Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 7:51 am  

Good result now I want Wakey to get there & black & white win in the final. I win at the bookies (even more if they win super league) & we will have to find another song to sing to anoy our friends across the river.

[Mild Rover]

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 8:02 am  

Credit to Hull. they've gone from clown car a couple of years ago to steamroller this. It has been a remarkable turnaround. I thought fifth or sixth would be a really good season for them - they signed well, but had lost some decent players too. One or two of their most devoted fans seemed to think they were on the brink of crisis during the off-season. Seems we dramatically underestimated them.

That other teams so often look inept when they play Hull, is credit to Hull's efficient superiority, of which I admit to being envious.

It does show what can be achieved relatively quickly, though.

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:24 am  

SirStan wrote:

The thing about hating Hull and being a sensible gambler is that I am seriously cashed up again tonight.

Win at Wembley and, sure I can't sing a song again, but I can have a weeks holiday from the proceeds. I really can't lose.

Well here's to you having the holiday of a lifetime Stan!!

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:37 am  

Thought Hull were far better team overall, Wigan were what they have been all year, good defence but awful attack. Seem to have forgotten how to send in line runners. Tomkins looks a shadow of the player that left.

Actually hoping for a Wakey win today and then a repeat of the Featherstone final of the 80s where the underdog triumphs.

Downside is Asda will be full of people in unwashed shirts for the next 3 weeks it'll be like the banjo twanging Olympics until the final.

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:04 am  

I do feel that overall on social media, the FC fans in large are struggling to cope with the fact that the majority of Rovers fans accept that FC deserved to win last night and fully expect them to break their Wembley hoodoo.

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:20 am  

Mild Rover wrote:

Credit to Hull. they've gone from clown car a couple of years ago to steamroller this. It has been a remarkable turnaround. I thought fifth or sixth would be a really good season for them - they signed well, but had lost some decent players too. One or two of their most devoted fans seemed to think they were on the brink of crisis during the off-season. Seems we dramatically underestimated them.

That other teams so often look inept when they play Hull, is credit to Hull's efficient superiority, of which I admit to being envious.

It does show what can be achieved relatively quickly, though.

I think it has surprised most of us, I'd have been over joyed with 4th and happy with 5th, never mind top and CC final.

This has been 5 or so years in the making since Pearson took over and 3 years since Radford/Tony came we got rid of McRae, massive credit to those and we had to go quite far backwards to get where we are. I really think if we get things right off the field we have the chance to be consistently in contention the next few years.

You can see why NH and Rovers are trying to follow or model.

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:20 pm  

Dave K. wrote:

I think it has surprised most of us, I'd have been over joyed with 4th and happy with 5th, never mind top and CC final.

This has been 5 or so years in the making since Pearson took over and 3 years since Radford/Tony came we got rid of McRae, massive credit to those and we had to go quite far backwards to get where we are. I really think if we get things right off the field we have the chance to be consistently in contention the next few years.

You can see why NH and Rovers are trying to follow or model.

It goes to prove that as fans we know nothing. If the majority had had their way 18 months ago Radford would have been given his marching orders and the cycle of strip and start again would have recommenced. fast forward 18 months and he'll be coach of the year barring a complete melt down and I think most would struggle to put up an argument against it if it happens.

The planets have aligned right for Hull, similar to leicester I suppose, a couple of the usual power houses have collapsed, the others are just not hitting their straps and Hull have managed to win games which a year ago they would've lost.

A lot of credit must go to Tony for assembling a squad that covers itself in most areas, I just hope that if we get through this year that we can follow suit and get RL back to the heady days of the 80's where both teams are challenging each other for trophies.

[Mild Rover]

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 2:27 pm  

Dave K. wrote:

I think it has surprised most of us, I'd have been over joyed with 4th and happy with 5th, never mind top and CC final.

This has been 5 or so years in the making since Pearson took over and 3 years since Radford/Tony came we got rid of McRae, massive credit to those and we had to go quite far backwards to get where we are. I really think if we get things right off the field we have the chance to be consistently in contention the next few years.

You can see why NH and Rovers are trying to follow or model.

IMO, the early years of Pearson's reign and Radford's first year in charge, were a learning process without much tangible progress. Which was fair enough, they were novices in terms of RL and being a head coach respectively.

I don't believe you had to go backwards to get here. Just as I don't think we had to be rubbish this year as a precursor to hopefully improving. It is best to avoid mistakes in the first place, but failing that, learning from them will do.

A team is only as strong as its weakest link. The gap between our best players and our weakest is too big - and that would be true even if we weren't suffering with injuries so badly. And we need to be able to go toe-to-toe with the top teams at least occasionally. Relying pretty much exclusively on results against other bottom half teams, is a recipe for struggle.

A good pre-season will be the first step. We're not going to recruit ourselves very far up the ladder, realistically.

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 3:35 pm  

We were out last night, so did not see the deserved Hull victory. Watched it back on record this morning, after my good lady watched the Celebrity Masterchef final on the iPlayer first. Such is her contempt for the dark side, even though she is from Devon, she truly has no shame.

Congratulations to Hull on getting to Wembley.

A measure of their progress this season is their defensive intensity and resolve and structure. Allied to a confidence to not panic and not give up on the last play without trying the better offload or expansive option, having a pivot in Marc Sneyd at the peak of his game and having the best hooker and full back in the league and the results and team performances speak for themselves.

Wigan were DIRE in attack, a story of their season to date, but were well contained by Hull's defence. St Helens in the the Super 8s top 4 are similarly useless this season.

Only Wire stand in Hull's way of an achievable treble now.

I am impressed by Hull's speed of transition and improvement since last season. Radford for a New Year knighthood.

Re: wigan v them cc semi tadulala : Sat Jul 30, 2016 3:54 pm  

Pickering Red wrote:

We were out last night, so did not see the deserved Hull victory. Watched it back on record this morning, after my good lady watched the Celebrity Masterchef final on the iPlayer first. Such is her contempt for the dark side, even though she is from Devon, she truly has no shame.

Congratulations to Hull on getting to Wembley.

A measure of their progress this season is their defensive intensity and resolve and structure. Allied to a confidence to not panic and not give up on the last play without trying the better offload or expansive option, having a pivot in Marc Sneyd at the peak of his game and having the best hooker and full back in the league and the results and team performances speak for themselves.

Wigan were DIRE in attack, a story of their season to date, but were well contained by Hull's defence. St Helens in the the Super 8s top 4 are similarly useless this season.

Only Wire stand in Hull's way of an achievable treble now.

I am impressed by Hull's speed of transition and improvement since last season. Radford for a New Year knighthood.

Come on Radford for a Knighthood Have you been on the drugs and Beer your having a