Is this what we can expect this season

[AncientWarrior]

You said it!
What a load of whingeing, caterwauling prophets of doom!!!! Played 2 Won 1, Lost 1. Pass the cyanide.
What many of you lack is perspective.
I note that many contributors who supported the team prior to its success in the '80s take a more balanced view of the start to the season together with recent events. This is Wigan that we're talking about not some tuppeny ha'penny outfit. We'll be there or thereabouts at the sharp end of the season, don't worry. In the meantime, support your team - it's the best club in the land!!!

[waterside glens]

AncientWarrior posted:
You said it!
What a load of whingeing, caterwauling prophets of doom!!!! Played 2 Won 1, Lost 1. Pass the cyanide.
What many of you lack is perspective.
I note that many contributors who supported the team prior to its success in the '80s take a more balanced view of the start to the season together with recent events. This is Wigan that we're talking about not some tuppeny ha'penny outfit. We'll be there or thereabouts at the sharp end of the season, don't worry. In the meantime, support your team - it's the best club in the land!!!

BUY THAT MAN A BEER ....WELL SAID :eusa2:

[Fraggle]

thegimble posted:
Oh common the props in union are there for 2 resons only.

1. Scrummaging
2. Lineout (lifting the jumper)

A union prop would not last 30 minutes a match. League props need to be able to handle the ball union props sees it a few of times a match, where as in League they are the main carriers.

Sorry, I forgot to use the irony emoticon with that comment. It was intended as a tongue-in-cheek comment about the RFU tapping up our players, I didn't think anyone would take me seriously :conf:

[robjoenz]

GeoffN posted:
But you can't have depth nowadays because of the 20/20 rule!
No matter which 20 players we had, taking 5 of them out with injury (Davico, Farrell, Dallas, Carney, Sculthorpe from our original 20) leaves 15 to fill 17 places (including a less than fully fit Moran).
Which means 2 players in the squad on less than £20k pa. How many top class players are you going to get on that sort of wage?
We need to get rid of that stupid 20/20 rule if you want depth.

You can have some depth with the 20/20 rule, or maybe a better way of wording it would be to say a better spread of players.

Think who the big guys are that we use a battering rams, we have Scully and Seuseu. We have supposedly signed Guisset but by all accounts that is a make do with what's available, a choice that was forced. Then we have Hargreaves and Prescott breaking through. So that's two top class props, who will invariably get injured at some point in the season and can't play 80 minute stints.

Have a look at our closest rivals props.

Saints - Fozzard, Edmundson, Mason, Anderson.
Bulls - Vagana, Lynch, Fielden, Parker.
Leeds - McDermott, Ward, Scruton, Bailey, McDonald, Feather (on loan).

This does not include their younger stand-ins. Our defence over the past couple of seasons has been pretty much solid, our forward play, however, has not.

What do our rivals have that we don't? Replacement props. Leeds are extremely shrewd and even have a spare on loan at Wakefield should they have a forward crisis (obviously been watching Wigan and learning!). Did we learn from last season (apres Pongia sag) that you need more than three props to compete with the best? You'd think so wouldn't you!

As for the team settling in and taking 3-4 games, is this why the majority of SL sides have played 3-4 (or more) pre-season matches to ready themselves for the start of SLX? Wakefield and Leeds certainly don't seem to have had any problems settling in!

I'm not one to call players until they've had a chance but all fans look for things to improve on, as will Betts. The game against Salford was a slow start and not what you'd expect from us and first half on Saturday we lacked basics. Wakefield did come out well, especially in the forwards and Obst from dummy half but that doesn't excuse our missed tackles and handling errors!

[the grinch]

the best team on the night won! wigan will have another chance later on in the season and maybe this will be a kick up the bum and improvement will follow! dont make any knee jerk reactions to a loss to wakey. they are dark horses this season and i will not be at all suprised if they finish in the top six.

[GeoffN]

Depends which glory days you mean! AncientWarrior is right (not sure if he/she is as ancient as me!)

when I started watching, we had Griffiths, Boston, Ashton, Sullivan, Bolton, Sayer, McTigue...I've seen lots of ups and downs since then, so I don't get too worried during the downs.

Incidentally, clubs played 38 league games in those days, with cup matches on top! Too much rugby these days?

[AncientWarrior]

[quote]GeoffN posted:
Depends which glory days you mean! AncientWarrior is right (not sure if he/she is as ancient as me!)

I'm not anxious to start a 'who's older than who' war, Geoff, but the team that I started off watching (in th'en pen) included Jackie Cunliffe, Jack Broome, Ernie Ashcroft, Billy B, Ronny Mather.etc....enough said.
Since then, the team has taken me to the heights of bliss one week and to the depths of despair the next. But I wouldn't have changed it for the world. If you can't stand the heat....

[gab0512]

I agree, it does look like a more philosophical approach is taken from those who can remember the pre mid 80's/90's teams. Unfortunately Ancient Warrior I was only born in the late 60's so started watching in 71. I don't confess to being the oldest supporter but hardly missed a game since. Even cried at Wembley when Widnes beat us in 84 - although probably shouldn't admit it

The doom and gloom merchants think we are in decline. I would like to see it the other way, in that we taught everybody else how to play the game properly. All we now need to do is take it to the next level now they have caught up!

[MrsLam]

AncientWarrior posted:
You said it!
What a load of whingeing, caterwauling prophets of doom!!!! Played 2 Won 1, Lost 1. Pass the cyanide.
What many of you lack is perspective.
I note that many contributors who supported the team prior to its success in the '80s take a more balanced view of the start to the season together with recent events. This is Wigan that we're talking about not some tuppeny ha'penny outfit. We'll be there or thereabouts at the sharp end of the season, don't worry. In the meantime, support your team - it's the best club in the land!!!

I wasn't around before the "success" and I was very young during it, got to admit when I was younger my main reason for going to rugby was the chips...but I'm not whinging about our start to the season. Infact if we started well I'd be a bit worried, I know we'll come strong eventually and will be in the top 6

[GeoffN]

AncientWarrior posted:
I'm not anxious to start a 'who's older than who' war, Geoff

Oh, I don't mean it that way! I'm always happy to meet someone older than me!

Wouldn't have missed any of it!