Author and Warrington Wolves fan Rob Watson – aka ‘Spirit of 55’ – brings us his final column…

IT does feel bizarre to write this after such a humbling defeat to Wigan, but I do think they are getting better in some ways at least.

In the three games against Salford, Hull and Huddersfield, there were plenty of signs of greatly improved togetherness and enthusiasm – two basic requirements of success.

Even simple things like all celebrating tries together enthusiastically are good to see.

That togetherness was tested greatly against Wigan and even though the defensive line did not stand up to that test, there were some signs that they were still supporting each other.

Most notable was when Josh Thewlis’ mistake led to one of the tries and there were plenty of players on hand to pat him on the back and probably remind him how excellent he has been in recent matches.

The hesitancy and uncertainness of the defensive line, particularly close to their try line and on the left, was horrible to watch but it is something it is possible to fix as long as the desire to do so is there.

In amongst this disappointing season so far, there are still some positives to cling on to.

One basic positive is that they are scoring a decent amount of tries, only Saints and Wigan having scored more.

They are moving the ball wide more often and better than they have done for years, although still far from as well as they would like to and could do.

A classic example of that ball movement was the try against Huddersfield that Connor Wrench finished off in the corner – a try that was worth the admission fee alone and I could happily watch on repeat.

Wrench is another of the positives along with Thewlis, Longstaff and Dean – this generation of players progressing from the academy look to have the potential to be the best I have seen in my time of watching.

In turn, that has created a squad with good depth, as highlighted by the performance and the win against Huddersfield when the usual first choice half backs and full back were all missing.

Looking at the next two fixtures, there is a chance it will get worse before it gets better.

That togetherness and team spirit will get the ultimate test by having played the three best teams in the league in succession.

If they can come through that still together and determined to get better, then they have a chance of finishing the season strongly.

After those two games against Catalans and Saints, the second half of their fixture list for this season is about as easy as you could ask for in Super League – which is still not that easy given the competitive nature of the league.

If those defensive problems are something they can fix and they can start attacking slickly more often, they have a chance of putting a run together to get into the play-offs and at least keep us interested until the end of the season.

All the while, I am sure the goal will be to keep progressing to the standards that they want to be at.

Whether they get there this season or next season or even the one after that, the upward curve needs to start now.

Whether that improvement is with players with big reputations, promising youngsters or a mix of both is not my job to decide, but it will be fascinating to see how that plays out.

For me, as long as they play with plenty of enthusiasm and team spirit then I will at least be looking forward to watching them play and be proud of the team. I desperately want to see them win Super League, but no amount of money or big name signings is going to guarantee that success.

Can they finally create a winning culture that can become part of the club for years to come? A culture that leaves new players and coaches arriving at the club knowing exactly what is expected of them, to play with a winner’s attitude, including 100 per cent effort.

I hope so, but I have to accept that it is not up to me to create that culture. I can only stand back and enjoy and endure the efforts of other people to make Warrington a winning club.

Speaking of standing back, I am getting a bit fed up of writing my own thoughts and I am sure plenty of people are fed up of reading them.

It is long overdue for us to hear the thoughts of another fan or fans in this format. I will go back to being a fan who goes to games and keeps my thoughts to myself.

One day I hope to write an article about a Wire Grand Final win, until that time I look forward to reading the thoughts of someone else.