Most people have sympathy for a wounded animal, but not on this occasion.
Warrington Wolves have been caught in some unexpected traps over the first five rounds of the Betfred Super League and they look like they're in need of a vet to perform some emergency surgery.
They played quite well in their first two Super League games but have progressively deteriorated since the home loss to Castleford.
You could say that an away game at Salford isn't easy, and that Wigan have started the season in good form, but Warrington were clearly outplayed at Leigh and face a must-win match at St Helens on Friday.
Pundits all over the world exaggerate, and I'm guilty of it as much as anyone, but I think defeat for Warrington in St Helens will end their hopes of walking out at Old Trafford in October.
Chris Hill is a plumber in his spare time, not a vet, and his presence last week didn't fix their problems. It's not necessarily the points they're leaking that appear to be their biggest issue. When they have the ball in their opponents' half they seem confused with their attack.
Kevin Brown only threw a total of 10 passes in the whole game against Leigh and doesn't seem to be actively involved in creating running chances or space for the men standing outside him.
It's not as though they have struggled for good field position. They had almost as many play-the-balls as Leigh in the opposition half and with 34 inside their opponents' 20-metre zone they would expect to score more than one try.
I love the challenges that sport throws at people and the news that Ryan Atkins is now injured and Tom Lineham suspended makes it even harder for Warrington to win this week. These two men have scored five of the 13 tries so far for Warrington.
On a positive note, they do have one of my favourite players back in Stefan Ratchford, although by my reckoning he hasn't played a hard game of rugby for about 24 weeks.
Pressure
We witnessed what can happen to a big team when they're under pressure last season when the Rhinos got off to a poor start. The other teams smell blood and go for the kill in an enthusiastic frenzy that embarrasses the more fancied favourites.
Games between the Saints and the Wolves are usually quick and intense but this takes on a sudden-death feel for me.
I repeat, if Warrington lose they won't play in this year's Grand Final!
It's not just the fact that Warrington only have 17 games left to play; it's more to do with the fact that their opponents now sense a vulnerability.
I wondered how Warrington would recover after the mental torture of losing so closely in both major finals last season. I was blinded by the squad's natural ability and ignored their mental state.
At this stage it doesn't look as if they have recovered but they've got some great players who might make me eat my words on Friday night. This feels like a play-off game before we've even got to Easter!
Saints sit ninth and are also under some pressure but had a massive win in France last Saturday. Fun and enjoyment sometimes disappear in professional sport but a long trip home from a dramatic away win provide some of the best memories and stories.
I have no doubt that the victory in Perpignan felt as though it was worth four points on the league table, not 2. Saints will try to use that victory as the starting point of something special, which is only possible if they beat the Wolves.
We've witnessed some classis games between these two great clubs over the last 20 years, but with what is at stake so early in the season I really think that this could be the best.
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