THE problems started quite literally before Warrington Wolves even got off the bus.

Only those inside the camp will be able to say just how much they were impacted by their late arrival to Craven Park and in truth, they started the game like a side struggling to shake off a long journey.

Given how familiar the issues that bubbled up to the surface when the action started were, however, can it really be used as mitigation?

After all that has been said in the aftermath of last week’s Challenge Cup exit, was some kind of response really too much to ask?

Instead of the fightback everybody of a Wire persuasion hoped for, those that braved the perilous journey to Humberside were greeted by an opening quarter that was perhaps more abhorrent than anything that has gone before it this year.

From the moment Connor Wrench put a toe into touch in taking the kick-off, Daryl Powell’s words about his players being rattled too easily rang true once again.

The opening 16 minutes saw them have just two sets in possession and concede 20 points to a Hull KR side who were as irresistible as Wire were abject.

With their opponents’ marker defence completely at best patchy and at worst completely non-existent, Robins’ hooker Matt Parcell was able to cause complete chaos.

Warrington Guardian:

Matt Parcell pearces the Wire defence again. Picture by SWPix.com

No professional rugby league team should be split open through the middle as much as Warrington were and in truth, they were perhaps fortunate not to find themselves further behind as the hosts bombed a couple of certain tries.

Things like that will once again bring about questions as to whether pulling on the Wire jersey means enough to some of those who do so for a living.

Put it this way, they are not doing much to prove people of that opinion wrong.

The scenes at full-time told you all you need to know, with the players greeted by angry supporters as they went to thank those who travelled for their backing.

The atmosphere around the club is getting more toxic with every dreary performance and in the middle of it all is a head coach who must by now be getting tired of watching his players churn out the same unacceptable displays week after week.

If the players were unaware of the unhappiness surrounding them before, they will be acutely conscious of it now.

Only they can do something about it but another week ticks by where they have had that chance and have failed to do so.