Sounds very cliquey Listy



Bit of a bad day for you - you're favourite team (Rhinos) and Broncos being beaten

it was pretty dire to be honest.

The only players who I thought were okay were Melling and Sarginson. Dixon and Rinaldi were alright off the bench but Rinaldi blotted his copybook with the handbags at 24-24, which fired Widnes up and they got back in the game. We were in the ascendancy up until that point and I think psychologically it had a fair impact.

No acknowledgement of the fans by Gower who was once again the first to storm off down the tunnel. He's also always the one laying in to players behind the sticks when a try has been scored, yet he's missing tackles left right and centre. Far be it from me to suggest he's got an attitude problem.

Special mention to the Widnes fans who booed Silverwood off despite having won the match, incredible chutzpah

Positives - watching league in the sun with beer in hand, Kaufusi and Gower, and Dixon off the bench
Negatives - one of the teams was mine and we lost a game we should probably have won, Clubby probably having an extended leave of absence, Howell limping off
Much as I'm not happy about Powell as coach - primarily because we can't defend, which he has to sort out, and doesn't seem able to - he can't be blamed for Dorn dropping the ball from kicks and in the tackle, or for Clubby's brain explosion at the end, errors which saw us concede 20 points (I think). We did score 30 points again, and that should be enough to win, but isn't.

Scoring the points isn’t a problem for us; it's just the other stuff in-between which is an issue. Yesterday’s defeat was a crippling blow; or a disaster if you prefer.

I (again) notice that the majority (all?) of the oppo's tries came through our right-hand side defence. I haven't added up the season totals but I'd guess that 70% of the tries against are scored through that side of the field.

I (again) notice that when Witt makes a tackle, the oppo push through where he would have been in the defensive line - I wouldn't be surprised if this has happened about 5 times this season; see first and last tries conceded this season for examples. This isn't entirely Witt's fault but a communication problem behind him - nobody pulls defenders across and Witt himself is lazy at marker (or, as Rooster Booster has previously noted, he's a lead candidate for "dead marine"icon_wink.gif.

The good news is that this is obviously fixable (though it needs the coaching staff to be aware of the defect). A vocal communicator needs to be put in charge of the right-hand side defence (as per Gower on the left) and I would move Witt out to defending at centre. The bad news is that I don't think there's a clear candidate to step into 3rd man in on the right who will bully his co-defenders and keep them alert. Howell exacerbates the problem with his poor defence so I'd scratch him altogether, leaving Bailey to move wider or Colbon to come infield ... Anyway, we can't go on with Howell-Witt-Bailey on the right-hand side - the oppo will continue to feast.

Great day out yesterday with good company, good weather and cheap beer, only marred by watching Broncos throw away a match they could have won.

Positives for me were Witts goal kicking (must be close to an 80% success ratio), Colbon getting his first try, Gower roasting his team and getting to meet the Widnes and London legend, Reg Bowden.

Loved Widnes' ground. Cracking stadium and clubhouse that had stuff going on and a good bar and friendly fans. Best matchday experience of all the SL clubs (bar ours, although I'm biased).

That's about it. Long day which has left me deflated and dreading Saturday.

One day we will have our own Ground which will become a community stadium with a great clubhouse!

I noted that very few did actually which was a shame.

...........but as they won't tell anyone where it is, I don't see the point

I don't suppose it was anyone off here who was sat behind us, one with a Queensland Origin shirt and the other with a Broncos top?

If Mac was still in charge this would not have been the case. Sign of a team getting more and more distant from the fans and heading downwards towards oblivion.

As I posted yesterday, the team were quite correctly ashamed of themselves and coming over to the supporters for any reason wouldn't have achieved anything for anyone. I don't blame Gower at all for storming down the tunnel, he must be doing his nut playing for this club.

Agree totally with Listy.

The team are too embarrassed at the moment to come over to acknowledge their supporters. It is nothing more than that (imo)

We've already been told that the players find it too upsetting to come into the Kings Bar after a game so it's hardly unsurprising that they don't wish to acknowledge the fans any more

More Bollox.....
If I employ you, you do what I ask.....otherwise you f()(k off!
Win lose or draw, the players should get amongst the fans......I don't care if it makes them uncomfortable.....IT BLOODY WELL SHOULD!
They represent us.......we pay them indirectly...they should man up.

Powell should MAKE THEM........but I suspect he can't.....and there lies the problem!

Interestingly London were always the leaders when it came to player accessibility. I'd never seen such a thing with the Roosters or at other NSWRL clubs in 1991 when I spent a year out here.

My recollection was that London were brilliant in allowing contact between players and fans. Something that some London fans thought was normal, until they went to other SL clubs.At Charlton when SL started you had to be a member to go that bar (portacabin) and meet the players.

The players have no real obligation whatsoever to go to a post match function, or meet the fans. It's something that has come about out as an outreach between some clubs and fans, giving fans a sense of belonging, with London possibly being one of the first teams to do it. Nor do they HAVE to go over and clap and thank 20 people who made a trip up north to see a game. It's a matter of choice once again. If they storm off the pitch with the raving hump, aren't they showing the one thing they get accused of not having on occasion. A heart! Passion.



They don't have to do f all GF. Really they don't. You just got used to it as being the norm.

Funny that...the players I've met seemed happy enough to take the plaudits when they won......
Fans pay their wages (or a part of it) and the point I was making was they should "man up" nad face the fans when they fail.....it will make it so much better when they do well....

By all accounts the players want time on there own after a game- For me that is Sunday or Monday (after a Sunday game.) Other than that they are an employee of the club and a promotional asset and should be used accordingly.
Sod player power-Win a game or two and you may get some slack.

Just to clarify the term. A dead marine is actually someone who is still lying on the deck and is not in a position to get back onside or back to marker. ie. He's absolutely worthless.

Yes. Sometimes Witt is a dead marine, sometimes he's just a lazy marker who doesn't move.

The players applauding the away fans is a mark of respect, it always happens in British football. Brian Mac always ensured it happens coz he respected the effort our away fans give to go to away matches. This is a breakdown of trust. The coach should instruct the players to do it. Any player can love fans whey they are winning, it is a losing side that has to show character. The fans are ultimately the paying customers, in person or on TV, disrespect them at your peril.

Yep or they are not bothered about the fans, club or just plain embarrassed. It might get ugly when the play bad but then they should be embarrassed given some of the recent performances. Not meeting with fans after games especially at the Stoop is a lost opportunity for those new to the game to get to meet their "hero's". Kids to get autograph's etc. Agree it would not have happened under Mac who was keen to develop links with the London Community even to the extent of on-the-road training sessions at various clubs.

If the coach made them go across to the fans then the players might pull their finger out on the pitch instead of just going through the motions to collect their pay cheques. Its the nearest thing to 'accountability' we have with players on contract untill 2013. If we cant sack them we should be able to shame them.

Having followed Crusaders I've been to away games where the team always acknowledged their support even after a heavy loss, hell they even come over when Quins put 50 on us

One can only dream of the day this team put 50 on anyone (and even then, managed to concede less than 49)