Are we though? IMO one of our best performances was Catalans away in the 2nd round. 3 out of our last 4 performances have been woeful. That doesn't indicate to me we are getting better, neither does the fact that we still don't do the basics right and continue to offer nothing in attack.

I think one of the big issues is the instability of the squad.



To have a successful team, playing as a team, week-in week-out, is very important. In the 20 games to press how often have we fielded the same starting line-up 2 weeks in succession? It's been in the critical pivot positions too.



It would be interesting to know how many players have played in each position during this season. Fullbacks: Blaymire, Tony, Murphy? Hyde? Vievers...did Griffin play there once?



Getting any level of expansive rugby is difficult if you're not building communication and understanding with your team-mates.

Based on starting line ups:



[code+---------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| Position | Players |

+---------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| Fullback | Aaron Murphy, Josh Veivers, Matt Blaymire, Motu Tony |

| Winger | Dale Morton, Greg Johnson, Josh Griffin, Josh Veivers, Kevin Penny, Luke George |

| Centre | Aaron Murphy, Chris Dean, Josh Griffin, Luke George |

| Stand Off | Ben Jeffries, Gareth Moore, Jeremy Smith, Kieran Hyde, Tommy Lee |

| Scrumhalf | Jeremy Smith, Matthew Wildie, Sam Obst, Tommy Lee |

| Prop | Kyle Amor, Michael Korkidas, Paul Johnson, Paul King |

| Hooker | James Davey, Julien Rinaldi, Matthew Wildie |

| Second Row | Dale Ferguson, Frankie Mariano, Glenn Morrison, Kevin Henderson, Paul Johnson, Tyrone McCarthy |

| Loose Forward | Glenn Morrison, Stuart Howarth, Tommy Lee, Tyrone McCarthy |

+---------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[/code

hyde's played FB this year

Thanks for that

Shows how unsettled our squad is

Well Kyle Briggs and luke Gayle looked better than anything we have had at half back all season and the former only arrived on loan this week.

Amazing these threads start after a loss. There as been glimpses this season that our lads can play good rugby. Kear is still the right man. Come next season when we are still in Super LEague Mr Glover will give KEar some spending money and see where we are then.

If and its a big if we are still in SL next year, then there is no way I would let Kear loose with the full salary cap. No point paying 1.65m for better players to play 5 drives and a kick.



Kear has been the right man in the past, but is no longer. I admit the squad we have isn't the best, but he still picks the team, coaches it and decides what positions they play. You have to admit that there have been some baffling team selections and positional choices. Weird tactical decisions and little improvement in our attacking game or how we do the basics. All issues where the coaching team are ultimately responsible.

A more structured game isn't another word for 5 drives and a kick.

The squad we've got and the relative inexperience and everything that goes with that, like confidence, imo JK gets them to keep it tight and to get themselves into the game, which is no bad thing but as we've seen they have found doing the basics difficult in some games and when a team gets on top of them, they've gone to pieces.

Your question is obviously no because our own academy players, play a more expansive, entertaining rugby and at times this season, this team has played that way, when they have earned the right.

Saying all this, I think if we stay in SL, it's time for a change and to bring some new coaching blood in, who I don't know but I think it will be time for a fresh start.

Why is it a big IF . WE ARE THE MIGHTY TRIN !!!! With a no worse application than celtic, kr, cas etc. HAVE THE FAITH.

Edited for accuracy

If the process was fair then we would have nothing to worry about, but we all know that the three clubs we definitely have a better application then are safe based on their geographical location and the RFL's misguided view that they are going to be able to make a success of their expansion plans, despite all evidence to date pointing to the contrary.

I said before the start of the season that because of our player recruitment for this season Kear would be the man for us, not because of his coaching techniques but because of his man management skills and that has been the case so far, I would like to know in your opinion what a simplified game is and what keeping it tight really means not to mention going back to basics,

as far as I am concerned we have lost games simply because our defence was so poor it would be laughable if it was another club, add that to the fact that we are clueless in attack and it all comes back to the same thing tactics, most teams lose the ball its what you do with it when you have it, and fwiw as somebody what watches the academy play, yes they do play expansive and entertaining rugby, that's what the coach Mr Drury lets them do unlike when they are drafted into the first team and told not to get in the way.

You, my friend have in the last five words have summed Wakefield Trinity up.

Sums it up perfectly. Nobody can argue what JK has done for this club in the past both on and off the pitch, from saving us from both relegation and getting us into the play offs, and not to mention the respectability he has brought to the club throughout, including all the dealings with the old regime and the embarassment caused in the High Court to this proud club and its fans. Unfortunately everything runs its course and for me its time JK walked away from the club with his head held high as he has served the club with such distinction, and imo its a shame the old board could not see past getting a couple of bob from the Catalan Dragons and said to him go on John go over there and fill your boots you deserve it for what you have done.

Having started the year on the back-foot, and with all the restrictions we have faced in terms of recruitment, then I reckon we have come a long way.



Having said that, not all of our recruitment this year has been spot on, and in particular I reckon the signing and then subsequent retention of McCarthy was a complete waste of time and money and, had the reaction not been so cool from the fans I fear we would have had Semi back at the club by now (just an assumption).



But, here's the rub, given all the struggles we have had to get to this point, I suddenly find myself frustrated that, IMO, the squad we have could be used so much better, both in team selection and tactically, and that I honestly believe that we are now capable of, and have the tools required (no pun intended) to do a far, far better job of both playing winning rugby and entertaining us, the fans.



For whatever reason, be it fitness, percieved lack of skill, or just plain tactics, it seems to me that the players appear frustrated at the lack of opportunity to play - why we even have some pace in the squad now, and still don't appear to have the opportunity to use it!



The lack of dummy runners is now getting to stupid proportions, without players making themselves available to the man in posession, then we must be the simplest team to defend against in SL. Now whether that is the guys playing to orders, or not playing to orders, I don't really know - although I know how it appears to me!



Tactically - we also stick rigidly to the left side / right side approach for our half-backs. On Saturday we did not see that from Quins, but rather we saw 2 half-backs operating together with the freedom to flex and move around to suit the move. This was an issue with Rooney and with Jefferies and again, with my novice eyes, it appears to me to make defending against us that much easier to plan for.



Final point - team selection. We all made the error of thinking Smith had turned the corner against Huddersfield - and that backfired massively on Saturday. Morton also found himself out of his depth in this game, but then he wasn't the only player under-cooked for the match. My point? Well I seriously think that we have made too many selection errors and have picked the wrong players in the wrong positions too many times - the result of which leads me to believe that we COULD have won more games than we have and it's time we collectively stopped looking at all the external factors and concentrated on what is best for us as a club now and for the future.



My team currently would be:



Tony

Johnson

Murphy

George

Griffin

Hyde

Moore

Korki

Rinaldi

Amor

Mariano

Johnson

Morrison



Hendo

Higgins

Hickey

Davey or Wildie



Howarth would squeeze in it fit. Dean needs to work on his defence. Smith - release. Walshaw and Annakin must see first team action this seaon as well!



That team is capable of beating most sides in the bottom half of SL - and that is who we are up against - but they need to play rugby and be allowed to play with a smile on their faces and put a smile on ours too!



All just IMO of course!

No I am sure it is the opinion of others as well - well certainly me for one.



I probably come across as a JK and Sanctuary bagger, but its not personal to them, if we had a different coaching team and played like we are, appeared to lack the right conditioning for RL, I would say the same.



Must admit though I hadn't thought about how frustrated the players probably are with the tactics. Im sure someone said that Kear had a run in last season with senior players over tactics and TBF it wouldn't surprise me.

Kear does the best with the limited resources he has in my opinion. We have the worst squad on paper in the league yet weve beaten some decent sides.



The quality of rugby is poor and i do find our style of play tedious. Kear is trying to polish a turd to some extent tho.

That is how I see it.

I still think John Kear is the best coach for Wakefield Trinity. Nobody expected anything from this team at the start of the season, but after a few good wins we've all raised our expectations. But the reality, for me, is that the players have over achieved this season and the reason for that is John Kear. I think he should be applauded for the success we have had this season. If we go down next year I'd love him to stay and build the club back up, but equally, if we are still in Super League I'd still want him in charge and would trust him with the full salary cap.