Just got back from the game where do we start.

Was impressed with Wakey today passed the ball really well and Lino’s kicking was excellent but we were dire.

Too many changes not required.

Why get ashall -bolt as a full back then not play him. Can only assume He is deemed not good enough

Why move Leroy to the wing ? Suggests that the coach does not fancy the seniors.

The kicking from Lino was great so don’t think Gaskell would have improved us defensively.

Our tackling in the middle was dire . I think it was there third try where we could not tackle them near the half way line they made 30 yards then just barged over . I think 3 or 4 of their tries were just our forwards failing badly in goal line defence

The mistakes at the play the ball what was that about . The number of times we were setting up an attack then I looked at the PTB and all I saw was Cunningham or O’Brien shaking their heads then us handing the ball over .

Defensively we were shocking.

It was our attack however that was even worse. Apart from the ties at the end the only time I thought we looked threatening was with the Sezer break. Time after time we just passed the ball left to right without drawing a man running an angle or a runaround. Not once did we look like making the extra man. Darnell chiming into the attack looked like a player who did not know who the other players were. Not his fault as he will not have been training there but how many times does gaskell pull out in the warm up.

So many individual errors

It was dire today in a way I was not expecting. I really thought we had managed to turn a corner and were looking good for a play off spot. After today I think we can say goodbye to the top 6

If you are going to criticise team selection- at least show some knowledge of who we have in our squad. Neither seniors are currently at giants, both are out on loan- one season long at Wakefield! (And he’s injured currently) given ashall bolt has just been out on loan at wakey that could well have had a bearing on the decision not to play him at FB.
We lost not because wakey were amazingly brilliant. They were very solid, went about their business, ran the ball in hard, defensively were hard, tackled with effort and did the basics to perfection. Everything we were not.
Lino wasn’t particularly stand out - because every player in that wakey squad did their job very very well.
Watson was right that was embarrassing because it shows the poor mentality the team are still displaying- to put in the two performance we did against Saints, and compare it to what we dished up yesterday is not comparable. We weren't great against Leigh, (despite some of those who got carried away) and were poor for the second half against wire. Still a long way off. And I’m really p*ssed off we put up that performance against wakey of all teams.

Not sure I understand your post at all
Louis senior went out on loan on Thursday
If there was a doubt about Gaskell why not put it off a week
If we bought ashall - bolt as a full back and we let him go to wakey where he did ok why not play him . Just because he had been at wakey would not be a reason to not play him

The rest of your post is meaningless. “Wakey were not that good and we played poorly .” Lino’s kicking was superb the fact Lino kept putting bombs up that our fill back could not catch which Led both directly and indirectly to them scoring tries suggests that he did his job very well in addition to a well taken try where he out ran all our defence . Which is even more impressive for a fat lad with short legs It suggests that he did his job very well .
Whilst it was a bad day at the office and we did not get any luck at all the team selection did not help , there were many other things that were poor on the day , losing Jones and Yates was a blow I but to not give credit to wakey for exploiting all our weaknesses so well does them and you a disservice

If you bothered to keep abreast of the team you’d hear that Gaskell pulled up during captains run- so AFTER the loan has been agreed. Dropping a couple of bombs in of themselves didn’t lead to tries- it led to good field position which we were unable to defend. That’s were the fault lies.
Lino did his job well. As did every other wakey player. That’s all.

Two points
I was informed that
Gaskell had been suffering after a bang to the head last week. Which should have raised some doubts. The fact he pulled up during captains run just confirmed doubts that should have been there ?

Secondly in light of the fact that Darnell had signed for another club should maybe have been a suggestion that his head was not in the right place and should have raised some doubts about him being moved or even in the team.

This is the system we operate DG, players know their future lies elsewhere, yet still need to fulfil their commitments to their present club.

If we leave players out who have decided to move on the following season, most teams would have difficulty, especially without a reserve programme.

I’m not saying it doesn’t affect players, but it’s the crazy world of rugby league, the absence of Yeats, and Gaskell, and the return to form of Wakey, was probably more to do with a poor performance.

I agree with you but felt we made too many changes which affected a lot of link up play .

Thought the players put a lot of effort in but to no avail.

However Darnell is gone.

I would not play him again this season.

Play the seniors and plan for next season .

i understand your feeling on darnel (i would feel same) but looking at what your coach got from jones and hastings while still at salford and known to have signed for other clubs you might be cutting off your nose to spite your face ? not to the same level players i grant you

jeez you are a barrel of laughs. Must be a joy living with someone so constantly positive.

Firstly, Watson mentioned nothing about a bang to the head in the reasoning he gave for Gaskell not playing, try listening to what he said. or its the strangest bit of anatomy ever......
Secondly Darnell hasn't signed anything yet, and to suggest you'd leave him out for 2 players with less experience, one of whom is at another club for at least the remainder of the season and injured, and both of whom are also OOC at the end of the year so could likely be elsewhere is a bit laughable really. why would his head not be in the right place? - I suggest you don't project your own failings on others.
Sezer likely has a deal set up for Aus - would you leave him out for the rest of the season too? Gaskell? He's off, In fact a large portion of the team are OOC are you going to leave them all out?

I wish I lived in your world where everything is so simple . You also have a very good ability to mind read and interpret everything into your simplistic sound bites.

Regardless of what Watson said or did not say about the reason Gaskell pulled out please enlighten is with your knowledge as you always seem to know the inside track.

Was it a head injury issue that led to Gaskell pulling out. If not and it was a hamstring or quad or thigh injury I am happy to admit I was wrong.


In respect of Darnelll I can only go on what was being said including by his mother who in a now deleted post indicated he was going. Either way having that up in the air would more than likely effect someone. Although in your simplistic world you would adhere to the maxim “ he’s a professional and get on with it”

My view is equally as simplistic he is a good winger who is local and I would like to keep him. If we cannot then fair enough but we have had enough players leave who felt their opportunities were blocked . I believe that was the case with Dom young . If he is going then yes I would not play him and would unblock things to give someone else a chance.


In respect of other OOC players and those who are leaving I would judge each case on its merits. If we had a good half back who was blocked by sezer then yes I would be saying drop sezer and give the experience to the other player . But we don’t so their is no gain in not playing sezer. The same with Gaskell. But you already know that and you are just trying to invent things to support a point