POP!!!!!!! Did you hear that Mr Rhino ?

I think we certainly look a lot more composed, and much more bonded as a unit. I suspect the Gidley effect has brought a new level of professionalism and assurance to the team, though he was a long way from his best tonight, and we are less likely to hit the panic button or buckle under pressure as a result.

Whatever the reasons, at the moment we look like a team who refuse to contemplate defeat, and who are playing with a trust in each other that all will come good. And with a bit more guile and skill in the team in the shape of Sandow, it [iis[/i coming good. Having a kicking game helps too.

Interesting views on the pack though. I'm not sure I buy into the theory that Hill & Sims are carrying us. Hill actually looks better coming back onto the field after an intiial stint - he's becoming prone to giving away early penalties for lying on a little too much for my liking. Sims ball security looks much improved, and that was his main problem last year so he is looking like a cornerstone of the pack. The back row are the main difference for me. Their mobility, workrate and skill level elevates them above any other back three in SL and above anything we've had recently.

I also really like the look of Cox. The kind of Mark Hilton-esque raw boned blood and thunder forward that lifts the crowd and team. Yes, his style means he will make errors, but the boy is doing some damage and seizing his chance with both hands.

Sorry, very childish, but couldn't resist!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned one particular deficiency in our play that has been glaringly obvious to me. We can't seem to shift the ball with any fluency. Every single time we manage to string enough passes together to get the ball out to Penny or Lineham they are forced to stop in their tracks. We don't find any space out wide. 5 of our 24 tries have come from our wingers so far this season. That's just over 20%. Compare that to Widnes and Wigan, who have so far scored 46% and 39% through their wingers respectively. We're doing most other things right but seem to be making it hard for ourselves by failing to solve this deficiency.

Hello Phil, you'll be talking about 'your man' Tony Gigot next...

A lot of that is set moves put on by the halfbacks and backrowers who will move defenders around and create space for the centre who can either run or shift it out to the winger. We've had very little of that. We seem intent on lots of props and outside backs hard yards up the middle with good kicks to end those sets.

The results so far have papered over deficiencies in certain areas, the plan so far seems to be there or there abouts points wise in the last 20 mins and then with a more space available and our fitness coming through is to hope we can get over the line with a bit of magic

Against the better/fitter teams we will come unstuck,there still seems to be a lack of variation and structure with our attacking plays,it is more the individuals making tries at the minute rather than the team putting fast/slick moves together

I think it stems from a lack of ball players in the back line apart from the halves,Matty Russell is one dimensional,goes missing under the high ball,doesn't link into the line and is reluctant to pass the ball but does get us moving forward with kick returns passed to him or picked up off the floor

Evans & especially Atkins aren't great passers of the ball and for the most part of the season so far the wingers have been used to give the forwards a rest and doing most of the running early on in the sets

Seems to be the mantra so far and results wise it is working and defensively we have been pretty good its just not that easy on the eye at times but carry on like this and I'll take it

5 wins from 5 and the best start to a super league Fitness,Character,Composure probably a bit of everything but from individuals so far and not as a team unit

m.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sport ... /?ref=fbpg Sometimes i think i should be a coach

m.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sport ... /?ref=fbpg Sometimes i think i should be a coach

Widnes seem to have picked up a good right winger & i believe they have an excellent centre inside him which is working wonders so far.Don't know what will happen if Bridgey gets injured though.
I think what is strange about the Wire this year is that one of the best jumping wingers in the game has moved on just as we manage to get two good field kickers to provide kicks to the corners. I would like to see Ormesby given a run out & start breathing down Lineham's neck.

You can't be serious about Russell? He has been outstanding this season and is a very big part of pulling the team back into games with his metre gains and enthusiasm.

Criticism for Matty Russell? He's been one of our best players this season!

Russell plays even if it means moving him to wing, i have no issue with that and putting Gids in the fb spot.

Gids is brilliant don't get me wrong but that game against Salford shows that Sandow needs to be the one with the ball in hand on the 5th.
He really took control and his kicking game is head and shoulders above Gidleys, although i do like Gids short kicking game, he can still provide that at fb.

I am not criticising him, he has done well in getting us moving forward as I said in my post

I am just saying he is limited as a FB and is a factor as to why our wingers aren't scoring as many tries as they should be

I wouldn't mind seeing him on the wing to see what he could offer as Penny has probably been our quietest player maybe lacking the service but when he has had space to run into he doesn't seem to back himself

Tbh i think a lot of people would like us to have another Hodgson at fb a totally diferent fb to Russell as said Russell great at running it back but not as good as Hodgson at getting into the line.

We could easily do that with Gidley.

But considering we have won the first five games of the season why try and fix something that isn't broke?

I think teams that win games in the last 20 minutes are often mis-characterised as just being fitter. It's the same whenever England play Australia, and we hang in for 60 minutes before the Aussies pull away. It's not necessarily the fitness that causes this. If you consistently play the ball quicker than your opponents, whether that is because you've dominated the collision better or because you have better ball movement in attack, that's gonna materialise in the last 20 minutes when the speed of the ruck really takes its toll. Maybe you're just winning games in the last 20 minutes because you're playing the ball quicker for the full game.

That's exactly what I keep saying, but some want to constantly change and disrupt the side.

Without injuries I'd be astounded if the half backs or full back change.

I was of the same opinion until the Salford game, don't get me wrong Gidley has to be on that field.
Sandow had more kicking responsiblity v Salford and i thought the kicking game was stronger.
I'm coming round to Ratch partnering Sandow and moving Gidley to Fullback.
Sandow is head and shoulders the best kicker of a ball in that team in play.
Matt Russell still drops back as wingers do so we don't even lose the yardage in the early tackles.

Gidley then plays a role similar to how Hodgson played it but we still have the dynamism of Russell in the side.

I had similar thoughts myself at the start of the season, however Russell is causing plenty of problems on plays 3 and 4 either jumping in to dummy half, or picking up an offload in centre field. That side of his game would be lost if he was out on the wing, what we would gain of course is a better passing threat at full back, which might bring the wing men in to the game more - just depends which would benefit us more.

I think for now we carry on as we are - its working after all even if we don't seem too fluent. Maybe we could use Ratchford off the bench and spell Westerman with him, using Ratch as that third pivot for 20/30 mins a game?

I would like to see Johnson come back into the team tbh, I thought he was excellent at the back end of last season,

If I were in charge I would line up something like this;

Johnson
Russell
Evans
Ratchford
Lineham
Gidley
Sandow

Very good point, his scoots 20-30m from the opponents line have resulted in us scoring crucial tries.

No changes needed apart from Clark coming back in although it is a difficult choice between Ratchford and Dwyer for the hooker interchange. I thought Ratchford did an excellent job on Saturday, much improved from the previous week against Salford.

For me let Clark have another week to recover, replacing Dodds with Ben Evans or Joe Philbin.

Possible but he is either fit or he isn't. The Physio team won't pass him fit unless he clears certain tests.

I do think he has been missed though and bet he really wants to play against his former team.

what with it being a short term injury, is he going to need a run out in the reserves or are we just gonna throw him back in the first team?

Personally i think we're managing the situation well at the moment, if we can afford to give him a weeks extra rest, then maybe we take the opportunity, but i'm not overly keen on bringing him in cold for the demics game.