Why move all the team around because of injuries?

[dave t]

I wish people (including Brian Noble) would stop changing the whole team around because of injuries to key players.
We should see the present situation as a "positive" and give our reserve team players a chance for example: I have spoken on this website a couple of times about Mark Flanagan's performance at 6 against St Helens's reserves a few week ago (he was awesome!!!)believe me I would have no hesitation about putting him there on Friday with Sam at 7 and Leuluai as replacement hooker (or the other way round), and keep the rest as is, instead of moving everyonwe around.
For those who haven't seen Flanagan at 6 but have seen him in the pack, forget it! he is a far better player at six and reminds me so much as a young Trent Barrett, give the lad a chance !!!

[DaveO]

I wish people (including Brian Noble) would stop changing the whole team around because of injuries to key players.
We should see the present situation as a "positive" and give our reserve team players a chance for example: I have spoken on this website a couple of times about Mark Flanagan's performance at 6 against St Helens's reserves a few week ago (he was awesome!!!)believe me I would have no hesitation about putting him there on Friday with Sam at 7 and Leuluai as replacement hooker (or the other way round), and keep the rest as is, instead of moving everyonwe around.
For those who haven't seen Flanagan at 6 but have seen him in the pack, forget it! he is a far better player at six and reminds me so much as a young Trent Barrett, give the lad a chance !!!

Well I am not sure moving Sam to 7 and TL to 9 isn't moving the team around to get Flanagan in at 6 but I agree with the idea of keeping the changes to a minimum.

If we play Gleeson at 6 this will IMO be a mistake causing major disruption and he isn't that good a 6 according to the Wire posters on rlfans.

The smallest changes we cold make would be Flanagan for MM, Mossop into the 2nd row with JT to 13 and young Farrell on the bench for Hansen.

Noble will not IMO go for that. It would mean relying on a player with zero SL experience, a player with 1 game in SL and Mossop who has had a few out on loan.

What I think will happen is Goulding to centre, Gleeson to 6, Sam to 7, TL to share the 9 with Riddell. Or as CPW mentioned in another thread TL will start a 7 and when Riddell goes off moves to 9 with musical chairs everywhere else.

Dave

[GeoffN]

I wish people (including Brian Noble) would stop changing the whole team around because of injuries to key players.
We should see the present situation as a "positive" and give our reserve team players a chance for example: I have spoken on this website a couple of times about Mark Flanagan's performance at 6 against St Helens's reserves a few week ago (he was awesome!!!)believe me I would have no hesitation about putting him there on Friday with Sam at 7 and Leuluai as replacement hooker (or the other way round), and keep the rest as is, instead of moving everyonwe around.
For those who haven't seen Flanagan at 6 but have seen him in the pack, forget it! he is a far better player at six and reminds me so much as a young Trent Barrett, give the lad a chance !!!

He's not been as good since the Saints game, though. I'd rather see him on the bench as reserve hooker, keeping Sam & Tommy in the halves where they've started to gel nicely.

[cpwigan]

Flannagan was on top of his game around the Saints game and as Geoff says he has no been as good since. He was the best player from the start of the season up to incl the Saints game. Farrell has been the best player since.

However, I believe Flannagan could easily slip in at 9 with minimal disruption to the rest of the team.

[highland convert]

Could be the lad lost some enthusiasm reserve after reserve especially when the first team was notgoing well. Nothing like selection to put fire in their belly. 3 position up for grabs for the next six weeks if the chance arrises to prove themselves. Long enough to cement their place.
Jim

[cpwigan]

Very much Jim. Hence, why they bring so much enthusiasm etc when they do get a chance.

[DaveO]

Could be the lad lost some enthusiasm reserve after reserve especially when the first team was notgoing well.

Very possibly. Look what has happened to Ainscough. Looked like a first team player. Got dropped for an out of form Roberts and now we see in other threads Ainscough is not going well in the reserves.

Nothing like selection to put fire in their belly. 3 position up for grabs for the next six weeks if the chance arrises to prove themselves. Long enough to cement their place.
Jim

Do you really think they would cement their place on the back of good performances? I would like to think they could but the way Ainscough was treated suggests that is unlikely to happen.

Dave

[highland convert]

Maybe it is Nobles weakness that he cant match players to the opposition teams. If he could maybe players like Farrell and Flannigan could have been blooded more this season. Little point in having two cars if you run one of them into the deck and leave the other in the garage.
Jim

[jaws1]

Maybe it is Nobles weakness that he cant match players to the opposition teams. If he could maybe players like Farrell and Flannigan could have been blooded more this season. Little point in having two cars if you run one of them into the deck and leave the other in the garage.
Jim

Jim all the posters on here that have been caling for Noble to be replaced is because he has not given time to blood young players into the team .Give them game time and get them into SL way of playing .Now he is left with a dilema he has injuries and now he has to throw young players without any SL experience into the fray.Sam Tompkins has took his chance well ,Joel Tompkins took his chance well they would not be playing only for injuries to Nobles chosen few.Ainscough set the game afire when he came into the team ,what does Noble do single him out for his defense and tell everyone in public ,he has ruined that lads career.SL are quing up to sign him up as he has been offered a new contract yet.

[cpwigan]

Maybe it is Nobles weakness that he cant match players to the opposition teams. If he could maybe players like Farrell and Flannigan could have been blooded more this season. Little point in having two cars if you run one of them into the deck and leave the other in the garage.
Jim

Very true Jim. One of the problems is that a player can only learn so much from playing reserve RL. Once he has done so, he stagnates and it hinders his development and potential. Indeed, his potential value to the club.

Equally, the step up to first team from reserve RL is huge. The biggest difference being the speed of the game and it takes any reserve player time to adjust to that difference. If Wigan RLFC cannot provide that then loan moves help to bridge that gap and prevent a young player stagnating developmentally. Whatsmore, if you have players stagnating in reserves, the positions they occupy at that level mean that there are platers stagnating similarly at academy level.

Whilst it is nice that our reserve trounce every other reserve team, it is not the aim of reserve RL.