Smith: We can save our season
TONY’S WARR CRY
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TONY SMITH admits that Warrington have already blown the chance of defending their League Leaders Shield.
But the Wolves coach is refusing to give up on anything else, despite the club suffering their worst-ever start to a season.
They sit rock-bottom after six defeats from six and are already six points adrift of the top eight.
The leading group are almost out of sight with only two months of the season gone but Smith is refusing to panic.
And he insists he has got the backing of his board to carry on fighting, despite calls from some quarters for him to step down.
Faith
He said: “The good thing about the people that I work for is that they are not just reactionary – they understand the big picture.
“They’re hurting as well but they understand sports people can lose form and get it back and they’ve got faith in that.
“Just because you go through a tough time doesn’t mean you throw all your toys out of the pram.
“It’s important you have belief in what you’re doing and in people as well.
“Stability within sport is proven to be one of the biggest assets of most successful clubs.”
Warrington face a tough home game today against high-flying Hull, in a repeat of last year’s classic clash in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final.
If Cup holders Hull win, it will put them 12 points clear of the wobbling Wolves.
But Smith admits he still thinks Warrington can finish the season well.
He believes only the Shield – which Warrington won at Hull last September – is now beyond them.
Smith added: “There’s probably only one goal that is now unlikely in our minds and that’s the League Leaders.
“We’re not going to win that now I don’t think – we’d have to have an incredible run. That’s the only one that’s dashed.
“But, each week, the feeling and expectation grows that this is going to be our week.”
Hull boss Lee Radford is ringing the changes today, with one eye already on the busy Easter weekend schedule.
Man of Steel Danny Houghton is out with a calf injury, meaning a debut off the bench for Jez Litten, with Danny Washbrook starting as hooker.
Carlos Tuimavave and Fetuli Talanoa miss out, with Liam Watts and Jansin Turgut recalled after four-week and two-week bans respectively.
Meanwhile, Catalans look to stop the rot of a run of four games without a win when they host in-form Wakefield today.
Widnes are hunting their first win of the season when they visit Super League newcomers Leigh.