Saturday’s game

[Tiger53]

I blame 2 people for Saturday's performance the obvious one zak hardaker and really hurts to say this but Daryl Powell!what hardaker did 100% affected us Saturday it can't not.a integral part of our attack and defence taken out 2 days before such an occasion is going to affect any team and you could tell in our body language from kick off that our heads weren't right.right Powell,why on earth were we throwing the ball around like it was a lovely summers day in such shocking conditions?the passses and moves we produce on a dry track were never going to stick in that weather and come off as fluently without zak.it should have been boring basic tough rugby and grind out a win.perfect opportunity to start this with the half a try we turned down in the first 2 minutes.everyone knows grand final night it rains the forecast told us so all week,we should have had a plan B.it was same at salford.horrendous conditions and we throw the ball about and guess what!we lose.we have got to learn to adapt to certain conditions and reel it in and tough it out.DP could have really confused Leeds this weekend and shown a side to us we haven't all season on the biggest stage.a very disappointing end to a awesome season.

Can't say I agree with that assessment of the game. For me we lost because our pack was totally outplayed by the Leeds pack and the backs never had a chance to play much football. We made far too many basic errors, mostly when we were playing it down the middle, this is down to the players on the field not DP. In fact the only time we looked dangerous on Saturday was after the game had gone and we started to swing the ball wide ie Eden denied for Hitchcock foot in touch, Fosters try.

Still it's all about opinions and have I have said before, it's gone now let's get up for next season and go for it again.

[HuddsTigers]

You can dress it up however you want Hudds, as you always seem to do, but I dont see a single post saying that was the worst season ever. Far from it and quite the opposite.

LT, I never said people said we'd had the worst season ever, I said some of the comments made it seem/feel like that. To say the players were disinterested and lacking effort is harsh. Given how much ball we coughed up to go in at half-time at just 7-0 and to finish only 24-6 shows that the players put their backs on the line defensively for most of that game. From what I saw of that first half, there was no lack of effort - everything on that day didn't go for us.

I know that people are emotionally raw and yes, we weren't good enough, but I don't think that should alter our view of the squad for next season. This will still be the same team minus Hardaker - the rest we're losing are squad players who have been solid back-up and contributed to our success.

On my dissecting of the game, I was pointing out that in that first half we were just as good as Leeds despite the scoreline stating otherwise. And yes, I do think the conditions were a factor in our loss. Leeds retained the ball better but in dry conditions a lot of the ball we lost doesn't squirt out in the collision. And I do think that in dry weather the scoreline would have reflected the score our efforts deserved. Sadly, it's all hypothetical.

I am sure we will be back next year with the same style, lets all hope so. We need to kick on from this and go again.

Amen.

[HuddsTigers]

speaking in general here why do some people feel your breaking a commandment if you are critical of the club in any way?of course it was a great 2017 i said on here every week we were the best team in the comp by a distance ,i never thought it would end the way it did you couldnt make up the star fullback was going to be forced not to play 48 hours before the kick off ...the game powell said himself it was the worst performance of the season nuff said
learn the lessons get things that need sorting out sorted and come back stronger next season

There's nothing wrong with being critical but for me some of it seems either unfair, OTT/melodramatic. It was a bad performance and one unlike us but for the few in tone that seem to question ability/attitudes of players, I don't agree with. They just didn't get their fair share of luck and that happens in sport.

I was merely pointing out how small things could have made a huge difference on the day. Eden doesn't get the ball knocked out, we're on the scoreboard. Child sends Hitchcox's up as a try, it could have been another. There wasn't much difference between Leeds and us in that first half. They just got the luck and the bounce of the ball.

[Flat Capper]

I know Hudds rarely has a go at anything related to the club but I have watched the game again (several times) and the points he make are worth considering.

The little things help feed into momentum and with a bit more luck we may well have been far better placed come half time.

With reference to the Leeds tactics of 5 drives and a kick; the kick all comes down to where it is taken from. Because of their dominance throughout the game, Moon and (occasionally) Magwitch could put up a kick safe in the knowledge the chase would be able to put pressure on our defenders. Conversely, we were kicking from much deeper and this afforded the Leeds defence far more time to deal with the kick.

We came off second best and certainly didn't perform to the high standards we'd set ourselves but hey ho, time to move on.

[RonnieGibbs'forearm]

Given only one team can with each trophy, almost every other coach would have a similar record.
For every winner, there is one loser in a final, two losers in a semi-final and 4 losers in a quarter final.
The way the competitions are structured, there are far, far more losers than winners.
I'd be interested to see the statistics of how many coaches can match Daryl's record from 2014-2017. Two major finals, two top-four finishes and never lower than 5th.
You've also conveniently forgotten that we finished the season at the top of the league this year, so you need to add that to his successes.
I doubt anyone else would have achieved what Daryl has given the situation he inherited.

I am talking solely in terms of one off/winner takes all games.
Obviously only one team wins each comp, I am not discussing or debating that
I am highlighting the fact that the big one off games are often totally one sided and we are rarely in them unless the opposition are weaker.
Winning the league is an outstanding achievement and sign of consistency. We secured the league v Wakey but it wasn't a one off game. We knew we had other chances if we lost and eventually after a nervous first 50 mins, we came good.
In the other key games we have seemed like a different team who struggle to handle the occasion and adapt tactically to circumstance.
Wigan QF 2014 is the only major swinger for me where we battled and ground it out brilliantly. Widnes semi: we were v good against a poor side who offered little. Same v Saints in cup this year. We were white hot and they were shot for confidence amd woeful.
In league games we have blown teams away, both poor ones and good ones but in the do or die games there seems a pattern. I want this not to be the case. Is it something that needs addressing?

[classysupercas]

I blame 2 people for Saturday's performance the obvious one zak hardaker and really hurts to say this but Daryl Powell!what hardaker did 100% affected us Saturday it can't not.a integral part of our attack and defence taken out 2 days before such an occasion is going to affect any team and you could tell in our body language from kick off that our heads weren't right.right Powell,why on earth were we throwing the ball around like it was a lovely summers day in such shocking conditions?the passses and moves we produce on a dry track were never going to stick in that weather and come off as fluently without zak.it should have been boring basic tough rugby and grind out a win.perfect opportunity to start this with the half a try we turned down in the first 2 minutes.everyone knows grand final night it rains the forecast told us so all week,we should have had a plan B.it was same at salford.horrendous conditions and we throw the ball about and guess what!we lose.we have got to learn to adapt to certain conditions and reel it in and tough it out.DP could have really confused Leeds this weekend and shown a side to us we haven't all season on the biggest stage.a very disappointing end to a awesome season.

i agree mate good comments. i posted same after match under utter garbage section, but now we know like you said cas heads wasnt in it , also neither their hearts. bet they didnt sleep either, plus setting off to ground latish .

[classysupercas]

Given only one team can with each trophy, almost every other coach would have a similar record.
For every winner, there is one loser in a final, two losers in a semi-final and 4 losers in a quarter final.
The way the competitions are structured, there are far, far more losers than winners.
I'd be interested to see the statistics of how many coaches can match Daryl's record from 2014-2017. Two major finals, two top-four finishes and never lower than 5th.
You've also conveniently forgotten that we finished the season at the top of the league this year, so you need to add that to his successes.
I doubt anyone else would have achieved what Daryl has given the situation he inherited.

I am talking solely in terms of one off/winner takes all games.
Obviously only one team wins each comp, I am not discussing or debating that
I am highlighting the fact that the big one off games are often totally one sided and we are rarely in them unless the opposition are weaker.
Winning the league is an outstanding achievement and sign of consistency. We secured the league v Wakey but it wasn't a one off game. We knew we had other chances if we lost and eventually after a nervous first 50 mins, we came good.
In the other key games we have seemed like a different team who struggle to handle the occasion and adapt tactically to circumstance.
Wigan QF 2014 is the only major swinger for me where we battled and ground it out brilliantly. Widnes semi: we were v good against a poor side who offered little. Same v Saints in cup this year. We were white hot and they were shot for confidence amd woeful.
In league games we have blown teams away, both poor ones and good ones but in the do or die games there seems a pattern. I want this not to be the case. Is it something that needs addressing?

i totally agree pal

[Tamworth Tiger]

Perhaps it's just me but I thought the Saints Semi was the ultimate do or die game?
Sorry if the facts don't fit the argument

[RonnieGibbs'forearm]

Perhaps it's just me but I thought the Saints Semi was the ultimate do or die game?
Sorry if the facts don't fit the argument

Agree to a point. We won. Incredible scenes but it really felt like we froze for large parts. Defensively looked like shells of their previously selves. No argument we found a way to win and deserve credit for that.
Do you think the other examples are just coincidence then? Genuinely asking as I am concerned.

[Tamworth Tiger]

To be honest I don't buy into the theory at all.
What happened thre years ago is pretty irrelevant as there have been so many changes and in any event that team overachieved
There was no expectation that we would do as well as we did.
The fact that individual players learn from experience and improve is evidenced by 2024 first half choker Sneyd now having two Lance Todd wins.
I predicted two monthsw ago that Leeds in the final with Burrow and McGuire in their farewell game was my biggest worry and so it proved, not helped by the Hardaker bombshell and the conditions playing into Leeds hands. No excuses for those but we had no Grand Final experience either but now we do and they will play better for feeling that pain next time like Leeds have previously done.

[gateman]

This was a game is a game that is better forgotten, we know we are a better team than Leeds but on this occasion instead of one or two players who had an ok game the rest of the lads were well below what we have seen over the last season, whether it was the occasion venue or ZAK that got to them is anyone's guess , no one will know better than our players that they let their magnificent support down , lets get over it and get behind the team next season like we always do, COME ON YE FORD

[Tamworth Tiger]

Absolutely agree