Title challenge

Discuss all things Wigan Warriors. Comments and opinions on all aspects of the club's performance are welcome.
Exiled Wiganer
Posts: 2677
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 1:18 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by Exiled Wiganer »

I can’t see us winning anything, but what I would like to see is some interesting rugby. I would take 6th playing like Hull KR last year over 4th playing like Wane’s teams. If we are pinning our hopes on Mago and Ellis, then I assume we are pinning our hopes on that they are both good players and are allowed to hit the line.

If all they do is repeat the Flower approach of diving to the floor in front of the defence, as part of Son of Waneball then I will be cross at again spending £1,000 for dull as dishwater fare.

I have seen nothing about promising entertainment, as opposed to promising making us hard to beat and having great tweets. Flair and excitement - not grind and hard to beat - that’s what I am desperate to watch…
morley pie eater
Posts: 3219
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 2:01 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by morley pie eater »

Exiled Wiganer wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:52 am Honestly, I could see us finishing anywhere between 1st and 12th...

Best case scenario: Mago, Singleton and Ellis give us momentum, O’Neill rapidly develops into an attacking 9, KPP brings his offload game, Bateman gets back to world class, French comes back quickly and is fit, Cust slots into an attacking role, Field fulfils his broken field potential and our 3/4s surprise us. Peet is a coaching genius able to bring the good times back in style. If that all happens, we could beat some of the top teams.

Worst case scenario: Peetball is Waneball with worse players, so that Mago and co simply go to the floor rather than make ground, Field has lost his pace/confidence, French takes ages to return, Cust doesn’t settle, Powell plays, injuries in the backs (while French is away, our FIRST CHOICE 3/4 lines seems to Halsall - Bibby - Thornley - Marshall: and that’s with no injuries) so that we have to play Isa/Bateman/Faz in the centres again. Peet is an over promoted poor man’s Wane. If that all happens, we could lose to anyone and everyone, and do so in a continuation of the dullest style of play in RL history.

It’s the off season, so we can all hope for the best case scenario. We will have a far better idea soon enough.
A good read, sums up the uncertainty well :D

My guess would be that we improve on last year, but unlikely to be top dogs.

(As an aside for the "woe is me" fraternity, we finished 4th last year despite poor performances, injuries and playing a game every 5 days or so. And I don't see major improvements in most of the teams behind us. So even a moderate improvement in our squad, and a fair slice of luck with injuries should see us in, say, the top 5.)

Given a narrower range of uncertainty than yours, I'd say at best we finish 3rd and win the cup. At worst we finish 6th. As my idea of supporting a team involves looking on the bright side, especially at the start of the season, I'll go for 3rd and reach the cup final.

👏👏👏
. . . . . . ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
southportcdm
Posts: 1150
Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2013 5:05 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by southportcdm »

Too many variables to be certain. 'Glass half full' fans will think we'll go close, 'glass half empty' fans will think that we'll struggle and the reality is likely to be somewhere in between. I'm convinced that the style of play will be far better than the last couple of seasons and will be pleased with that especially if it looks like we have a plan to really challenge in 2023.
Charriots Offiah
Posts: 4127
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:14 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by Charriots Offiah »

Exiled Wiganer wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:47 am I can’t see us winning anything, but what I would like to see is some interesting rugby. I would take 6th playing like Hull KR last year over 4th playing like Wane’s teams. If we are pinning our hopes on Mago and Ellis, then I assume we are pinning our hopes on that they are both good players and are allowed to hit the line.

If all they do is repeat the Flower approach of diving to the floor in front of the defence, as part of Son of Waneball then I will be cross at again spending £1,000 for dull as dishwater fare.

I have seen nothing about promising entertainment, as opposed to promising making us hard to beat and having great tweets. Flair and excitement - not grind and hard to beat - that’s what I am desperate to watch…
I would take a GF or CCF win any day of the week at the expense of playing open attractive rugby. For the past two seasons Saints have been as dull as dishwater but their name appears in the record books.
Caboosegg
Posts: 3837
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 4:51 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by Caboosegg »

fozzieskem wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 9:46 am
Caboosegg wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:57 am It's because everyone expects saints and Catalan to walk everything.

They won't but it would be nice to see saints crash and burn, they have a fair fee aging players and lost some key players.
I certainly think Saints will be there at the end of the season theyve recruited well onto an already strong team yes theyll go well again and be there at seasons end.

Catalan though will remain an enigma they have an excellent coach who "gets"the Catalan way of ding things i think though they'll regress this season in a reaction to losing the GF last time out.

As for Wigan who knows i do feel the side is a little lopsided and not replacing Gildart will come back to haunt the side,but i dont think it will be the disaster season some are predicting.
I don't think we are any worse of without gildart, over the last to years his form would have seen him dropped by any other team.

That said we are missing the Gildart we use to have and I am not suggesting in any way Thornley is the same level but his stats are not far off. I'm hoping to be surprised by Thornley however I'm not excited by him.

I wouldn't be surprised if we did win the GF or Challenge Cup this year, even at our worst in a decade we made a GF and then 4th place and as they dont require season long consistency to win either possible.

The LLS is a no go, a new coach and new team makes me think we are going to see a varying levels of Consistency as the team get use to style/players.
These are two reasons not to trust people.
1. We don't know them.
2. We do know them.
Gerrumonside
Posts: 299
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:58 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by Gerrumonside »

It’s still a no for me but i feel much happier already than last season with where we’re at and the direction we’re heading…. short of some quality/depth in the backs but hopefully should be competitive this season.
fozzieskem
Posts: 6494
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 10:54 am

Re: Title challenge

Post by fozzieskem »

Caboosegg wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 1:13 pm
fozzieskem wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 9:46 am
Caboosegg wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:57 am It's because everyone expects saints and Catalan to walk everything.

They won't but it would be nice to see saints crash and burn, they have a fair fee aging players and lost some key players.
I certainly think Saints will be there at the end of the season theyve recruited well onto an already strong team yes theyll go well again and be there at seasons end.

Catalan though will remain an enigma they have an excellent coach who "gets"the Catalan way of ding things i think though they'll regress this season in a reaction to losing the GF last time out.

As for Wigan who knows i do feel the side is a little lopsided and not replacing Gildart will come back to haunt the side,but i dont think it will be the disaster season some are predicting.
I don't think we are any worse of without gildart, over the last to years his form would have seen him dropped by any other team.

That said we are missing the Gildart we use to have and I am not suggesting in any way Thornley is the same level but his stats are not far off. I'm hoping to be surprised by Thornley however I'm not excited by him.

I wouldn't be surprised if we did win the GF or Challenge Cup this year, even at our worst in a decade we made a GF and then 4th place and as they dont require season long consistency to win either possible.

The LLS is a no go, a new coach and new team makes me think we are going to see a varying levels of Consistency as the team get use to style/players.
I agree with you over Gildart,I should have made clear the Gildart of old not what turned up last season or so Thornley is the great unknown I don’t think he will be as woeful as some on here would have us believing but we shall see the centres in particular look threadbare in the past the academy has managed to plug gaps with lads used to playing in that position the last couple of years it’s turned out players that are much the same and that’s why the squad looks a little uneven.

I too can see Wigan easily picking up a pot this season but also as others have said can see it being a struggle from day one,exciting times :D
adam0026
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:52 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by adam0026 »

I think this will be an exciting season for fans.
Covid seems to be going away and fans are allowed at games.
Gildart and Hastings will be difficult to replace but Cade cust may turn out to be really good.
KPP will be awesome and so will shorrocks.

I don’t think anyone other than maybe Leeds have recruited better than Wigan.
St. Helens have lost a few very good players.
Warrington have lost mamo and Austin.

It might be strange season for a few teams but Wigan won’t be too far off I don’t think.
nathan_rugby
Posts: 4166
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:12 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by nathan_rugby »

Exiled Wiganer wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:52 am Honestly, I could see us finishing anywhere between 1st and 12th...

Best case scenario: Mago, Singleton and Ellis give us momentum, O’Neill rapidly develops into an attacking 9, KPP brings his offload game, Bateman gets back to world class, French comes back quickly and is fit, Cust slots into an attacking role, Field fulfils his broken field potential and our 3/4s surprise us. Peet is a coaching genius able to bring the good times back in style. If that all happens, we could beat some of the top teams.

Worst case scenario: Peetball is Waneball with worse players, so that Mago and co simply go to the floor rather than make ground, Field has lost his pace/confidence, French takes ages to return, Cust doesn’t settle, Powell plays, injuries in the backs (while French is away, our FIRST CHOICE 3/4 lines seems to Halsall - Bibby - Thornley - Marshall: and that’s with no injuries) so that we have to play Isa/Bateman/Faz in the centres again. Peet is an over promoted poor man’s Wane. If that all happens, we could lose to anyone and everyone, and do so in a continuation of the dullest style of play in RL history.

It’s the off season, so we can all hope for the best case scenario. We will have a far better idea soon enough.
No Hardaker in the 3/4 line?
Bomhead - "Lockers to prop."
Exiled Wiganer
Posts: 2677
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 1:18 pm

Re: Title challenge

Post by Exiled Wiganer »

Hardaker will have to play full back.
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