I've completely had enough of Tony Smith. He baffles me.
I don't give care even if we do the treble. He can go for me.

Smith Should have walked after last seasons Grand Final.I understand teams win and lose games,its his lame excuses he trots out in every interview,time and time again. As for this season it will be repeat of last season, ending in failure in which alot wire seem happy with.The mentality of some fans is oh well we made two finals we're happy with that,thats a loosers way of thinking.And it seems the club has that way of thinking as well. Its small club syndrome.

Smith also needs binning for his player requirement hes signing over last few seasons is poor,and to hand Atkins another deal is criminal. Yes our pack looks strong but our backs are average at best. If Ratchford isnt our first choice centre along T King then we sell Ratchford.He's been at the club too long to have not nailed down a first team spot.

I think therein lies the problem, Smith seems determined to have a team of utility players. He persists with Ratchford at full back when he isn't one then last year brings Gidley over to wear the number one jersey then plays him in the halves. He even swapped the wingers to opposite sides yesterday for some unknown reason.
Since the heady days of a threequarter line of Hicks, King,Atkins & AN Other with Briers & M Monaghan in the halves the team,under the stewardship of this coach,have gone backwards at a rate of knots.This is a club that is supposed to have a great reserve & academy set up to supply future players & avoid the need for buying imports.

Have you guys forgot that you support Warrington?
Reaching finals is a massive achievement for a club of your stature, I think Smith has done well in his time as coach.

Was having a fb conversation yesterday....and the question came up
"When was the last time Warrington signed an out and out centre?"

I'll leave that for your theories.

Well that would be Martin Gleeson who was moved on for extra curricular activities. I do believe though that his successor, Chris Bridge, was a much better centre even though he came to us as a halfback. Joel benefitted greatly from his partnership with Bridge imo.

How do you like the new sports car? I think we showed the same problems at last year.

I understand the need for 'cover' in as many positions as possible as players do get injured but some positions are pivotal and need top notch incumbents, these being halfbacks, fullbacks and at least one centre. We do not have really have any specialist in two of these positions and it shows. A stated previously when we had players in these positions we were an imposing threat in attack, now tepid at best

Hopes: Jack Johnson becomes a world class fullback, Dec Patton becomes a top half back and we put Stef in the centre

Was Matt King bought as centre? Or winger? Anyway it's all the same to Smith.

What about Steve McNamara?

He is getting NRL experience at the Roosters and now NZ Warriors and England were quite competitive when he was England coach, if it hadn't been for a last minute try would have got to the World Cup final.

Yes I think your right. That was our thought.
King and Atkins were both wingers with centre game time.
Martin Gleeson was the last out and out.
2005?

Atkins has never played on the wing. At Wakefield or Bradford. King was a centre when he came to Warrington. www.rugbyleagueproject.org/playe ... mmary.html

Atkins has never played on the wing. At Wakefield or Bradford. King was a centre when he came to Warrington. www.rugbyleagueproject.org/playe ... mmary.html

Ever since he said 'the performance is more important than the result, every time', I've had my doubts about him. That's the sort of thing coaches of little kids' teams (rightly, in their situation) say. If he doesn't get that he's in a results-driven environment, it's a bit strange. I think he's got a bit too comfortable at Warrington.

I do get the feeling we are trying to make a second-row forward out of every position on the pitch. Not just at Warrington but at most clubs.

I'm beginning to wonder if the Australian way really is the way forward for UK Rugby League. Whilst I'd love to see the national side compete with the structured format of the Aussie team, I have a feeling it's not the best way forward for the domestic game in terms of entertainment and marketing to potential new fans outside the heartlands. Apart from Sandow's X-factor stint for the first few months of last year, what else really wowed the crowds in 2016? A few of Solomona's tries I guess, but nothing could really compare to the entertainment value of 5-10 years previous - Briers, Long, Lyon, Vainikolo, Tomkins et al.

Or am I just looking on the past with rose-tinted spectacles?

I've been saying this for years. Teams trying to build an identikit RL player, that can adapt to nearly any position in the field. Just let a player flourish in his natural position.

Add to this, the infuriating loose forward being used as an auxiliary prop (eg Ben Harrison, when not injured). As far as I know, aren't LF's supposed to be creative?
And the one we (as a nation) did for a decade or so, in the late 90's where Sculthorpe of Farrell would play as a stand off, so we had an extra "tackler" on the pitch. Play people in their proper positions, and do what they're supposed to do.

....and no, easyWire, you aren't looking through rose tinted glasses.

All that glitters ain't (green and) gold.

Yes he has 2012.

Yes because it's clearly untrue. In a final the result is more important that the performance.

He is unassailable at Warrington and in the comfort zone.

Let's see what this season brings. The pre-season and first game do not look promising at all.

That'd make it 5 seasons

I saw one post stating that Chris bridge was better than Martin Gleason LOL

I just didn't bother reading anymore

Regards

King James

Quote ="Builth Wells Wire"Atkins has never played on the wing. At Wakefield or Bradford. King was a centre when he came to Warrington. www.rugbyleagueproject.org/playe ... mmary.html'" King played all junior rugby as a scrum half, wire turned him into a centre

Quote ="Builth Wells Wire"Atkins has never played on the wing. At Wakefield or Bradford. King was a centre when he came to Warrington. www.rugbyleagueproject.org/playe ... mmary.html'" King played all junior rugby as a scrum half, wire turned him into a centre

Is that Matt King or Toby King?

Toby

I think the discussion about King was Matt rather than Toby. But surely when Toby played for Meltham he was SO rather than SH ?

Once we get to a point of "the taking part is more important than the result" we turn sport into a pastime. The coaches, players and spectator's should be involved in sport to win, nothing else matters!

If TS really is the god that some hold him to he should have refreshed the team instead of handing out extensions to tired players like Atkins, Sims and Gidley. The back line should have had two fast paced wingers, two centres and a full back. Instead we are stuck with the mess we witnessed at Catalan.

Well we have the pack to win everything so I guess you can judge TS on results at the season end, but his shrewdness where margins matter, like selection in finals through injuries I question.