Quote ="meast"Amazing! Widnes fans have been praying for the day they hit the big time again, and to be fair to them they have been patient, but yet after only a few games back they are boycotting games because they are getting some thrashings! Makes you wonder if these fans deserve super league rugby after all! Things will get better for widnes but it will take ">time.'" This is all we hear from the club. The problem is that it could be said if we had lost every game 100-0, therefore it absolves the coaches from any possible fault. There is the distinct possibility that much of Widnes's problems are down to poor coaching and poor recruitment which again is the coaches responsibility. If you just say 'it takes time' how do you accurately judge whether anybody is doing a bad job? Most people assess the way the team are playing and compare it to previous attempts at Super League. The reality is that we have the worst points difference at this stage of any team for 15 years. We have conceded more than 30 points for 15 consecutive games when Featherstone managed to concede less at their first attempt. Although Widnes played better yesterday as well, Featherstone have at least showed that maybe the gap isn't as humongous that Widnes have been making out it is. To many Widnes fans, it seems more plausible that the unproven and failed Championship coach Denis Betts is a bigger part of the problem than simply a lack of time. One things for certain and that's that we will see. SOC is a stubborn SOB and he won't be sacking him any time soon.

Quote ="meast"Amazing! Widnes fans have been praying for the day they hit the big time again, and to be fair to them they have been patient, but yet after only a few games back they are boycotting games because they are getting some thrashings! Makes you wonder if these fans deserve super league rugby after all! Things will get better for widnes but it will take ">time.'" This is all we hear from the club. The problem is that it could be said if we had lost every game 100-0, therefore it absolves the coaches from any possible fault. There is the distinct possibility that much of Widnes's problems are down to poor coaching and poor recruitment which again is the coaches responsibility. If you just say 'it takes time' how do you accurately judge whether anybody is doing a bad job? Most people assess the way the team are playing and compare it to previous attempts at Super League. The reality is that we have the worst points difference at this stage of any team for 15 years. We have conceded more than 30 points for 15 consecutive games when Featherstone managed to concede less at their first attempt. Although Widnes played better yesterday as well, Featherstone have at least showed that maybe the gap isn't as humongous that Widnes have been making out it is. To many Widnes fans, it seems more plausible that the unproven and failed Championship coach Denis Betts is a bigger part of the problem than simply a lack of time. One things for certain and that's that we will see. SOC is a stubborn SOB and he won't be sacking him any time soon.

Quote ="wrencat1873"What did you expect ? For Widnes, anything other than the wooden spoon will represent a good first season back in the top flight. As fans, we all want our team to do well, but the reality is down to pound notes and the ability to spend up to the cap (plus, at some clubs, spouse earnings etc) Season 2 will be better and by season 3, you may have a truly competetive side. Get real and get behind your ">team.'" Would it surprise you (and these are SOC words), that we have spent £1.4m on the cap this year?

Quote ="wrencat1873"What did you expect ? For Widnes, anything other than the wooden spoon will represent a good first season back in the top flight. As fans, we all want our team to do well, but the reality is down to pound notes and the ability to spend up to the cap (plus, at some clubs, spouse earnings etc) Season 2 will be better and by season 3, you may have a truly competetive side. Get real and get behind your ">team.'" Would it surprise you (and these are SOC words), that we have spent £1.4m on the cap this year?

Quote ="Redchemic"Listen sunshine, read and most importantly understand my post before you go telling me to get real. You won't find many more behind my team than me. Seldom am I seen/heard/read slagging them or the coach off at every turn. I back the club with my hard earned cash and vocal chords the vast majority of weeks. There are only the most deluded Widnes speccies who expect us to win more games than we lose. I think we've done well to win 2 games so far but it is the manner of some of our defeats and the Bradford performance in particular that prompted me to vent my frustration. That performance would have been unacceptable from an under 8's team and if you'd have had the misfortune to not only witness but pay for the dubious pleasure, you'd have been pretty hacked off too. We've had some very dark days at Widnes over the last decade or so but the teams we sometimes have had to cobble together have by and large played to the best of their abilities. Not last week. It pains me to say the effort & commitment shown by a large percentage of our team against Bradford was nothing short of pathetic. I'll be at Saints on Friday night and most other games this season pennies & holidays ">permitting.'" We'd see how they would feel if their club had the worst points difference of any club for 15 years, regardless of their start. Put it this way, Widnes's PD at this stage is -339. Catalans in their first season were on -109 at this stage. Even Leigh from 2005 were only -241. Some Widnes fans think that whilst we only expected between 12th and 14th, we could be putting up a better fight with a more experienced coach and the club are refusing to accept this. Many Widnes fans never wanted Betts in the first place and most were gobsmacked when he was given the SL contract; now we're being asked to stick with sub-par performances in the presumption that improvement will come, when there is no reason to think that it will. A few fans did 'boycott' the game, but it's important to say that this was instead of cancelling Stronghold. When SOC brought it in he specifically said that if we felt the club aren't performing we can cancel it as a message. This was a much less harmful message.

Quote ="Redchemic"Listen sunshine, read and most importantly understand my post before you go telling me to get real. You won't find many more behind my team than me. Seldom am I seen/heard/read slagging them or the coach off at every turn. I back the club with my hard earned cash and vocal chords the vast majority of weeks. There are only the most deluded Widnes speccies who expect us to win more games than we lose. I think we've done well to win 2 games so far but it is the manner of some of our defeats and the Bradford performance in particular that prompted me to vent my frustration. That performance would have been unacceptable from an under 8's team and if you'd have had the misfortune to not only witness but pay for the dubious pleasure, you'd have been pretty hacked off too. We've had some very dark days at Widnes over the last decade or so but the teams we sometimes have had to cobble together have by and large played to the best of their abilities. Not last week. It pains me to say the effort & commitment shown by a large percentage of our team against Bradford was nothing short of pathetic. I'll be at Saints on Friday night and most other games this season pennies & holidays ">permitting.'" We'd see how they would feel if their club had the worst points difference of any club for 15 years, regardless of their start. Put it this way, Widnes's PD at this stage is -339. Catalans in their first season were on -109 at this stage. Even Leigh from 2005 were only -241. Some Widnes fans think that whilst we only expected between 12th and 14th, we could be putting up a better fight with a more experienced coach and the club are refusing to accept this. Many Widnes fans never wanted Betts in the first place and most were gobsmacked when he was given the SL contract; now we're being asked to stick with sub-par performances in the presumption that improvement will come, when there is no reason to think that it will. A few fans did 'boycott' the game, but it's important to say that this was instead of cancelling Stronghold. When SOC brought it in he specifically said that if we felt the club aren't performing we can cancel it as a message. This was a much less harmful message.

It's hard getting people to pay for watching dross. This isn't a go at Widnes the club but more a comment about how they are being coached. There just doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency, or determination to put things right. With the players Widnes have, most games should be at least competitive and defence better organised. Betts seems to have written this season off already and O'Connor appears to be backing him.



Wonder how things would have been if relegation were an issue.

Quote ="Ovavoo"It's hard getting people to pay for watching dross. This isn't a go at Widnes the club but more a comment about how they are being coached. There just doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency, or determination to put things right. With the players Widnes have, most games should be at least competitive and defence better organised. Betts seems to have written this season off already and O'Connor appears to be backing him. Wonder how things would have been if relegation were an ">issue.'" Indeed, although, on the plus side, you have time to build a stronger team.

Quote ="Ovavoo"It's hard getting people to pay for watching dross. This isn't a go at Widnes the club but more a comment about how they are being coached. There just doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency, or determination to put things right. With the players Widnes have, most games should be at least competitive and defence better organised. Betts seems to have written this season off already and O'Connor appears to be backing him. Wonder how things would have been if relegation were an ">issue.'" Indeed, although, on the plus side, you have time to build a stronger team.

Quote ="wrencat1873"Indeed, although, on the plus side, you have time to build a stronger ">team.'" If they have spent the majority of the cap money on the current squad there isn't much that time will do for them.

Quote ="wrencat1873"Indeed, although, on the plus side, you have time to build a stronger ">team.'" If they have spent the majority of the cap money on the current squad there isn't much that time will do for them.