Re: Poching : Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:15 am
Slugger McBatt wrote:
I have been critical of Poching this year. I am of the strong view that some people are just meant to be assistants, and mid-season that fitted Willie, with some dreadful performances and weird selections and strange comments before vital games (eg, performance counting more against Toulouse). However, he has done something Chester was unable to do, and that is lift us out of the rut.
When Chester was in charge, once we hit a bad run, we never got out of it. I remember when we had a similar season to this in 2019, we couldn't buy a win and performances didn't massively improve. This year, however, Willie seems to have addressed whatever shortcomings there were, brought on some good young players, and got us playing well and with confidence.
The job isn't done just yet, need either one more win or one more Toulouse loss, but he has overseen a remarkable turnaround at the right end of the season.
So, I'm up to my gills in humble pie. Excellent stuff. Well done to all.
When Chester was in charge, once we hit a bad run, we never got out of it. I remember when we had a similar season to this in 2019, we couldn't buy a win and performances didn't massively improve. This year, however, Willie seems to have addressed whatever shortcomings there were, brought on some good young players, and got us playing well and with confidence.
The job isn't done just yet, need either one more win or one more Toulouse loss, but he has overseen a remarkable turnaround at the right end of the season.
So, I'm up to my gills in humble pie. Excellent stuff. Well done to all.
You don't need to eat humble pie , you were spot on.
There is no right or wrong with this, so put you fork away.
Poching's team up until the Saints game was shocking. Even the Warrington results were nothing special considering what has transpired at the Wire since.
His signings were mixed.
His team selections baffling at times.
Tactics, seemingly non existent at times.
Sure we look great at the moment but it's all a bit late end even now may be ultimately too late, though I doubt it.
Trinity is always a roller coaster, but this year more than most and Poching has played a huge part in that. We can't just forget all that just because we've hit a purple patch.
All teams and this their coaches are ultimately judged on consistency and despite recent efforts it's far too early to say we've attained that.
I'm not being churlish, I'm truly delighted with the way we are now playing, especially the defence, some of the best I've seen. Nor do I subscribe to the idea that we are papering over the cracks, it's a bit better than that. However you go by what you see over a whole season and this season to me has been mostly disappointing, not least because it's obvious we can play but flatly refused to on far too many occasions.
Truth is we the fans have been short changed. We should actually be challenging for top six but we are not and the fault for that lays with the Coach and his players. For me only the degree of who's to blame is up for debate.
If we do this next year we will again be at a huge risk of relegation and we just can't keep riding our luck. Added to that we will also reach a critical point where the fans base shrinks beyond what is viable to keep us in SL (remembering we have no sugar daddy).
Overall I think if you want to view this season positively then you are in your rights to do so, the discovery of Murphy and Hall alone makes for that.
However if you want to view it as a disaster with a lucky last minute reprieve that is just stalling the inevitable, that for me is equally valid. It's been that kind of a year and it's one that will not gain a consensus amongst fans.
For the record, I'm still not convinced by WP. He's either a genius or very fortunate, it's too soon to tell for me.
