Please show me how we are worse each season? Apart from a bad half of one season, we have got better each season.

Here Here, not linear progression, however it is there

Thats the frustrating thing start of this season if we'd have kept Atkins what a good side we had thats progression. Millard won't have come cheap let me tell you but hes very third rate. Atkins was signed up until 2011. I agree with you Slugger we have shown progression but we have made mistakes with personal and this last half of season has been the worsed for many years not bad performances but atrocious.

Speak not of what you not know!

Its right thought aint it. He was probably slightly cheaper than Atkins but why wouldnt you pay that extra money for a player we have trained up to a high standard who know 1 else wanted then get rid of him at the completely wrong time. Atkins compared to a player who has been trained up and someone who is a third rate overseas player i dont understand it. Now look at what Ryan is doing?? Hes tearing teams apart for gods sake and Millard is doing less magic tricks than paul daniels.

atkins is doing well because the forwards are on top most ofthe time and the HALF BACKS pass him the ball running wide. for us he took more ball in like a prop just shows how a quality coach can get the best out of players. as for millard were doing the sameto him as we did with atkins, hes got quality to his game and in a good side that quality wouldcome out.

I can think of around 150,000 reasons why Ryan had to go.

You're also being very disrespectful of an international RL player who has a decent CV. IMO he will be better next year, although I am really pleased for Ryan - and yes, I do think that if you swapped the players over you would still think Ryan was 'average' and you would think Millard was 'Magic'!

I agrre, when Millard has had ball in hand he has looked lively, his try against hull is a good example of this but the fact is we dont get the ball to him in the right areas enough.

It seems I agree in general terms - i.e. that he is playing in a better side.

Hope he is better next year because it seems to me hes come over from Aus to do a jump and catch the ball over the line. As for apologising that hes third rate he is third rate he was the 3rd choice centre at Canterbury Bulldogs so thats good evidence that he is third rate.

Atkins had to move on, and I don't think it's anything to do with coaching. I just think he had reached his limit at Wakefield and needed a fresh challenge. We all stagnate sometimes, and people need fresh challenges. He has risen to his, and I'm pleased for him. As for Millard, he has shown flashes, and I suspect a new start for the players next year will see a different player.

Atkins had to go, for the money we got.
his development has suprised many, me included, and good luck to him, but it does sort of help playing with 2 skilled half backs,an in form pack, and matt king.

Atkins had to go because the tax man came knocking on Wakefield's door asking for some monies.

Atkins is a very athletic person but with no rugby brain. 1st touch of the ball on Saturday he ran it straight into touch on the 1st tackle. Can't remember him getting a pass out to his winger all game.
He gets a lot more opportunities to use his pace and strength in a team like Warrington. Don't think he's made any progress personally since he left us, he's just getting a lot more opportunities in a dominant side.

Watched Millard play in the nines, give him good ball and space and he can play a bit, we need to give him a chance before we pull him to pieces.

We haven't seen much Magic this season, but in fairness to him, I think he's badly used; we don't give him the right kind of ball and he doesn't often get the space to use the skills he has got - when he did (Hull FC) he showed what he can do. Atkins could always fall back on driving the ball in and running over people - Millard doesn't have the strength to do that, so when we're playing JK's patented five drives and a kick, can often look like a passenger.

Thats right, he's not Atkins and we can't use him like Atkins, like you say he's badly used.

IMO he's a decent player but needs "ball and space"

Milard is a hard ground player, and given space will rip it up, however it seems big Aussies are most successful here

British Centres like Atkins do not come around very of often (Senior was last of his size) in our game, interesting that Leeds wanted him as well as wire...it seems as though he has developed his game a lot a Wire and lots complained about him when he was at Belle Vue due to his lack of passing... or lack of...by his own admittance he was still learning at Belle Vue, which is due to him being a Kick and Clap forward (Flanker) in his younger days...

All I can see with Atkins is good business by the club

Atkins was good business for the club and ig great for the game. I honestly cannot see that he would of developed into such a great player at wakefield... in time when we build as a club and enter New market we will be able to offer players alot more and develop players the players we have to a truely competetive level

Surely if he was 3rd choice then that makes him 2nd rate, ie next choice behind the starting 2 centres.


And anyway as others have said Ryan, Matt Gidley, Matt King would all look poor in our side.

Makes it even more frustrating that we only give him the chance to do this about 1 in every 3 games.

I think Millard was unlucky at the Bulldogs as he was behind Josh Morris (the NRLs top try scorer that season I think) and Jamal Idris who took the comp by storm as a rookie.

I think you're right about Gidley and King et al. The way we play, the centres never get the ball early enough or in any kind of space to show what they can do. A lot of the time we used Atkins as a battering ram 10 yards from the line.

At the recent Warrington game someone in the crowd complained that we "only score from kicks" if thats the case, lets do it every chance we get!

I agree.

Our attack has not been organised or potent enought to create many chances through 'normal' attack like running angles/inside balls/creating overlaps etc so we need either a bit of broken play or a kick. We seem to have a centre who specialises in the high ball(and on this seasons evidence very little else) and we give him next to no chances to do his thing.

You don't see Wigan not kicking to Pat Rirchards......

Get to there 30 and boot it to Millard. I'd do it every play.