No I'll stick with the game management... Part of what people are talking about is supposedly expected core skills and lack of onfield leadership but I'm presuming most people can actually see that the game plan appears to be just down to driving the ball down the middle with the flanks completely wasted ...I don't actually see anything but route one stuff and teams are getting wise even if our coaching team isn't

[quote="fez1"]I understand where you're coming from OE.

I was at that 80--0 match too and it was awful beyond words.
After that match I just felt 'nothing'. Totally numb.
For me this isn't as bad. At least I had anger yesterday.

I was there as well as the drumming we got a few days later at the same venue. On the 80-0 game I just wanted a drop goal or something to stop the nilling but they couldn't even think of doing that . It was quiet walk back to the car on that occasion.

Yesterday was different, rather than just being depressed I was really angry, we were completely gutless and inept. The excellent defence shown in early season has disappeared. I would like to see a comparative stat for opposition meters gained after initial contact. All this flapping at collars and pseudo wrestling efforts ...... get the flipping LEGS !!!!!!!.

Powell has some work to do and needs to do it quickly

Didn't we have 7 senior props in the squad at the start of the season?... if you couldn't see we were going to be predominantly route one, then you haven't been watching properly

Like I said when Mikaele left (and got told I was wrong), we needed a replacement in immediately to maintain the early season momentum - we didn't and are now, especially with pitches getting quicker, paying the inevitable price.

It’s not necessarily the dropped ball though, sometimes. While there is no excuse for dropping the ball, there is a glaringly pattern of failure for me.

We are obsessed with playing the short ball in the “block” play, where a pivot goes out the back. More often than not, we hit the lead line. While that in itself isn’t a problem, the aim of rugby league is to manipulate numbers to create space. So when you do create that space, it’s about taking those opportunities. Anyone with the recording (and resilience to relive it) go to 29:00 exactly in the game. Matautia skips across the field and gets in front of the Wigan right second row. Philbin is the lead runner going as Smith. The winger has dropped, King has come in to try and is looking to go for Dufty. A simple pass to Dufty puts him in a 4 vs 1 situation with Ratchford, Currie and Ashton outside of him. Matautia hits the short option to Philbin who is a yard off the defender and takes his eye off it.

Skip to 50:38. On the Wigan line, Matautia out the back, has a 4 vs 2. Wardle in front of him, Wrench running the lead line, Dufty out the back and winger unmarked. Matautia could walk over himself, but passes short which is knocked down.

Now, you could just say that Matautia is pants, and have done with it. But this is a pattern every week. Surely the whole ethos of this project is to get the big lads to create space for the fast lads to run into. Why are we not letting the ball go? Is this the plan, or is Matautia (not the only culprit, I would add) just simply not listening or not capable of making the pass out the back?

I still don’t think that we know what style of team we are. We see all of the arms in the air, walkie talkie smashing and eye rolls when a risky play doesn’t come off. So you’d assume that the coach isn’t pushing the “have a go if you see a chance” style. But we are nowhere near disciplined enough to defend out a game and win the arm wrestle. There is no real evidence to suggest that we’re a team that plays for field position and relies on a kick for points. It’s just a strange hybrid of them all.

This is a great spot.

It's because PM is not a half. He's nowhere near a half. We have one injured, one on loan and one in the academy (assuming Hayes isn't in either of the former states).

Powell chose PM over having these 2 halves in place. His decision and obviously has his reasons but the great post above shows that just because a guy lines up at 7, doesn't mean he's very good at it. Utility and versatility are great if you can at least perform in that position.

It's nothing to do with bringing in a replacement for him. We have an abundance of big forwards already. Something else has changed. We're not fluid enough in attack, our defense no leaves a lot to be desired. After last seasons debacle there was always going to be a response and we seen that in the first 7 games, now the cue has been put firmly back on the rack and performances that we witnessed last season have returned.

Anyone who thinks Powell is the man to lead Warrington to the next level is deluded beyond belief.

I've made a list of players currently not good enough:

Mata'utia, Minkin, Ratchford, Currie, Dufty, Philbin, Dudson.

Apart from Philbin, Mr Powell signed or gave an extension to every single one of them.

And he’s bringing in Dwyer and talking Matautia out of retirement, he also signed Holmes