Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 9:49 am  

Moe syslak wrote:

Our greatest attacking team was in 2011 before Hodgson signed for us. Although he was truly a world class player. How in gods name we didn't win the GF between 2010-13 beggars belief.

I not only agree with you but I wonder how anyone can put it down to lack of professionalism or “culture”? Sometimes the rugby gods are just against you…

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:50 am  

Captain Hook wrote:

I not only agree with you but I wonder how anyone can put it down to lack of professionalism or “culture”? Sometimes the rugby gods are just against you…

In his book, Lee Briers mentions how Tony Smith changed the "mentality of the team" from 2009 onwards - that's the professionalism & culture that was different than the preceding years, but still the small onfield margins might always inhibit success.

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 11:00 am  

Captain Hook wrote:

I not only agree with you but I wonder how anyone can put it down to lack of professionalism or “culture”? Sometimes the rugby gods are just against you…

We were done by a battle-hardened Leeds side in both 2011 and 12, which I can live with. However, I still maintain we were a Joel Monaghan and Stefan Ratchford injuries away from victory in 2013, which were down to lady luck and some dubiously cynical tactics on behalf of the opposition.

The 2013 final always feels like the one that was stolen rather than lost for me.

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 11:09 am  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

Captain Hook wrote:

I not only agree with you but I wonder how anyone can put it down to lack of professionalism or “culture”? Sometimes the rugby gods are just against you…

We were done by a battle-hardened Leeds side in both 2011 and 12, which I can live with. However, I still maintain we were a Joel Monaghan and Stefan Ratchford injuries away from victory in 2013, which were down to lady luck and some dubiously cynical tactics on behalf of the opposition.

The 2013 final always feels like the one that was stolen rather than lost for me.

Good bit of gamesmanship in all three finals ,playing the ref can be the difference in one off games where there's a reluctance to send players off.

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 11:11 am  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

We were done by a battle-hardened Leeds side in both 2011 and 12, which I can live with. However, I still maintain we were a Joel Monaghan and Stefan Ratchford injuries away from victory in 2013, which were down to lady luck and some dubiously cynical tactics on behalf of the opposition.

The 2013 final always feels like the one that was stolen rather than lost for me.

The fact that Smith filled our bench with forwards, when he could have included Brett Hodgson on our bench, meant that those 2 injuries impacted on our team so badly.

We ended up with Briers at fullback and Bridge on the wing and a totally unbalanced team.

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 11:12 am  

I'm sort of glad we didn't win in 2013 - the whole Westwood v Green incident would have always tarnished it somewhat.

Clearly this is much easier say, in principle, when we didn't win.

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 11:31 am  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

We were done by a battle-hardened Leeds side in both 2011 and 12, which I can live with. However, I still maintain we were a Joel Monaghan and Stefan Ratchford injuries away from victory in 2013, which were down to lady luck and some dubiously cynical tactics on behalf of the opposition.

The 2013 final always feels like the one that was stolen rather than lost for me.

The Monaghan one was the killer for me. Completely flipped the momentum and they scored straight off the back of that.

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 12:37 pm  

shinymcshine241 wrote:

I'm sort of glad we didn't win in 2013 - the whole Westwood v Green incident would have always tarnished it somewhat.

Clearly this is much easier say, in principle, when we didn't win.

Is that any different than the St Helens no try in 2019?

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 12:46 pm  

Douglas Black wrote:

Is that any different than the St Helens no try in 2019?

Yep - one was a blatant act of thuggery and a cop-out by the ref, the other was just a great/poor onfield ref call.

Re: How long in 2023 does Powell have... : Sun Sep 04, 2022 1:50 pm  

Barbed Wire wrote:

The Monaghan one was the killer for me. Completely flipped the momentum and they scored straight off the back of that.

Yes, definitely. If the Monaghan incident hadn't happened & we had held that particular Wigan phase of attack out (which without the disruption is likely), then we would have comfortably won that final.

It's all the rub of the green though and it's what makes sport so special. But when you are on the receiving end of such incidents then it's hard to forget and accept.