Getting away from the usual hysteria of claims of this is where we are standard wise (whatever means) & are in for a Top 8 dogfight, not sure how you can be after 6 games but anyway.Wire after the 100 of thousands they've pumped in with players was obviously always going to improve to some extent, so losing to them isn't the end of the world. We've just got to learn our own lessons from it.
The facts are in both recent away matches we were in in it to win & also while playing away from home to boot, against Wigan and Wire, not exavctly mugs.
Tonight we played well in patches nut didn't start well at all, which for me when we're away from home is so beneficial. We did well to get back into the game towards the end of the 1st half and obviously went in with a lead and all was looking quite well. But Wire came out strong and fired up and it's almost like we weren't quite ready for that at all and went all soft in defence for a bit, which is rare for us this season. Yeah, we could have won had a few passes been caught and few penalties not given buy it is what is, wire over the 80 outplayed us
I know that our first couple of games were riddled with penalties but we'd had generally tided that up to some extent the last 3 games but again we just didn't play the ref, we know what he's gonna be like but we never to it with Childs. Some calls were very harsh imo & some we were stupid. We also weren't completing our sets like we know we can which is a killer.
This bit is more about how we've played so far this season.
ATEOTD We've got two great wingers who can go in by the speed route at the corners, or if we kick correctly they'll contest the ball. A centre in Tupou who is one of the best in the league IMO and between Randall, Finn,& Millar they have got to be creating more in the opponents 20, more than we do anyway and have got to start playing a bit more heads up rugby like we know Miller can do. when he takes on the line and has people going with him, he can cause havoc.
Yes I know we scored 24 away from home but for me, in an oppos 20, the set moves that they should know like the back of their hands with dummy runners, potential runners, also using the big men near the try line as dummies and then switching the attack once or twice during a set. Then the backs and the second row can get on the end of passes by the pivots with also Grix coming in, otherwise, we become oo predictable with the kick to the corner so much.
Today we were able to steer the ship right after the dodgy start and went in leading but to then let them score some easy tries in the 2nd half was really disappointing and that's not what not we're about anymore, That's obviously something that was the biggest let down and I'd bet CC would agree. We are generally quicker all over the pitch and the one thing we do is fight for each other and I didn't see that at times tonight. Usually apart from the odd brain fart teams usually after really earn their points against us.
Also even though Arona came back in, Losing/ not playing Fifita was a big miss as he's the only guy in the side who's making decent meters atm and busting plenty of tackles, something we're not getting from the other Props atm. He also absolutely knackers defences out with the minutes he can play.
For me, we've got to be looking at 3 from 3 at least out of our next six.
Even with the previous wins we just haven't put an 80-minute performance in yet but looking on the positive side, there's one dying to get out.
If we go on to win our next two games CC will look like he was a man with a plan.
People have mentioned the kicking and tbh as much as I love Finny, his place kicking has just been completely inconsistent this year, even before this game he was kicking at just over 50% from memory.
Obviously, has been said before you don't want to be playing your best rugby yet and that was still only our 6th game but saying that you want to see team spirit, determination and the will to fight to stop every point, as well as a gradual improvement. We saw that against Wigan first half, even this game if you discount the start but we've got to sort out or second halves. IMO we're just showing glimpses of what we were doing last year, it's nowhere near as polished & consistent as we need to be.
Anyway we lost at their place lwst year when they were far worse, so the omens are good.
