Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:35 pm  

Ponderous, clueless and rudderless just about sums it up. Just no oomph! Plenty of endeavour but that on its own doesn't win you many matches.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:41 pm  

Not winning I can live with. More years than not we don't win the Grand Final, but this year is more serious because I've not been entertained either. That is a lot more serious because I firmly believe that it what drives fans away. I've been at many games in all three pro/semi-pro divisions this year and have yet to find a team less exciting to watch than Wigan. I was on a free ticket tonight and still felt short changed.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:45 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Not winning I can live with. More years than not we don't win the Grand Final, but this year is more serious because I've not been entertained either. That is a lot more serious because I firmly believe that it what drives fans away. I've been at many games in all three pro/semi-pro divisions this year and have yet to find a team less exciting to watch than Wigan. I was on a free ticket tonight and still felt short changed.

I thought the first half was brilliant. Really enjoyed it.

Game was on a knife edge and both teams going toe to toe.

Second half dire. Both teams played not to lose neither wanted to go for the win. One of the worst halves of rugby I’ve ever seen.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:49 pm  

jonh wrote:

I thought the first half was brilliant. Really enjoyed it.

Game was on a knife edge and both teams going toe to toe.

Second half dire. Both teams played not to lose neither wanted to go for the win. One of the worst halves of rugby I’ve ever seen.

Fair enough, I respect your opinion but I just never thought either team looked like scoring even in the first half. I felt like we were as toothless as we were all year, strong in defence and lucky that they had a hooker at halfback which meant they lacked guile too.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:54 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Fair enough, I respect your opinion but I just never thought either team looked like scoring even in the first half. I felt like we were as toothless as we were all year, strong in defence and lucky that they had a hooker at halfback which meant they lacked guile too.

I though the first half we were on top in a real battle and the second half we should have kicked on and dominated as we laid the platform.

Leeds first set in the second half set the tone for them to pick up the win.

Ran hard and with enthusiasm in the carries.


That’s when I knew we were in bother, I did expect some resistance though not just 5 drives and a kick.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:06 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Not winning I can live with. More years than not we don't win the Grand Final, but this year is more serious because I've not been entertained either. That is a lot more serious because I firmly believe that it what drives fans away. I've been at many games in all three pro/semi-pro divisions this year and have yet to find a team less exciting to watch than Wigan. I was on a free ticket tonight and still felt short changed.

I’m genuinely struggling to think of a team I’ve seen with less idea in attack than this Wigan team. If I were Lam I’d look for a new career after this season because whilst the squad isn’t perfect, it’s been an absolute embarrassment the attack and the loss of French totally found Lams lack of ideas out. I’m not sure what Lam is but he isn’t a rugby league coach. He certainly won’t get a head coaches job anywhere again but in truth I’m not sure who would employ him in any role after this spell. I could be assistant coach for the Aussie national team and any other jobs he gets must be because he’s a good lad on a night out.

Every time I hear the phrase ‘a great player doesn’t make a great manager/coach’ in any sport, I’ll have Adrian Lams face on the big screen (when the ref give the penalty for 8-0 tonight) in my mind and I will punch the nearest object. We’ll not have to worry about a great player becoming a poor coach next year because Matty Peet was cack. If he goes all Mourinho on us and becomes a great coach it’ll be happy days.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:16 pm  

jonh wrote:

I thought the first half was brilliant. Really enjoyed it.

Game was on a knife edge and both teams going toe to toe.

Second half dire. Both teams played not to lose neither wanted to go for the win. One of the worst halves of rugby I’ve ever seen.

Funnily enough my brother from Dorset rang me at half time and he thought it was a good game. I thought he was taking the urine at first but he genuinely meant it.
He’s a football fan and Fulham supporter so after a while I could see where he was coming from.

Not taking the urine Jon as I always enjoy your your posts but what specifically was “brilliant” about the scoreless incident free first half?
I know you have a coaching background so was this due to technical efficiencies from both teams?

I thought both Half’s were boring and I’ve felt a better atmosphere in the Carnegie Library at the Half Way House and that’s been closed for +20 years. A game bereft of rugby, ideas, craft, variety, intensity, get you of you off your arris moments, pace, spontaneity and the main ingredient of simple joyfulness.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:23 pm  

I watched the highlights of the U19 game against Hull KR just now (I'd seen the whole game earlier). Whatever you say about the standard of the opposition, I saw ideas, defenders being moved around, support play, some good skill (that lad Nicholson can play a bit), in other words, decent attacking rugby league, A good coach would take these youngsters on, and take them to next level, like Bellamy has done at Melbourne.Who has also, by the way, taken players previously considered mere journeymen, and found that extra 10% in them. That's what good coaches do, I guess, and Wigan need one badly.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:40 pm  

Said this before but if Hardaker's kick goes over in Grand Final 2020 then Lam likely gets a three year contract. When I really think about that I'm genuinely in two minds about which result I'd have preferred with hindsight, particularly when we know IL doesn't sack coaches.

I couldnt have put up with another two years of that - I'd simply have disengaged from the club completely until he was gone.

Re: Thank God It's Over : Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:46 pm  

I can’t be bothered to dissect that performance. It was a poor, boring showing. I’ll leave it there.

I’m glad we got beat in all honesty, relieved even. Roll on 2022.