What happened - they could not beat Saints last week without a half back and could not beat Huddersfield tonight.

How can he get it so right for the CC final and so wrong when it really matters?

Warrington have a side good enough to trounce anyone - as well saw in the CC final - yet they have simply failed to show the last two weeks?

Maybe it was the weather and they simply cannot play in the rain?

The rain thing is rubbish. There pack was battered. Simple as

The whole team was battered

As you yourself said in your briers thread a halfback can't perform behind a beaten pack

TBF he only stuffed up in the first half and nearly pulled it back and, up to the Cudjoe try, they looked like nicking a last second equaliser.

How did Tony Smith get it wrong? He didn't.

His forward just got battered. You only have to do one thing to beat Warrington and that is win the collision then the ruck opens right up. Thats all Hudds did, they won the collision then Warringtons defence opened right up at the ruck area which allowed Hudds to get in behind and run riot


Leeds tried to do this during the CC Final but it back fired big time. We got battered in the forwards and the game plan was completely out of the window.

I can’t speak for the St Helens match because I’ve forgot about it already. However Huddersfield tonight played to the best of their abilities end of. Huddersfield are the best defensive side in the league and that showed tonight. Danny Brough also had a cracker.

It was his best game since he’s come to Huddersfield IMO.

Warrington on the other hand suppressed their attacking fare in the first half thanks to having a game plan that suited more to the weather. In the second half Warrington started to play to their ability and to the game plan that suited them and it worked - only it was too late.

In the challenge cup it was roles reverse.

That’s what went wrong IMO and the rain theory is nonsense.

I text rhinoms in the first half to say I would love Mason at Leeds. I think he would compliment what we already have. His reply is unrepeatable

It wasn't that bad and tbf i did agree that we need a prop in that kind of mould playing wise i just don't like his other habits and he makes Bailey look like an Angel.

Back to tonights game i honestly don't that Wire took the Giants that seriously ala us in CC in 06.
By the time they got around to playing their natural game or resembling anything like a gameplan it was too late even with Childs assist for the Hicks try.
I thought the Giants were outstanding 1st half and although indifferent in the 2nd they deserved to win.

And you can't repeat what I called Childs

Yeah American Football anybody!!!



Good job it wasnt against Wigan or there would have been a flood in Warrington this evening due to all the tears

I'm assuming this is a troll attempt, but i'll be the one who bites first,

Ask 30,000+ Leeds fans who went to Wembley and ask them if he got it so wrong when it mattered. Just remember how many play-off series it took Leeds to win the big prize, despite winning a challenge cup in '99.

It took 7.

But leeds were only genuine conteners for 3 of those. (98,99,03) IMO.

Winning the grand final is damned hard. What warrington will/are finding out is being able to win the CC does not suddenly mean you will magically start winning the big prize. The 2 are not mutually exclusive.

It's often much maligned but the Grand final really is the true test of champions. Nothing seperates the wheat from the chaff like this does.

Ahem..... shouldnt that be "the 2 are mutually exclusive", i.e not linked?

Can't understand it considering Tony Smith is the messiah and a tactical genius who leaves nothing to chance, particularly when it comes to taking all teams and all games seriously.

Sorry but i disagree with that, the grand final under its present format can allow a loser to be champions. Loser and champions doesn't quite work together in the same sentence.

I'm not saying that whoever wins the grand final doesn't deserve it, its just that if a team wins the grand final and loses a game along the way i don't view them as true champions in the context of the word champions.

Ask 30k Leeds fans which comp they would rather win - a resounding GF everytime - that is the premier comp in this sport in Europe.

I ask again - how did Smith get it so wrong two weeks running when it really mattered?

A champion can only champion in your eyes if they don't lose a game?

Did he get it wrong or were they beaten by better sides on the night?

I wouldn't blame Smith. Huddersfield came out with a fast hard defence and simply didn't let Warrington play and before they knew it they had lost the game. In the 2nd half ist was a good come back from the Wires but I think more to do with Huddersfield taking their foot off the gas. Momentum is so important in the modern game and if you surrender it you can lose points fast.

He had the fire power to beat Saints - who were without either first choice half back and they had home advantage against a side they beat easily three times this year.

His side failed to play to anything like their full potential in either game - whilst the players have to take some of the stick the coach has to also shoulder some of the blame?

He was heralded by the likes of Danny and Gareth as the difference at Wembley when the team performed when they don't?

Did McClennan get it wrong in the CC Final and was he just beaten and out-thought by a more tactically astute and gifted coach on the day? Or did the team just get beaten by a better side on the day?

If comments are anything to go by the team failed to play to McClennan's plan - so a bit of both McClennan should have been able to get the players to deliver and the players should have took heed of the coach's plan. The players thought they knew best - sadly a failed strategy!!

Are you saying that both Brown and Potter out thought Smith? and were more tactically astute?

Tony smith's record in playoff rugby at leeds was.

Played 10 won 4

So far at warrington

Played 2, lost 2.

In total

Played 12, won 4.

When you say that includes 2 grand final wins though, it blows them out of the water.

He's a great coach. But as has been pointed out by Rhinoms. He's not some sort of rl jedi master.

It all came off for warrington in the CC final. It all came off for hudds last night. That's sport.