SPIRIT OF '55: No defeat is enjoyable but I am not despondent (From Warrington Guardian)

SPIRIT OF '55: No defeat is enjoyable but I am not despondent

10:49pm Sunday 10th March 2013 in Wolves news

Albert Naughton lifts the silverware when Warrington were last crowned champions in 1955

BECAUSE they’ve lost two in a row, they are now too old, they should have made signings in the off season and they take to many risks with ball in hand.

When they win a few in a row, they will have great experience, have a fantastic team bond having stayed together for two seasons and be getting plaudits for their expansive and entertaining style.

No defeat is enjoyable, but the performance against St Helens didn’t leave me feeling too despondent.

For a start there was no apparent lack of endeavour, the effort and energy seemed to be there.

They didn’t crumble after a bad start.

In the second half in particular they applied a lot of pressure on Saints, and it needed Saints' best performance of the season so far to withstand that pressure.

Individually it was great to not only see Chris Bridge back in the line-up, but performing so well in his first Wire game for months.

In a remarkably similar fashion to the same fixture last season, Wire were caught cold early on and never quite recovered.

Sharpness and precision was missing with and without the ball, a few poor decisions were made in defence, particularly on the right hand side, where there seemed to be a lack of cohesion.

The off day was even more noticeable in attack, especially when close to the Saints line.

Indeed it was one of those games where if you’d only witnessed the action up to the two ten metre lines, you wouldn’t have been at all sure that Saints would be the winners.

When Wire’s attack is on song it looks so simple, they swing the ball out wide and score tries in the corner, with accurate passing from half backs, perfectly timed ‘dummy’ runners and Hodgson chiming into the line.

It is days like Friday that make you appreciate the level of difficulty involved in such a move. Half a step too early or too late, they don’t quite make it, half a second too fast or too slow they don’t quite catch it. The constant search for perfection goes on. On this occasion Saints were closer to perfection than Wire.

Maybe it’s all part of a Baldrick-like cunning plan, and they are jostling for fifth spot with Leeds.

With all their spirit and ability, Old Trafford is still no longer a fanciful dream for a Wire fan.

Spirit of '55