Quote ="Scadge1"Our fans are great at that, we always back our team, however thinking back on it does it mean that our team always get off with such poor performances because we will simply always back them? Maybe i'm clutching at straws but it just seems like there are no consequences to any performances.'"
I heard White asking the same question on the radio last night. I don't think it's anything to do with that personally. I think you're right to mention the lack of consequence but I think it's more to do with the fact that in the main players are (in most cases overpaid) contractors who have a comfortable fixed rate for what they do. Add in the fact that at the top level it's a small pool of talent and they hold all the cards really. Wigan and Leeds have offset this by bringing their youngsters through in a club/team culture which promotes some loyalty (although many seem to leave/be leaving Wigan) but for the rest of the clubs it's just too easy for average players to get a very comfy deal at 'just another employer'.
Whether we can mimic the club culture side with our young talent in the future remains to be seen but it is our best chance of getting a group together that not only have the talent but also the desire to perform for our club. The players who played last night should be totally embarrassed and gutted with what was served up but, despite the rhetoric, I expect that many will be well over it in time to consume the first round on Monday morning (if they leave it that long). The bank balance will still be healthy unlike no doubt those of the majority of fans.
We had eight out last night but all we've done all year is defend and when that particular mode deserted us we were left looking like a helpless piece of road kill waiting for the next wheel to pass over. It will have hurt some players a lot more than others I have no doubt about that. Gentle, another highly remunerated contractor, has coached us to some good wins in two years and he clearly didn't coach us to go out and surrender like we did last night. But his stated goal of bringing our worst performance nearer to our best has categorically failed to materialise after two years of his tenure. The youth side has progressed in structure and in terms of what it has delivered to the first team but right now that is the only positive vibe that there is to cling on to. It isn't really enough.
