Re: Compared to last season : Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:05 pm  

wildshot wrote:

After the recent string of results I think we should look at last season for perspective, our results before the split for the 8s included:

Cas at home - lost
Warrington away - lost
Hull away - lost
Leeds at home - lost
Saints at home - lost

The only difference this year is that we lost away to Wigan whereas we won last year. We also have to play Wigan at home (which we lost last year in the normal season) so if we reverse that we are no worse off than last year.

Admittedly the fixture list hasn't been kind to us recently but you can only play what is put in front of you.

I think we are still strong contenders for the 8s and where we finish beyond that....?????

Very good post. I have been feeling a bit negative at our narrow defeats but in fact it is practically identical when you look at it like this. My only worry is that confidence will be affected by a string of defeats, however noble we were in defeat. But we should not get too down-hearted yet

Re: Compared to last season : Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:07 pm  

Miro wrote:

If only we could get the ball wide to Johnston at least twice in a game. Here we have 8 or 12 points going begging. So frustrating. Plus, Last season we had quite a few opportunist tries from Tom and BJB picking up loose ball from near our try-line but those don't seem to be as forthcoming this season. But then I blame the opposition for that.

Could just be luck or it could be that they have learned not to be too risky with us as we can score from anywhere when it breaks down

Re: Compared to last season : Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:17 pm  

PopTart wrote:

I don't get the finite reasoning on this.

We have lost 4 games against tough opposition and been close in each.
There is no evidence to say that will be the case in every game from now on.

We will have Fifita back along with Finn and Grix who are our key play makers and game managers.
The ground will be harder which suits us
We still have to play a lot of teams that will not be looking at the top 4.

For me, there is a lot of rugby to play before I decide we are not capable of making the 6 or for that matter even the 4. Sts didn't look that great half way through the season but managed to get to a drop goal away from the grand final.

^ this^

My exact thinking also

Re: Compared to last season : Mon Apr 09, 2018 10:27 pm  

it was me who posted the message last year about the opportunity for top 4 was lost- I got shouted down as usual but last year will probably be the last chance we have for a top 4 finish for a long time and we should of made it (nothing but bad play in the critical moment by certain players cost us )- clubs like ours with the money we have don't get opportunities like we had last year very often.

If we make top 8 this year we will have achieved what should be our goal every year.

Re: Compared to last season : Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:55 pm  

PopTart wrote:

I don't get the finite reasoning on this.

We have lost 4 games against tough opposition and been close in each.
There is no evidence to say that will be the case in every game from now on.

We will have Fifita back along with Finn and Grix who are our key play makers and game managers.
The ground will be harder which suits us
We still have to play a lot of teams that will not be looking at the top 4.

For me, there is a lot of rugby to play before I decide we are not capable of making the 6 or for that matter even the 4. Sts didn't look that great halfway through the season but managed to get to a drop goal away from the grand final.
When we are mathematically in the bottom 4 I'll accept it. And if we are, I'll still want Chester to be the man in charge.

Agree,
It was also a shame we couldn't have got that Widnes game played and won at home, getting us to 10 points before we played the harder teams.I know we've got to play them but at that time on a 4 game winning streak it would have been far easier and put us in a little bit better position in the League.

I think missing Fifita these games can't be stressed enough. He just tires defenses out like no other player in the team. A couple of big spells defending against him could have made the opposition's legs a lot heavier come the last 20 mins of the game, where we've let the oppo get on top. Not saying we'd have won but it would have made it far more interesting. Then add England into the mix with his long minutes & quality Prop play, plus the size of him also & things could be very different.

Even with a string of frustrating losses, it's important the team doesn't let their heads drop. Yes, we've lost but we've been the better team for large parts in most of them against the top sides, we just have to tidy a few things up, get a couple of heads back on the pitch and the results will come if we maintain the right attitude. We're going to have a chance to maybe get revenge against these teams, as well as win the games we ought to be winning and that should put us in a good place come the end of the season.

Re: Compared to last season : Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:08 am  

I think if you look it game by game against the same opponents, we really aren’t that far off at all. Last yearI don’t think we had a run against difficult teams in consecutive games like we are now.

One difference is that in all of these defeats, our biggest losing margin has only been about 10-12 points at the most,against Wigan and Warrington, and have been very much in with a chance in all games. I think this time last year we had lost to Leeds, something like 40-16 and Cas 44-24. Could hardly say we were in those games

Re: Compared to last season : Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:54 am  

PopTart wrote:

I don't get the finite reasoning on this.

I don't really know what finite reasoning is - I'm just drawing a conclusion based on evidence, and trying to be realistic; to be in the top 4 at seasons end, we need to be beating some of the teams who would otherwise occupy those positions, and we haven't been able to do that.

I just don't see it as a ref problem, or a tactics problem or a luck problem - I see it as a skill and quality problem, which is ok given our budget, but it is what it is; we're about as good as we were last season, so we'll get pretty much the same outcome at the end of the season. It's just logic.

Re: Compared to last season : Tue Apr 10, 2018 1:46 pm  

So last season at the split we sat in joint 4th on 26 points. We currently sit on 8 points, here are the games that in an ideal world you would "Expect" (I know!! no Wakefield fan should expect anything) to win:

Widnes H (Game in hand)
Salford A
Hull KR H
Hudds Magic weekend
Widnes A
Catalan H
Hudds A

Winning all these games would put us on 22 points at the round 23 split. With how we have been playing against the likes of Leeds and Cas over the past few weeks i would fancy us to hopefully pick up a few wins at home against the teams around us - We still have to play Wire, Hull FC and Wigan at home who can all be a little bit hit and miss, especially away from home. If we can turn over a few of the teams around us and go into the 8s in a similar position to last year we could still be in with a chance of that top 4 we have been talked up for. One thing is for sure, with a stronger Wigan, Wire and Saints this season it will be tough but who knows!