I can't really agree with the point about Widdop as it was clear to everyone that it wasn't working with him at fullback. If you mean that they should never have signed Norman for this year, then I can see your line of thinking although you can make an argument that signing Norman for this year was wise as Widdop was unlikely to get through the season at #6 anyway. It remains to be seen whether he can continue long-term with his shoulder.
The Rooster’s lost Keary for five weeks through injury and their wheels during that period nearly fell off. I couldn’t imagine how they would fair if they lost him for 17 weeks and also lost Cordner on similar circumstances to De Belin. These aren’t excuses but are explanations on why the teams performance could have suffered.