https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/wakefield-trinity-can-be-super-league-dark-horses-reckons-zak-hardaker-1-10184875 Zac seems to think we'll have a good season better than Bozo's stab in the dark at 11th
It must have broken Bojos heart not to put us in 12th anyway. As for Hardaker, let's hope that we get some better luck with injuries and that we can mount a challenge for a play off spot. Mind you, last season was certainly a reality check, albeit with some dreadful luck with injuries.
With Trinity, we always seem to do better when there is no expectation of success- it's the hope that kills you.
It must have broken Bojos heart not to put us in 12th anyway. As for Hardaker, let's hope that we get some better luck with injuries and that we can mount a challenge for a play off spot. Mind you, last season was certainly a reality check, albeit with some dreadful luck with injuries.
With Trinity, we always seem to do better when there is no expectation of success- it's the hope that kills you.
Pundits and Bozos have very short memories and virtually no imaginations. We were riding high for the first third of the season on the back of two previously strong seasons but to som its as though that never happened. RL journos are low grade and lazy so I get it, ditto other fans from other clubs, why should they be bothered to think about a club they don't support. For both these groups, we are quite literally as good as your last game in their minds.
The attitude of some of our more negative fans stuns me, they do or at least should know the full story but they chose to ignore everything and jump to their default setting of negativity (a form of cowardice IMHO).
Sure it's not certain we will recapture our form from 2016 to mid-2019 but surely we deserve the benefit of the doubt.
The one that has me most amazed however is Salford and especially their Coaches rise to super start status with some on here. They did great and I admire them for it but the run that got them there was not much better than a couple we have had in recent years, the only difference was it came at the right time. Added to this and by default, they signed the best import SL has seen for some years, not much chance of that happening again is there!
It's a level playing field and again we look to have prepared well, which is all you can do. More depth than last year for a start and more young players with games under their belts. The only thing you can't manufacture is luck, you don't need a lot just some.
With that said Zak Hardaker is correct we are a team that has ability and depth and should be challenging - so over to CC and the players to turn potential into gold.
The problem is that this year, we are going to be in a similar position to those of the past where we have signed a good team but each year it is always a new team so they take time to gel.
We have of course retained all our top players and added to them but we have Walker, Westerman and possibly Wood who will be significant players in the starting 17. On it's own that's ok, until you also say that we have doubts over how Johnstone, Tupou, Brough, Fifita, Ashurst and Arona will all come back from injury. Add BJB, King and Crowther to that and we have quite a big task to make that a top 5 team from the kickoff.
On paper, our starting 17, and to be honest the next 5-6 are all capable of getting top 5 and above if they are at their best. Whether they can achieve their best straight away remains to be seen. I sincerely hope so. The balance to that is quite a few of the clubs around us have significant signings too, especially halfbacks. Leeds, Cas, Catalan, Warrington, Wigan, Salford, Hull KR all have changes to their half back from last year. All good players, some even great, but they'll take time to hit their stride, and we need to be on them straight away to take advantage.
The problem is that this year, we are going to be in a similar position to those of the past where we have signed a good team but each year it is always a new team so they take time to gel.
We have of course retained all our top players and added to them but we have Walker, Westerman and possibly Wood who will be significant players in the starting 17. On it's own that's ok, until you also say that we have doubts over how Johnstone, Tupou, Brough, Fifita, Ashurst and Arona will all come back from injury. Add BJB, King and Crowther to that and we have quite a big task to make that a top 5 team from the kickoff.
On paper, our starting 17, and to be honest the next 5-6 are all capable of getting top 5 and above if they are at their best. Whether they can achieve their best straight away remains to be seen. I sincerely hope so. The balance to that is quite a few of the clubs around us have significant signings too, especially halfbacks. Leeds, Cas, Catalan, Warrington, Wigan, Salford, Hull KR all have changes to their half back from last year. All good players, some even great, but they'll take time to hit their stride, and we need to be on them straight away to take advantage.
I thought that Matty A came through his first game back, pretty well on Boxing Day -small steps
I thought that Matty A came through his first game back, pretty well on Boxing Day -small steps
I thought Ashurst looked like he’d bulked up significantly. Not always a good but I suspect in this case it is. Matty has always been lean which is fine when your young, at the age he is now this is the time, worked for Ellis.
You mean the friendlies we should be binning off to avoid any more injuries..............According to some
This idea that some have that clubs don’t have injuries at the start of a season is nonsense but they won’t be told. Imagine how many injuries you’d have if we went cold into the first game of the season, far more I’d wager after game one than what we have now.
Be interesting to know what percentage of injuries are picked up in training, I suppose we should ban that too
It's a dilemma for coaches. Leeds have started with 1 friendly before with a view to starting slow and ending the season strong. It hurt them in league position but they were able to do better in playoffs as they were good enough to do it. For us we need to start like a team playing in mid-season so we'll need to take the risk on injuries I'm afraid.
Saints will be there or thereabouts as will wigan hull warrington and leeds lottery after that everybody can beat each other so home form invaluable and hopefully not the injury ravaged season for us means we can be nearer to saints than hull kr or shudds