Rugby League Super League 2010

Tough on the lad to miss the final...easy win for us v Cas
 
Ouch. And he's not getting any younger either, going to be tough for him to come back from this
 
Occupational hazard in this game isn't it and being 32 doesn't help...shame for the lad.
 
Just got back from the team send-off. The word is that Myler has been dropped from the Wire 17 for Wembley.

Big call by Tony Smith if true, and IMO it's the wrong one. Mickey Higham is one lucky sod if this very strong rumour is correct.
 
EdWeatherall said:
Surprising, I still think you'll win though.
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:nono: As good a player as he is, Monaghan is average in the halves. This isn't the game to revert to the 2008 model which as it happens failed big time.

This is the first time I've ever doubted a call of Tony Smith's but taking Monas away from 9 and leaving our best support player out of the 17 is sheer madness. I'm afraid that if it's true, then it'll backfire on us.

I'd have gone with Monas at 9, Clarke as the interchange hooker, and Higham where he deserves to be...in the stands, but what do I know? :nervous:
 
WireRed said:
:nono: As good a player as he is, Monaghan is average in the halves. This isn't the game to revert to the 2008 model which as it happens failed big time.

This is the first time I've ever doubted a call of Tony Smith's but taking Monas away from 9 and leaving our best support player out of the 17 is sheer madness. I'm afraid that if it's true, then it'll backfire on us.

I'd have gone with Monas at 9, Clarke as the interchange hooker, and Higham where he deserves to be...in the stands, but what do I know? :nervous:
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This is a real surprise if, as you say, it turns out to be true. I'd agree with your last paragraph there - I thought the match was poised at 50:50, but this would swing it in the direction of Leeds. Makes you wonder if maybe this decision (ie dropping Myler) has been done for disciplinary reasons?
 
Northstand said:
This is a real surprise if, as you say, it turns out to be true. I'd agree with your last paragraph there - I thought the match was poised at 50:50, but this would swing it in the direction of Leeds. Makes you wonder if maybe this decision (ie dropping Myler) has been done for disciplinary reasons?
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I think it's a tactical decision rather than discipline related. I think with JP missing for them, Smith fancies steaming them in the pack and Clarke/Higham give us more beef than Myler. That's all I can think of.

We've a stronger pack than them even with JP, Leeds know it and will rely on Buderus's ruck speed, Sinfield's boot, and pace in support and out wide to do us.

I'm just staggered that we've shifted the best 9 in SL to a role he's always struggled in in order to include an average, one-trick player like Higham. Sheer lunacy to make ourselves even more susceptable to the pace of the Rhinos. You don't see Saints shifting Roby, Leeds shifting Buderus, Wigan shifting Riddell etc, so why us? :confused:

I hope this despair gets rammed down my throat and we're all hailing Tony Smith as a tactical genius come Saturday night, but I can't help but feel it's a conservative pick which plays right into Leeds hands :(
 
WireRed said:
I think it's a tactical decision rather than discipline related. I think with JP missing for them, Smith fancies steaming them in the pack and Clarke/Higham give us more beef than Myler. That's all I can think of.

We've a stronger pack than them even with JP, Leeds know it and will rely on Buderus's ruck speed, Sinfield's boot, and pace in support and out wide to do us.

I'm just staggered that we've shifted the best 9 in SL to a role he's always struggled in in order to include an average, one-trick player like Higham. Sheer lunacy to make ourselves even more susceptable to the pace of the Rhinos. You don't see Saints shifting Roby, Leeds shifting Buderus, Wigan shifting Riddell etc, so why us? :confused:

I hope this despair gets rammed down my throat and we're all hailing Tony Smith as a tactical genius come Saturday night, but I can't help but feel it's a conservative pick which plays right into Leeds hands :(
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That's a good assessment actually, mate. I now have a sickening feeling you could be dead right.
 
Northstand said:
That's a good assessment actually, mate. I now have a sickening feeling you could be dead right.
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I hope I'm miles off the pace in the way I see it, but it seems so obvious that tinkering with your pivots isn't the way to go in a CC final, especially against the best in the business.

I'm hoping that it's just pure drivel or a planned leak for mind game purposes but the rumour just seems too strong to be BS :(
 
Congrats to Warrington, defence was immense today, Mathers try saves were brilliant, although wtf was Bailey doing, he should have gone low, not tried to run through Mathers....idiot

Your defensive linespeed is phenomenal at times, and you had far too much for Leeds, didn't actually think you played that well, just controlled it, shame Leeds had injuries, but to be honest, Warrington are better than Leeds at this moment
 
EdWeatherall said:
Congrats to Warrington, defence was immense today, Mathers try saves were brilliant, although wtf was Bailey doing, he should have gone low, not tried to run through Mathers....idiot

Your defensive linespeed is phenomenal at times, and you had far too much for Leeds, didn't actually think you played that well, just controlled it, shame Leeds had injuries, but to be honest, Warrington are better than Leeds at this moment
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Just writing this as I finish off a gorgeous tray of humble pie after doubting Tony Smith's judgement :D

WTF was Bailey doing trying to take Riley's head off in the last play of the game is a better question :mad: I've seen people get banged up for less than that, not that that's a new experience for that cowardly thug.

I agree that we merely controlled the game rather than being at our attacking best(scary when the scoreline was what it was) but our defence was unbelievably quick out the blocks, as you said. I thought our defensive performance at Wigan couldn't be topped but it was today.

If it wasn't for an undetected forward pass, we could have nilled them which would have been great but it wasn't be. Not that it matters though, I can't believe how much Tony Smith has turned the club around, I thought I'd never live to see the day that Wire would win a trophy after all the flops and failures over the years but boy, has he delivered :D
 
WireRed said:
Just writing this as I finish off a gorgeous tray of humble pie after doubting Tony Smith's judgement :D
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Yeah, and after giving me a scare as well!

And you're certainly spot-on about Tony Smith's influence at the club - he's transformed so many aspects of Warrington's game, ensured that mistakes are all but eradicated, and eliminated the stupid penalties we used to give away. I'm just a bit worried about him leaving if a big Aussie club, or even a club in England, comes in for him.

Brilliant weekend, though, and worth missing United's game for!
 
Northstand said:
Yeah, and after giving me a scare as well!

And you're certainly spot-on about Tony Smith's influence at the club - he's transformed so many aspects of Warrington's game, ensured that mistakes are all but eradicated, and eliminated the stupid penalties we used to give away. I'm just a bit worried about him leaving if a big Aussie club, or even a club in England, comes in for him.

Brilliant weekend, though, and worth missing United's game for!
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Have no fear for he has become an adopted Englishman and more importantly signed a contractat Wire until 2013 a few weeks ago :drool:

We may or may not go on to win the double this year but I've every belief that we'll win at least 1 SL championship during his reign here ;)
 
WireRed said:
Have no fear for he has become an adopted Englishman and more importantly signed a contractat Wire until 2013 a few weeks ago :drool:

We may or may not go on to win the double this year but I've every belief that we'll win at least 1 SL championship during his reign here ;)
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That's great news about Smith (at least it was news to me!).

The confidence the team must gain from yesterday stands us in good stead for this year's run-in, and Wire are certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with. How great it would be to see Warrington at OT. :drool:
 
I'm not sure why he'd leave Warrington either, they're clearly on the up, they and Wigan look set for a good rivalry the next few seasons, the only thing I could see if if Maguire got lured back and Wigan went for Smith, that I think is the only English team he'll leave for

Roll on the play-offs, should be really good
 
EdWeatherall said:
I'm not sure why he'd leave Warrington either, they're clearly on the up, they and Wigan look set for a good rivalry the next few seasons, the only thing I could see if if Maguire got lured back and Wigan went for Smith, that I think is the only English team he'll leave forRoll on the play-offs, should be really good
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Why would a worldy coach like Smith lower himself to coaching Wigan Athletic's lodger? There's only one sport that matters in pieland these days, and it ain't rugby league. Just ask Mr Whelan :smirk:

Listening to Tony's speech at todays parade was like Jesus addressing his disciples, that man is a genius and going nowhere anytime soon :D
 
As I say, I don't think he'll leave, but that would surely be the only one he'd move to from Warrington.
 
So, who wins tonight

Leeds or Hull, either way I think Wigan have a huge advantage in facing one of these two in the play-offs, Saints and Warrington will surely end up playing eachother twice before a possible Grand Final, as you've got to think Wigan would get their pick in club call
 
EdWeatherall said:
So, who wins tonight

Leeds or Hull, either way I think Wigan have a huge advantage in facing one of these two in the play-offs, Saints and Warrington will surely end up playing eachother twice before a possible Grand Final, as you've got to think Wigan would get their pick in club call
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Yeah, Wigan will be fancying their chances for the play-offs. The only downside is that they may be a bit "undercooked" by the time the final comes around.

On another note, it seems unfair that Saints will go into their game knowing exactly how many points they'll need to score in order to finish above Warrington.
 
Northstand said:
On another note, it seems unfair that Saints will go into their game knowing exactly how many points they'll need to score in order to finish above Warrington.
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Agreed, no real need for Wigan to be playing today as far as I can tell, should have been the Saints game on in this situation.

I see LMS has joined Saints as well
 
Northstand said:
Last Man Standing?
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Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook from Quins.

Looks like Saints and Wigan have acknowledged our superiority in the pack and recruited accordingly :smirk:

Perry and LMS will certainly take some weight off Graham's shoulders and Lima and Hoffmann will certainly improve Wigan tenfold in the forwards.

The Wire, Saints, and Wigan packs for 2011 highlight how lightweight Leeds forwards are in comparison. Peacock, Leuleuai, Bailey, and Kirke simply won't cut the mustard against those three clubs next year IMO.
 
Good win for the Rhinos at Hull, giving them a first-up match against Wigan in the play-offs. The sending off of Radford was a tad harsh, given that Bailey was flailing elbows around.

Can't see it, but come on CAS!
 
Good comeback from Leeds against the inbreds down the road....sorry ret ;)
 
jgraham said:
Wow - the ending to our game tonight was unbelievable! No script writer could have come up with that stuff. Keiron Cunningham I salute you! A true Legend in his own lifetime!!
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I'd like to thank Cunningham for giving us the chance to gain the ultimate bragging rights...sending KR to the demolition crew on the back of a long overdue defeat to Wire would be a very fitting end for the old place if I may say so :devil:

On a serious note, you'll probably beat us again by hook or by crook :rolleyes:::(
 
jgraham said:
Wow - the ending to our game tonight was unbelievable! No script writer could have come up with that stuff. Keiron Cunningham I salute you! A true Legend in his own lifetime!!
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My first reaction to watching that was to think Saints are a jammy bunch of gits! However, on reflection, I have to say they are the RL equivalent of United - last-minute winners are too commonplace to be coincidental, and are down to their incredible will-to-win and fabulous endeavour.

Have to agree about Keiron Cunningham as well - what a player.
 
That Saints-Warrington game is huge next week, I'd include the Wigan-Leeds one, but I honestly expect it to be pretty comfortable for Wigan....

I just can't see the loser of Saints-Warrington being able to win it
 
EdWeatherall said:
That Saints-Warrington game is huge next week, I'd include the Wigan-Leeds one, but I honestly expect it to be pretty comfortable for Wigan....

I just can't see the loser of Saints-Warrington being able to win it
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Why not? :confused:

I'd not be writing anyone of the two teams that lose in week 1 of the play-offs. You can't separate Leeds, Wigan, Wire, Saints, and even Huddersfield IMO. Anyone of those teams can beat each other on any given day so losing match 1 for the first 4 teams I've mentioned is by no means the end of the world.
 
I just think it will be too much of an advantage at the semi-final stage to have that week off, and then that week will still be telling at the final stage

Let's say Saints lose, could easily be Warrington, they'll have to play most likely Hull
With loser of Wigan-Leeds playing Huddersfield

And they the semis, and then they have the final, four tough knockout games in a row, I just don't see it myself
 
EdWeatherall said:
I just think it will be too much of an advantage at the semi-final stage to have that week off, and then that week will still be telling at the final stage

Let's say Saints lose, could easily be Warrington, they'll have to play most likely Hull
With loser of Wigan-Leeds playing Huddersfield

And they the semis, and then they have the final, four tough knockout games in a row, I just don't see it myself
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It's a double edged sword IMO.

Saints have reached the GF a week before Leeds in 2 of the last 3 years but it did them no good.

2 weeks off can take the edge off you and halt the momentum built up by the win that earned you that period of preparation just as much as it can freshen you up physically.

I've a feeling that all 4 teams will not be at their best this weekend as they'll all know that the key games are to follow after. None of them will show their full hand IMO.
 
We're going to struggle massively to make progress in the play offs, our 4 main half backs are all injured - pryce out for the season, Eastmond has been carrying an injury for weeks and worsened it on Saturday, Lomax looks to have strained his quad and well Wheeler has been missing for ages.

At best we'll see a 70% fit Easmond & Lomax pairing but the likely hood is we'll have to go with Scott Moore & John Wilkin in the halves. Awful luck really in such crucial positions. More annoying with us having to beat Warrington to avoid losing the last game between the two of us at KR. The odds are very much stacked against us.
 
jgraham said:
We're going to struggle massively to make progress in the play offs, our 4 main half backs are all injured - pryce out for the season, Eastmond has been carrying an injury for weeks and worsened it on Saturday, Lomax looks to have strained his quad and well Wheeler has been missing for ages.

At best we'll see a 70% fit Easmond & Lomax pairing but the likely hood is we'll have to go with Scott Moore & John Wilkin in the halves. Awful luck really in such crucial positions. More annoying with us having to beat Warrington to avoid losing the last game between the two of us at KR. The odds are very much stacked against us.
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Don't worry, you could pair Fozzard and Ray French at halfback and still manage to beat Wire :nervous:
 
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