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Looking at the starting line up last night especially the pack it looked like we’d picked a big set to have a real good go. For 20 minutes we played well ran hard and ran straight, made good ground and created some space and I thought we were on top. We scored then Pauli who had a good dig last night broke through he’d miller to left and rocky with a run in to the right but he sort of stumbled and went left, we also had a few good spells in their half. The problems started round about the 20 minute period when everyone started going off. Why do we have to take players off and don’t tell me they do big minutes or their fatigued it’s an 80 minute game and you want your best players on, as for impact well if theirs a negative impact it’s a waste of time. Fafita made the break and the left was quite secure with him on although to me he’s not right but holding his hand up to play then we’re all over the shop. Chester needs to tell the pack your doing big minutes so roll your sleeves up we need you.
Also our attack as been worked out not last night but months ago, we go to the middle then are so flat it goes through one half who is running sideways to rocky who had to check his run bout 6 times last night. With the halves we’ve got we’d be better giving quick ball and playing through the pair of them and giving our fast backs some quality ball. It’s so slow coming from the prop to the half then round the back to rocky we’ve no chance also it’s easy to defend against because you know Brough and miller arnt going to run with it. Break up the play bring rocky down the middle maybe off inside balls or a little chip over and create him some space then it make space to go wide again to the other backs, mix it up.
There was no lack of effort or commitment last night we tried hard but lacked some know how and made some mistakes forcing it trying to make things happen. We’ve got some quality players but to me they are not quality walking up and down the touch line or sat on the bench and they must stay on cause we need them to. 80 minute game not 40 simple as that.

That's because there is no variation in the structure. There needs to be decoys and decent inside runners which stop Warrington's defence from sliding and forces them to jam in but we don't really have any decent movement off the ball in attack. This also shows in the amount of times we make clean breaks only for zero players to be in support of the ball carrier. Also, Pauli Pauli was excellent yesterday and we used him how he needs to be used. He caused havoc in that first half.

The effort and commiutment was there but that almost makes it more worrying for me as despite that Warrington won the game without playing anywhere near their best (imo and I think their fans will agree). I don't think the answer is to just keep the starting players on longer. Especially ones like Fifita who are playing busted. When we did the basics of running hard and straight and finding our front we got a roll on last night - for one reason or another we soon ran out of puff and Warrington egenrally outmuscled us in the wrestle and slowed the ruck down as the game went on. To concede 30 points and still think we defended well shows where we are at this moment in time. The team is playing panic rugby in attack - no structure or composure and desperate attempts at kicking from scrums and throwing daft passes that result in knock ons. The team just needs to get back to the basics of running hard and putting ina good last tackle kick (which we failed to do numerous times last night again).

Well balanced post Adam.
Good to hear that Pauli Pauli did well - being used correctly....
I think the ball retention/completed sets are the biggest worries - defending then with a team thats busted.
Agree about going back to basic rugby - although that in our current situation it should be a given really.

Are we expecting any more bodies back for next week....Tupou, Ashurst, Arundal (could play second row ?) and what happened to Fifita ???

Sounded like it was Fifita's knee.

I've no idea about Fifita's injury but I suspect it's more likely his foot. We shall see but knowing our luck this season it will probably be both chuffing knees!

Radio commentary said it was his knee.

Yeah I know but they can be unreliable, lets hope in this case they are.

Don’t call em rhubarb for nowt

In reply to adam_harrison 9, very good post, I have asked the same questions on this forum, all the replies did not agree about variation runners giving the ball handler option + creating momentary confusion to defenders. But I also raised questions about fitness & condition this maintaining fitness to carry out plays rather than tiring etc.
This again was talked down, we have not had high fitness levels for taco years, the fitness level of London on Thursday was awesome, I wish we were at that level !
Our fitness conditioning is not allowed to be questioned !! It is defended as it is !