u/TexturePackReview

As featured of the official Super League website, your questions are being asked to the winning coaches at the post-match press conferences. This megathread will be updated after every game, and have all questions/answers posted as soon as possible after full-time.

Keep an eye on the official match threads around fifteen minutes from full-time, and look for the pinned comment to reply with your question!

Game Four: Wakefield Trinity 48-6 Castleford Tigers - Daryl Powell

Link to video of interview

After your history and success with Castleford do games against them carry any extra weight or pressure for you? (Asked by u/CaptainMexicano)

>Yeah, maybe they do, you know, it's hard because 2 points are 2 points, but when you've been at a club for, as long as I was, then, you know... I had a fair bit of stick when I was at Warrington, and I went to Castleford, and they were into me a fair bit when we lost games. So then the other side of that is, you know, winning games means a bit as well. It probably does, I think it's hard to say that it didn't, paticularly with the rivally between these two clubs it probably does yeah.

Given Wakefield’s rise the last few years since being promoted, what do you think you’ve done differently to other sides that have historically come up and struggled/gone straight back down? (Asked by u/gallifreyfalls55)

>We got a fair owner who's got belief in what we're doing and invest into building the squad and building the facilities, and our players see a genuine sort of build as a club, and then they can really grab hold of that. And then, I feel like our staff are in a great place, which then, you know, feeds into players getting the right information and feedback the that they need. As well as just a professional environment. I can't say whether we've done better than anybody else, but I feel like what we've done right is get all those little things right and that's really helped the players to buy into what we're doing, which is obviously pivotal to being successful.

Which was your favourite celebration and did you know that both wingers had an Uno card in their sock? Do you have one in your sock, and if you were playing today would you have? (Asked by everyone)

>I didn't know they had cards in the socks. I wouldn't have put one in my sock, it's not my style. But I haven't got a big issue with it either. I just think, you know, boys bringing the personality to what they're doing is a great thing and I think the more we can grow the sport through personality, then the better the better we'll be. 

Game Three: Leigh Leopard 24-6 Warrington Wolves - Adrian Lam

Link to video of interview

Do you feel pressured as a coach to entertain more than usual at an event where there's multiple matches in one day, particularly when you're the final match of the day at this stadium and people might be getting tired? (Asked by u/Whodeytim)

>Not really, for me it's just business as usual. The entertainment comes from winning the game and celebrating the tries, and the tries for the MND Foundation. No extra pressure on me or the team, business as usual.

Leigh have recruited PNG players very successfully in recent years, players like Ipape and Lam, with the PNG NRL team will there need to be a change in recruitment tactics? (Asked by u/Senior_Huevo)

>No not really, I've always been one to bring in players with lots of potential and what we like to call big ceilings. Bringing those PNG players to Leigh has brought a bit of culture there for the fans and the team, and me being PNG and being born in Papau New Guinea certainly helps. But look every year hinges on recruitment and retention so it's something that we might need to consider.

Was there anything you worked on this week that worked exactly like you thought? (Asked by u/Thesolly180)

>Great Question! The game plan, I can't divulge exactly the detail of that but we had a really simple game plan that we started really well, and then went on with it.

Game Two: Hull KR 26-12 Hull FC - Willie Peters

Link to video of interview

Does having a derby the scale of KR v FC at a neutral venue diminish the event, or does the change of venue and occasion make up for the lack of hostile atmosphere? (Asked by u/DeBarkulater)

>I think that having 3 games and 3 derby's in the year it makes sense. I think if you only played two then possibly but because we play FC three times in the year I think it's a great idea to play them here.

What was the rationale for having Booth on the bench when we’re light on forwards and FC have got some huge bodies. Was there consideration to give a young forward a go? (Asked by u/BigSexyMatt)

>Yeah there's always consideration to give a youngster a go but we need to make sure that they're ready to go and that they've earned it. We wanted to have Booth as cover for outside backs but then we had three middles, that's how we saw it as a rotation. Booth covered the outside backs but initially we were gonna put Bill at 13 so he was going to be a middle, or we could move Jez to 13. Sometimes you change things based on how the game is going. Bill only played a short stint and we wanted Jez to go back on, we felt the momentum shifted a little bit and we needed him to go back on to change that.

There has been a lot of talk about Whitbread's try and that it was the result of a shoulder charge, have you seen the incident back? Do you have any comments?

>I'd have to have a look back at the clip in more detail, I was just happy that we scored it.

Game One: Huddersfield Giants 24-36 York RLFC - Mark Applegarth

Link to video of interview

This is the first time this year York have won 2 league games on the bounce this year, is it time for me to remortgage my house and put it all on York to go unbeaten for the rest of the year? (asked by u/DeBarkulater)

>I can't be giving out advice like that, so no. Yeah listen that was the focus all week just being consistent in our performance so happy to get two wins in a row.

York seemed to look a lot more comfortable and assured with the ball in the second half, did you make any tweaks to the game plan to help with that or was it just a case of settling nerves a bit? (asked by u/APairOfHikingBoots)

>he really simple message was just cut out the unforced errors. I thought we started a little bit low on energy and finished with a bit of sloppiness but overall, every time we got into Huddersfield's half we felt comfy so the main message was just to keep composed.

Given some of the results this year, today included, do you think that the budgetary handicap that the newly promoted teams started with this year is justified or fair? (asked by u/gallifreyfalls55)

>A nice positive one... listen I don't want to get involved in, we knew what it is and it is what it is. I get paid to coach and I'm really proud to be coaching York and the lads that I've got in there who are giving it everything. Would it be nice to be spending the full cap with a couple of marquees? Of course, I'd be lying if it said it wouldn't but I can't fault anyones effort or application this year.

I'll be attending and will have access to players/coaches/press conferences etc. and probably other bits and bats too.

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I'll be in the match threads getting questions for the pressers or for players, but what else would you want to see from the event itself? Please suggest anything you think would be cool or interesting and I'll see if I can make it happen.

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Thanks all!