So 4 to go, what do we think?

[Wirralviking]

Life as a Vikings fan hasn't been too great of late, but I'm fed up of raking over the coals of recent defeats. How do people think we will go in the 4 remaining games?

No point saying they are "must win" games, since that hardly seems to make any odds to the way we play!

Toulouse is critical, we owe them one from a sloppy home performance, lose this one and its hard to see us scraping into the 6. If Thackeray has used his rest to recharge his batteries and Ben Davies is free play then we might be up for it!  Still wont have a kicking game unfortunately, so we will have to try and run them off the park.

I would stick with Craven at fullback, Flynn, Marsh, Grady or Varkulis and despite Gaskells excellent try I would go with Ainscough on the wing (unless we played Craven at 7 and Flynn went back to full back and we could then play them both). Hopefully Thackeray will be back at 6 and I would play Hulme or Craven at 7.  In the pack I would go with Heckenberg, Davies, Pickersgill (if fit), Haggerty G (if fit), Doran, Kavanagh, Gerrard. I am assuming Allen will be missing, Houghton and Gannon to stand in if either Pickersgill or Haggerty G were not fit. Smith and Netherton to rotate, although Netherton needs a good shift to keep his place, as we could just as easilly play Coyle as hooker! Haggerty K on the bench.  (I think you can configure 17 from that lot!).

There's always the chance that Smith might miss a game for ignoring the bonus point penalty opportunity, but that might be cutting off our nose to spite our face!!!

So I think we can sneak it a Toulouse, win at home to Sheffield, but that wont be easy, lose away to Barrow and if we are still in with a sniff, win at Keighley.

I suspect though that Coyle will still play at 7!

[ceejay]

Where is Varkulis?

[MT]

The Toulouse game is key, win that and the momentum may give us the edge over Sheffield. A think defeat would spell the end of our season.

[Glynn]

4 defeats 

[waterboy]

just to keep some of the falling support we need 4 wins and 4 massive performances. its not about getting to pay-offs anymore its got to be about reconvincing the fans that widnes can perform at this level yet alone SL

[Glynn]

the seasons long gone and so are some of the fans 

[waterboy]

yes some are gone but a run of 4 convicing results could turn a few back and start to soften others. follow this up with a good pre-season next year and fans could start reappearing

[Cartman]

I used to like these threads but it's pure guesswork as to who will be dropped this week. There's no consistency in selection any more. Different centres every week, lack of structure or plan when on attack etc. The 2 players who are probably our players of the season dropped and put in the reserves. Unfit players brought straight back in without a run out. The player many think should be our captain refusing a point that was needed etc.
We looked forward all season to our injured players returning but it seems to have caused all sorts of problems for different reasons.

[Steve]

Beginning to think Glynn has a point! I'm not normally negative on such things, but can't help but think that our season was lost by some silly defeats earlier in the season. I think we can hope to win two games at best and then we are down to relying on other results!

It would be nice to get the turnover for the club of a playoff game, the chairman deserves that. But can't help but think it is in the lap of the Gods!

Stanards this season have been levelled by salary cap meaning no easy games. I think that the days of half a dozen walkover games per season are now history which, as an overall thing for the sport is not such a bad thing.

[BarryJohn]

Barrow for me is a no brainer, think we can attain bonus point in France. Heat could be a telling factor, I see a loss at home to Sheffield though. Keighley, no idea, wouldn't like to call it! We need our best starting thirteen out there if we are to realistically get a spot in the six. It is more like a question of who will turn out, as Cartman says.

Think we'll just miss out personally, bad results at home have cost us dear this time round, i think. Can I be proven wrong? Heart says yes, head no!

[Peter]

Doom and Gloom seems to be ruling.

Not for me.

We can win at Toulouse and we can certainly beat Sheffield.

[worldchamps89]

all depends on the tolouse game

[efcviking]

all depends on the tolouse game

And the Sheffield, Barrow and Keighley games 

[farnworth viking]

With the news that Paul Cullen is going to be on compasionate leave, for the rest of the season, there can now be no excuses about the players getting mixed messages from different coaches.

It's now down to Cassidy/Wilkinson to train and pick the right team, and make sure they are playing well, and get us into the
play offs, and it's up to the players to play to their potential.

Hopefuly they and the players will be up for it.

[GSF]

Doom and Gloom seems to be ruling.

Perhaps that has something to do with results so far this season.Maybe people are being realistic which isn't the same as pesimistic.
I will go for 2 wins and 2 defeats.