Exasperated

I’m looking through the teams prior to kick off yesterday and I’m thinking Wigan are better at 1, 2 and 5, Hull are better at 3, 4 and 9. The half backs give or take – Miller and Holdsworth’s Warrington semi final performance would make them superior, I remember when Wigan signed Matty Smith people on here were raising eyebrows and saying they wouldn’t want him at Hull. Up front I wouldn’t swap any of theirs for O’Meley, Whiting or Ellis.
The difference between the two sides is mentality and professionalism. Wigan have had a few bad defeats recently with injuries and a cup final coming up but ordinarily the distance between their best performance and their worst is miniscule. Wigan just have a professionalism about them, and a mental strength, to enable them to perform week in week out for nine months of the year which means they’re always there or thereabouts when the trophies are handed out.

The difference between Hull’s best and worst performances is absolutely colossal. Look at the way we played at Warrington in the league and cup and the way we’ve played the likes of London and Wakefield this year. Look at the home and away performances against Castleford. We have a bunch of players, and I always think of Westerman when I’m saying this, who are unprofessional and not mentally right to compete at the very top of this game. They can turn in a tremendously consistent display and systematically take apart a brilliant Warrington side, but then the next week it’s “oh it’s only London Broncos” and they start throwing silly passes around and knocking on etc. That makes us dangerous on a one off basis but kills us in the league. It’s why I thought we’d win yesterday, but you can’t turn it on and off like a tap and yet again yesterday you’ve got them all throwing ridiculous passes around and knocking on. And once one of them does it, they all start doing it. We were attempting some outragous dry weather 13 pass 7 offload moves yesterday on tackle two when losing by eight points with half an hour still to play. Why is there nobody out there calming everybody down, making them complete a few sets? Concentration, professionalism, consistency.

They don’t need a coach, they need a shrink. Or a bloody good slap round the chops.

Scott Taylor would walk into any side.

That's not as far fetched as it sounds.

Leeds employed the services of a Sports Psychologist some years ago and they're far from the first sports team to benefit from it

Gutted

But still proud of what them young Hull lads and rest of the team achieved getting there. Too many errors cost us the game but I feel the effort was there, just nerves or trying too hard instead of enjoying the occasion was the problem, not a lack of effort. We have future England stars in our team and a very good young scrum half who's only had half a season to gel. With the pack we have to go with it we can still go further this season if they learn from yesterday.

Maybe when I re-watch the game later on TV I'll change my 1 word to disillusion but for now I'm looking forward to more finals that will come.

Which young Hull lads?

Luke cambell?

Deflated.

Shawl, briscoe, Crookes, Houghton, yeamon, lineham.

Disillusioned


Trying to console myself with the fact that I would have felt even worse if we had played well, been the better team and lost.
We were the poorer of two poor teams and didn't deserve a win.

I see, can I just question your definition of young Hull lads?

They play for Hull.
Beyond your comprehension?

So by that measure then, why wasn't Miller mentioned?
Or Andy Lynch?

Fuck me were getting pedantic!

EFA.

Scott Taylor?

Deflated

Oh my! You call Lynch young? He's 33 hahahha

Beyond

If Lineham and Crookes are Hull lads, it would seem anything goes.

. What's you point? I'm failing to see what your bringing to this discussion. I'm proud of the whole team no matter what happens in any one game.

El Camo is bored mate, he's not usually like this.

He wants to explain that despite playing for our youth sides Briscoe, Lineham and Crookes weren't born in Hull. Pedantic I know.

It's a fact though! I aren't a Grimsby lad because I have visited there before!

None of them are hull lads because they don't come from Hull lol

Why did you visit Grimsby?

I see now. Rovers fans. Nothing to do this weekend than revel in our defeat because they have nothing to look forward to in their teams future apart for a chairman who is actively seeking anyone to sell the club to but telling the fans he'll make sure it the best thing for the clubs future. I know I'll sell it to a criminal who does time share scams. Until the dirty money never came through. Sorry, am I starting to revel in another teams misery? I'm not feeling any better about losing the final. Are you feeling any better about having a club with a bleak future and a chairman who's only about making money at whatever means?

Back to the thread... one word on how you feel...?