.

Williams came on for Hadley, essentially a forward to do the hooking roll and frankly was nowhere near as effective. He did nothing and as a quota player with NRL experience we needed far more from him. I'm finding his lack of impact (other than negative) in almost every game hard to defend. Maybe I expected to much but even if I hadn't he's not doing it for me. I think I'm being fair, it is after all the end of the season now.

If Randall is anywhere near ready and decent and Wood gets fit I can't see Williams playing again. Jowitt, possibly and if Grix is injured definitely.'"

I thought the league position money was shared by the players so not available for player recruitment