The first one you mentioned was Ratchford, wasn't it?

I would agree. It makes sense for Dec to leave at the end of the season on a big high. We need a creative HB, one that can punch holes in a defence and that aspect of his game is lacking. Riley Dean is getting to the stage where he will need some games after a settling in period in the Reserves next year, so 4 HB's is one too many.

Yep.

my bad.... it was indeed.

There was a Ratchford kick that went out behind the line early on. Pattons was a couple of minutes before half time and it hit the corner flag so a 20m restart with 7 tackles just when you needed to get in the sheds! That was inexcusable! There was no need to get it so deep just get it in touch for a breather! If you watch closely Currie gives him a right rollocking!!

There's little difference between kicking dead and setting up a scrum. Tbh I feel taking 7 with a full defensive line against lightening backs is preferable to open width from a scrum as the scrum is in essence still a zero tackle too and in effect still 7.

Are you still drunk?

and normal service is resumed

I think the first tackle from a scrum the ref shouts "tackle one" the first tackle after a 20m restart the ref shouts "zero" so you gain 10m or so from where the ball is played if it was a scrum and an extra tackle. You can also take 25seconds to form a scrum whereas the tap restart can be taken as quick as saints can get on side.
So there is a bit of a difference.
That said I thought Patton played well in executing that game plan. The bulk of his kicks split the full back and wingers and bounced 2/3 times before they were picked up. That was really valuable for the chasers.

A kick into touch which was simple from where he kicked it would have wasted valuable seconds would have Saints pinned 10 metres from there own goal line 10 metres in from touch! As I said if you have a look you can see what Ben Currie thinks about Saints lining up on their own 20 with 7 tackles in the bag when he's pretty much out on his feet!!

Yes I agree. The point being that holding the scrum itself is like playing the ball through your legs at zero...it's away of restarting the game...plus it's also a penalty because the team against the head don't have a defence structure shape...just outside backs vs outside backs with space.
If you kick the ball dead..a favourite of Leeds for seasons until they tried to restrict the play by adding 10 yards to the restart....you will always have a full defensive line...plus if you lie out in the field of play while you get cramp attended too...you get more than a minute stop clock.

Imo...the last team you ever want to give head and feed in a scrum with a minute and seconds on the clock...is Saints. I was happy with the touch in goal call.

Do you think that Patton was aiming to kick it out of play behind the dead ball line?...and that Currie was congratulating him on doing so?

I don't often comment on this forum although I do read it regularly. I'm sick and tired of the pile on bullying on this Forum, except one or two individuals, of Dec Patton, even after a great Wembley performance by the entire team, including Patton. Indeed he was the sole halfback on Saturday for the Wire. Since Blake Austin has been injured he has been given and taken more responsibility and to my mind very effectively. Sure there are other faster, jinking halfbacks in the competition but he doesn't deserve 45 pages of armchair cynics biting like sharks tasting blood.
Oh, and by the way I am not related to Dec Patton, just someone who has supported the Wire for over 60 years, so I have seen a lot of halfbacks playing for us (and others), he should be afforded the respect like any other Warrington player.

Well said

It would be too much to ask for those who said we won't win anything with him in the half's to come on hold their hands up and admit they are wrong not only did we win the cc final with him as our half he was our only half back!!!

That followed by the kick out of the full which led to our try was poor, but then followed it two very good in the second half which eased a lot of pressure on our line. He defended well & stuck to Pricey’s game plan which is all you can ask, yes it’s frustrating as he’s a local lad you want him to improve and do well. But unfortunately, he simply doesn’t have enough talent in comparison to an Austin/Widdop/Hastings.

so you were happy with them having more tackles and starting the game 20 yards further down the pitch?

100% This.

That is part of the baggage that comes from the benefit of having a full defensive structure against a team with the potential to blow any team out on the flanks...so that is a yes...20 metre further up field with a zero tackle...
There was a period in 2011 when we were so good and team fit, like Saints now, that Tony Smith instructed us to us to kick fairly deep but to keep the ball live over kicking for touch, as our stamina would play into fold.
Our defence was so good on Saturday that it wouldn't make any difference 20 or 40 yard restart.

And I agree as well.....well done dec

I have mentioned this before about whether the fans expectation of being a local lad, and coupled with the fact that His dad was also on the Warrington Club staff was weighing him down performance wise.

Well the story about Patton and his dad Lee Westwood was put out in the Warrington Guardian the week before the final.

Coincidence that Patton ups his game in the CC final?

Not looked at the site for months. Nothing changes. Our style is too structured and does not suit Patton. Austin struggled once teams worked him out and achieved little in the games prior to his injury. Patton is a more creative player who thrives on runners and needs to be given his head. My mates reckon our pack needs some big additions to create to some real goforward. Even Briers did not shine until he was behind a great pack of forwards. Saturdays game plan was perfect with our current resources.

Oh Peakey you are so last week.

Plenty of Wigan lads play for Wigan - where the expectation is much higher - and manage to deliver. The reality is he's a player with a limited ceiling. Good enough to be a back up player in a good side, or a starter in a lower SL team. He's not a top player who would be first choice for an extended period of time in a top side, which is why the club signed Austin and Widdop and he will be their back up.

But he is the best Warrington born halfback in decades and he has won a Challenge Cup with his home town club, something all of us on this forum will have dreamed about and he's gone and done it so fair play to him, he is living the dream and nobody can take that trophy away from him.

Patton has his moments but not consistantly, he's doing a good job for us and i can't really complain. I was made up with him when we played wigan and he took the line on, fair enough it didn't work out try wise but he got through. I'd love to see him do that more, and his kicking game has definately improved. And i never knew Lee Westwood was his dad