It was interesting that Ackers made no attempt to tackle Pratt when he could have tried to. Instead focusing on appealing for obstruction.

Speaking of Bentley, that was funny towards the back end of the 2nd half when Leeds was getting frustrated, Bentley got tackled and started to get all over-excited getting up and jumped up as though he was gonna have a go at the marker, then he saw it was Big Mike and he quietly played the ball and wandered off.

Watched the full game this aft, two players that I didn’t really take much notice of during the game (4 pints) but stood out like sore thumbs during their stints were Oli Russell and Caius Faatili. Russell was an absolute dog in defence, that lad can graft and the energy that Caius brought, albeit it was only 10 mins or so was the best period of defence in the second half. I genuinely think he will be a very impressive player Caius, he’s just got it in bucket loads. When he’s match fit he’ll cause teams a lot of bother, he reminds me of Greg Eastwood. He was very dominant in defence and carried very well, just needs to get match fit.

seems an odd thing ... But I think Russell is far more suited to dummy half... His aggression in offense and defence is outstanding and his decision making is excellent.

I quite like Russell at 9 to be honest. Looks to play quite tight around the play of the ball.



Faatili I’m sure only got 10 minutes as he’s only had a handful of sessions as he wasn’t struggling or anything. I think we will see Faatili and Vagana get more minutes this week vs kr.



With Hood out, i would just bring Smith in at 9 and run with the same 17. We do have the option of swapping in a few backs if there’s still some fatigue set in but hopefully a big effort this Thursday and it would be a dream start to go 2/2.

He’s an absolute dog that is putting the team before himself to just play. They are the players we need for sure and with him more than likely playing next week at 9 his kicking from dummy half gives us more ammunition.

Not sure Russell would like that statement

iPhone auto correct strikes again

Just watch that footage back (camera facing east stand) and have a look at McMeeken - he literally points to the gap, looks over his shoulder and backs into Ackers. I totally agree Ackers plays for it, and that’s another story, but it’s still an obstruction either way.

Can’t argue with any of that

Usain Bolt wouldn’t have got to Pratt from where Ackers was, but like you say McMeeken was stood in the defensive line and Ackers milked it like the old pro he is.

Yes

100%. No way Ackers is getting to him, but that's not the rule. McMeeken obstructs his attempt, and that's that. Ideally McMeeken would have just got out of the way and trusted Oli Pratt to get there, but that's a dream scenario. Obviously it doesn't matter in the slightest!

Corey Hall should have played Johnstone in in the second half but didn’t and was cut down short. It would have been ever so sweat to have racked up a big score on them but a win at headingley is big enough, win this Thursday too and I believe we have reason to be very hopeful

Enjoyable game - as a Wire fan.

It's interesting how DP seems to be much more comfortable at Wakey than he was at Warrington (no disrespect intended).

Sometimes appointments just don't work out and DP was one of those with us.

He did well as Cas and I'm pleased you've started off with a win.

Agree completely. It's impossible at times to predict how successful a new manager might be, whether rugby or industry. Like DP I've had successful jobs sandwiching a disaster and to this day I still can't figure out what went wrong. There's something about the "fit" with an organisation and the people in it - something you can't tell from an interview. The main thing is he seems happy, the players are happy, the club is happy and the supporters are just about ecstatic. Long may it continue. He's a good man and he deserves his success.

If you have chance it’s worth listening to recent interviews with DP on what went off at wire. Regardless, our structures under DP and Shenton have improved hugely.



I’m pretty sure Wire went on an unbeaten run of 7? With Wire before the issues started. You don’t do that if you don’t have ability as a coach. Im sure DP and Wire have moved on though and reality is there were probably fault on both parties. I’m confident Powell can get trinity to the next level with this group of players and an ambitious owner.

He went in and divided the changing room. He took on some big characters including the club captain who left because of him but not before sides had been taken and his style simply didn’t work.



Lots of big egos at Wire, and still are. I don’t think his way of man managing them worked, and as such the changes he tried to put into place were rejected. He won’t have had the same issues at our club and could create his own culture given the circumstances around his appointment. I don’t think his coaching ability has ever really been an issue I think man management sometimes has been particularly when managing high profile players/egos.

And who do you base these big egos on? I think you are a little off on that one

Cooper and King predominantly who rebelled against Powell.

The still is comment I was wondering about

King is still there. All clubs have players with big egos, they don’t have to be an issue if they are managed.



Big Dave for us had a big ego and rightly so.



Having someone in there like Burgess with his stature has his ability to manage them it’s less of an issue.



There are egos in every walk of life not just rugby and how they are managed is generally dictated if they become an issue or not.

I believe after listening to Powell at a forum, Cooper and Gaz Widdop made the changing room fairly toxic after being told they they could look for another club. I think what massively added to this was the Josh McGuire incident with Josh Charnley. What ever he said to Josh (obviously got mates at Warrington) massively divided the changing room also. Sounded like abit of a nightmare.

How did he divide the dressing room?

Players are paid to play.



All he did was set a strategy to do that, which was initially successful until some didn't want to.



I'm glad it worked out that way. Powell is exactly the right leader for our club. We needed to build a team at all levels and we had players who wanted to learn.

He's created a team without dysfunctional players.



Let's see how it works out.

That is correct Powell also said that,Wires have a board of 4 owners and it was hard to keep th all happy ,and was told by the board to have a good clean out in the team . From what I have seen at Wakefield so far since he took over, is a team that want to give 100% to the club and supporters and no players with egoes