there were some big performances out there defensively tonight... some of those players really stood up to be counted... you have to applaud that.

its just a shame that we have absolutely no attacking prowess whatsoever.... absolutely nothing.

I won't come on here and be a happy clapper, but the team were giving it everything there and Hicks was giving Castleford every single decision. I don't know why folk watch rugby hoping to hate it. It was a decent game and well matched.

Thought Jason Clark worked incredibly hard tonight. My MOM.
King, Philbin, Hill and Cooper all put in really hard shifts.
Currie was decent - great off load for the try.
Ratch was his usual self. No complaints.

Widdop was..... on the field?

Thought Danny Walker benefited from having more game time.

Charnley hacks me off still with his milking of the penalties.

The result means the jury is still out.
Another big one next Thursday.

I live in hope Widdop gets better as if not he’s stealing a living.

I saw 2 teams giving everything and both of them will take heart from it. It wasn’t an ugly game.
It looked like a stripped back game from Wire. There were some errors but by and large roughed it out, we got the win.
I have to give Cas credit as we couldn’t grind them down. They are a fitter team than I have them credit for.

Very fair assessment. Felt you had more territory and deserved the win but we were durable and stuck in the fight. Don't think any of the half backs covered themselves in glory today but it was a tough dogged game that neither side wanted to lose. Could tell the game play was to murder millington what with watts missing and it was executed well. Your pack who was so bad last week fronted up tonight.

Even if we had lost tonight i still would've applauded the effort by the players. Taking away the coach, relative spending, marquees etc they gave it a dig. Our attacking play in the last 10 needs work that clearly our three current coaches between them can't provide. It is appalling.

Tonight was the first time i have really thought this squad can be saved by a decent coach.

those players played with pride tonight.... Someone can bring the confidence out and make us a really good side again..... it might not even take that long.

There is no way on this earth that its the current coach though.... its just not... look at us with the ball....we are probably the worst team in the league attacking wise..... We are deffo in the bottom 3.....and have been for half of last season as well.

its just a flat line of people looking confused.

I saw a team that wanted to win tonight, they defended well even though the attack was lacklustre. It’s progress.

If Price can turn things around, I’m willing to change my opinion. But one scrappy win isn’t enough for that. Turning things around for me means competing for the big prize he was hired to win.

We were in a similar position results wise in 2018 and ended up going to the CC and GF. We now have a supposedly much more capable team than we had then but the point stands. It isn't too much of a stretch to turn this good.

It’s not too much of a stretch. But it’s a high bar Price has to reach. Let’s say he makes it through the season and makes the final, but we lose again. He still goes for me -an appearance isn’t enough.

Showed some pride in the shirt tonight to overcome a good Cas side.


Two points separating 6 teams tonight.
Two points off top slot.
I’m looking for two wins from the next three, take it from there.

Attendance 9,228 get Cas didn’t bring that many but I think it reflects our recent performances

Top game tonight. Enjoyed every minute. A great game for the neutral! Wire deserved the win but could quite easily have lost. 3 SL games tonight with the biggest winning margin 2 points! There’s nothing between the teams in the SL currently and Widdop and Austin will shine I assure you! Wind yer necks in guys! Warrington will be there or there abouts in the mix up

I think there are two ways of looking at that game. On the one hand, you could view it in isolation and say that it was a compelling contest between two evenly-matched sides with a good attitude, high quality in terms of completion rate, and it came down to a nail-biting last five minutes, with Wire snatching the win in thrilling fashion. If it had been a game at Wilderspool in the Boyd-Tamati-Jackson era, we would probably look back on it fondly as a blood-and-thunder classic. However, the problem comes when you view the game in context rather than in isolation. Six games into the season and that's the fourth time we have failed to score more than 10 points. Our attack has been so bad, we have seemingly decided to just abandon it, or "strip things right back" as Steve Price and Blake Austin put it. We won the game by winning what has come to be known as 'the arm wrestle'. Unfortunately, people pay to watch rugby league, not arm wrestling, and an attendance of just over 9,000 is a concern. Austin says that our attack will come naturally if we are patient, but in the stands, patience is wearing pretty thin.

Fair points, reasonably made. But if we had lost 36-42 with both sides trading 80m screamers, Wires71 et al would be on saying 'I'd rather be a champion than an entertainer'. So not for the first time I ask: which is it to be?

I see you’re point here for me I’d like to see ya throw the ball from
Side to side with dummy runners and actually look like we’re putting on a set play, we’ve got two second rowers that can take defenders attention with the right lines (as BMM proved against saints) this 5 drives and a kick is awful to watch and a champion team wouldn’t only score 1 try in 160 minutes of rugby league.

After reading all views on our victory against cas one thing as gone unnoticed.. Where's our friends from sintellins gone have they been banned...just asking

Fine margins. We could have so easily lost that game even though I thought we were slightly the better side. This forum would have exploded.

As expected our half backs have copped a bit of flack for not creating too much. I think we need to get used to the fact that in games like last night it ain't easy to create. Cas created even less. They have creative players but we didn't see much of 'em.

I did notice Austin running at the opposition more in the second half ... which was good to see. Austin has had a couple of lengthy interviews on TV in recent days. I am absolutely certain he is aware of our deficiencies and also of his lack of form.

Talking of interviews, Tom Lineham, made me chuckle ... refreshingly barmy.

Yes - there were flashes from Austin.
Shame there was virtually nothing from Widdop that I can recall.

I've just been reading the Casleford forum and its amusing how they all follow a similar template. Prior to the game theres a confidence plus a degree of respect for the opposition. During the game theres the usual complaints about the referee and the Warrington cheating. Their try should have been an 8 pointer, ours should have been called back for a forward pass. Finally, after the game theres tips and advice for the coaching staff, a review of the players who are not good enough and of course further criticism of the referee. Wonderful.

I hoped for an Alamoesque fight to the death and got it. That was my priority and that was delivered by the team.
There were deficiencies in our game, our attack isn't flowing, then there's Brand and Charnley shooting out of the line as if not being able to trust, or rely on each other.
Toby King was outstanding, and Walker had a great game.
A win, albeit an ugly one, was what was required in the circumstances.

An emotional roller coaster of a game. Huge relief at the win and appreciation of the gutsy effort and determination from both sides. Frustration a the woeful lack of attacking ideas with arguably the most creative spine in the league. Five drives and a kick and hope has its place but sometime you just wish somebody would take the shackles off and release the creativity which I am sure is hidden in there somewhere.

Last night, and Wire in general, are such a difficult thing to assess.

In an ideal world, we want to see champagne rugby, hopefully ending in a Wire win - last night's game was as far from champagne rugby as you could possibly find.

It was a very hard watch. 2 sides who were lacking any quality, but who both were determined not to be outdone by the other. Made for very attritional stuff.

Realistically though, how are we ever going to produce this champagne RL when it's apparent we don't have the players to do so? - our threequarter line is one of the worst I have ever seen in my time watching Wire.. the wingers are just 10 yard finishers, combined with the tedious runs from the play the ball, when coming away from our own line. Our centres are, in an attacking sense, almost non existent.

Throw in half backs who are either not interested in showing a bit of flair, or are not interested full stop, and a full back, who while probably one of our best players, isn't made for champagne rugby anymore through a simple lack of pace and you begin to realise that even the best coach in the world might struggle to get a spark from this squad.

Ultimately, I think Price is only comfortable playing a game like last night's. Asking him to suddenly change style, especially with this squad at his disposable, is a task that probably frightens him to death.

Maybe, and it's sad to say, RL isn't the game to be watching anymore if you want edge of the seat entertainment - players simply aren't programmed anymore for flamboyant rugby. It's all arm wrestles and dour wearing of each other down.

I hate to say it, but if the RL we got last night is our only way of being successful- and i honestly think it is with this squad of players- then I'll be giving it a miss and wishing them well from armchair.

I agree that champagne rugby way be a forlorn hope at the moment as witnessed during the early Tony Smith years but I still think we are capable of a more expansive style of play. We need a Martin Gleeson type in the centres for sure but I think most of the pieces are there to facilitate a more entertaining watch. As you suggest, what we are seeing is possibly the coaches preferred style.