After fifteen minutes last night most of the team looked exhausted!
Last week was the same.
Both games we saw passes going astray and accurate ones being dropped, is this another sign of tiredness?
The performance v Salford was poor in the extreme compared to how the team and squad have played for the majority of the season. It's was a good job that Salford were as woeful as they were or else it could have been another bad night indeed.
Something has to improve if we are to win the LLS.
A game as last nights and we'll really struggle to beat HKR on their patch. If we failed then it would be down to the last game v Saints at our place and wouldn't they like a win to deny us a top of the league place and LLS!

The team and squad need to rest and to be refreshed if they are to hit form in the last two games and win the Shield.
A lot has been made of the "full on" training sessions, is it these that are taking their toll on the player's energy levels? I can understand "full on" sessions at the start of the season so we are ahead of the opposition, after 28 games though?
We may have Tommy and Stu Fielden back for HKR etc but if anyone thinks they would have improved last night's performance dramatically I would need convincing.

The players have two weeks prior to the next game and they need to up their energy levels, the pack in particular. Following those two last league fixtures then follows the play offs when we could face Catalans, Leeds or Saints.
Does anyone think we could have beaten any of those based on last nights game? Let the team and squad rest with light training perhaps, come back refeshed and I'm sure their form will return along with formerly injured players.

Aye but now we get a week off to put right a few things whilst Leeds and Warrington have to knock the hell out of each other. We also get another break if we win the LLS. I wouldn't panic just yet. I will take playing rubbish now and still winning games then play well at crunch time and still win games.

I'm not sure that tiredness was the cause of all the mistakes in attack - the lads were really flying in defence, quick off the line and hard hitting in the tackles.

We don't. Everyone plays 1st week and if any of the top 4 win their week one game they get week two off.

Said the same thing myself on the way home from the game. If SW manages this time well it could make all the difference. I don't think a couple days off would do any harm anyway at this stage of the season.

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I can't see how they're tired tbh. A lot of had rests throughout the campaign so I don't buy that.

I think a few are rusty and still lack match sharpness like Lima, Hansen, Finch and obviously Richards but if they're tired then they can't be fit enough in the first place IMO.

The week off hopefully may be beneficial but then they've looked alien to each other at points these last two weeks so I'm not convinced it's what they need.

I wonder about all of these "tiredness" thoughts, the team is backed by a team of fitness, nutrition and medical professionals who continually monitor and adjust the regime. Forwards are rotated during games and all players have had some rest during the season. There will be some carrying knocks, but how is that different to the rest of the season?

I heard Phil Gould say this weekend a conditioner told him the modern day Rugby League player could play in 2 games in a day and still play well in both matches, that's more to do with the body being fatigued where as the sloppy play we saw yesterday is more linked to the palyers not being as alert and not executing plays as they should. Wane will have this addressed he needs to if where going to make any impact on the play off's.

personally, i believe that since we guaranteed a top 4 place, the intensity has gone because they are just waiting for the play-offs.
we have done enough to win comfortably and maintain 1st place. however, the fire isnt there because the games dont really need anything other than a bare win.

once the play-offs come, i believe we will see a more up tempo performance

the most important thing for me in the next 2 games is to get match fitness for fielden, tommy and pat. after that, then a return for tuson so that we have as large a squad as possible to pick from.

i would also like to see players dropped who are off key eg mossop to be replaced by fielden, because he was the 4th best prop.
i also think that playing tommy/micky/smith together will give us the extra energy and attacking options.

Is it mental fatigue rather than physical. Lapses in concentration, inability to do the basics correctly. It's mental IMO.

We've two free weeks till our next game. Were I Shaun Wane then I'd be letting the lads have an entire week off, with strict instruction's to not think or do anything Rugby League related in that time.

PS: The Norwegian Fjords are stunning at this time of year if anyone's wondering why my recent absence.

I was concerned in pre season with Wanes 'tough' approach and i was worried when he said we hadn't peaked yet, even though we smashed Leeds at headingley and saints at the ethiad Hopefully we will pick up the pace again, but it will be tough when wane wants us to go full throttle every week.

It's obvious to see we have lost the intensity and ruthlessness we had earlier in the season but the Leeds game goes to show you can't just turn this on like a tap, there's so many different factors in performing with such high intensity. Some Wire fans are very deluded in thinking their team are selecting games to win/turn up in. There isn't a coach in rugby league who won't be telling their players to give it their all every time they step out onto the field.

Wasn't that Tomkins in his post match interview at Headingley?

I really do hope that Fielden makes a successful comeback, but mentioning him in the same breath as the return of Leluai and Pat is rather straw grasping.

In my opinion definitely. Apparently after the Warrington game Wane "beasted" the players in training. If that is how he does things he isn't a very good coach.



I think they would in one sense. They have not been subjected to this stupid full-on training for some weeks. Look at Pat Richards. He looked as fresh as a daisy and for someone who has had a lay-off like him and an under 20's game preparation to look like the sprightliest player on the park says a lot in my opinion.



Depends what Wane does with them in the near future doesn't it. The damage may already be done for some of them. Can a week off make up for a season long full on training regime?

I’m not sure about exhausted, I think it could be a case of the LLS is in the bag (a bad thought to have in the back of their minds, but maybe it’s there) let’s get to the play-offs. The subconscious can be de-railer when it comes to performances. I know what’s said about our form and the loss of Tommy, but I’ve never thought that one player can be such a be all and end all to one team, whatever his ability, but maybe I was wrong! I hope not.

If wane is beasting the players then for me he is over ruling Bitcon and ignoring his own appointed highly trained and very astute conditioning staff.

This is what I thought as well. I don't understand why he would do that except out of some old fashioned stubborn view he is going to do it his way. Apparently though the players were put through the mill after the wire game.

agree a bit with this in the warrington and salford game micky mac has been strugling to get back in to dummy half, first full season playing 80 mins every game, hopefully when tommys back we can alternate either smith or tommy at hooker to give him some help. otherwise for me where just trying to do to much to far away from the line as i don t think our props have been gaining as much yardage in the second half of the season.

Wanes post match comments on Monday: "we will train hard this week. They MIGHT have Monday off".

No wonder we are frigged

"Tired", No. Out of form / playing badly, Yes.

But there's nowt new there. It's happened every season, for as long as I can remember.
In any sport, be it Cricket, Golf, Tennis, players hit a lull, and RL is no exception.
IMO, it's a sign of a good team that we could still play so poorly, and notch up a win against Salford!
The team will come around, we always do.

In itself that may not be an issue. They may/may not have needed it and that HAS to be Wane's call.

However, I am in agreement that, imo, we have not timed our run in properly. Let's hope I am wrong and there is enough left in the tank to win what is a very average SL.

There's nothing wrong with them training this week, it just depends on what they do in training.

We don't want them to relax too much because whilst we might be able to play poorly and get through the HKR game in a similar manner to Monday night, I would expect that Waney wants them hitting their straps ahead of the Saints game to put a marker down for the 3/4 games that follow.

If we play to our potential then we're more than capable of beating anyone. My worry is that we look to be carrying too many players through games.