Academy Final
Re: Academy Final
Winning the GF was obviously not a priority given we did not field our strongest possible team and even changed numerous players around in the existing line up. Whomever made that decision wants shooting!!!
Anybody watching the GF play off match when we lost a far closer contest to Wakey knew that line up was not good enough to beat Wakey. Wakey are very good defensively and play a very simple low risk mistake free strategy with ball in hand. They are beatable.
I am still struggling to understand how we kept bringing the best players in for games during the season but come the big day we did not. You either make a decision at the start of a season and go with a specified squad and live or die by their efforts or you pick the best team possible whenever you can. Chopping and changing between the two philosophies is pointless. It is actually counter productive.
Anybody watching the GF play off match when we lost a far closer contest to Wakey knew that line up was not good enough to beat Wakey. Wakey are very good defensively and play a very simple low risk mistake free strategy with ball in hand. They are beatable.
I am still struggling to understand how we kept bringing the best players in for games during the season but come the big day we did not. You either make a decision at the start of a season and go with a specified squad and live or die by their efforts or you pick the best team possible whenever you can. Chopping and changing between the two philosophies is pointless. It is actually counter productive.
Re: Academy Final
I think the right decision was made with the team selection, John picked the players who had got the team to 2nd in the league and through to the Final. What was he going to say to those who would have been left out, thanks for getting us here, but you are not good enough for the final, a real moral booster that would have been.
Lots of praise has been heaped on the Wakefield side, yes they were the better side than Wigan, but so they should be, most of their players are 18/19 yrs old and only 1 I believe is 17, 7 have actually been signed up for the 1st team squad for next season. Compared this to the Wigan side that had 5 16yrs old, all on the pitch at one stage, with the rest 17 and only 1 18yr old. Why were these Wakefield players not moved up to the reserves, which were crap this season, perhaps because Wakefield were so desperate to win something this season.
I was there on Saturday, yes in the 1st half wigan did lose the plot and made some basic costly errors, but in the second half they made Wakefield work hard for every inch, keeping them down to 1 try, and nearly scoring 1 themselves, but just knocking on over the line. The players were a credit to themselves and the club
There are some excellent prospects in the Academy squad which bodes well for the future of the club.
Lots of praise has been heaped on the Wakefield side, yes they were the better side than Wigan, but so they should be, most of their players are 18/19 yrs old and only 1 I believe is 17, 7 have actually been signed up for the 1st team squad for next season. Compared this to the Wigan side that had 5 16yrs old, all on the pitch at one stage, with the rest 17 and only 1 18yr old. Why were these Wakefield players not moved up to the reserves, which were crap this season, perhaps because Wakefield were so desperate to win something this season.
I was there on Saturday, yes in the 1st half wigan did lose the plot and made some basic costly errors, but in the second half they made Wakefield work hard for every inch, keeping them down to 1 try, and nearly scoring 1 themselves, but just knocking on over the line. The players were a credit to themselves and the club
There are some excellent prospects in the Academy squad which bodes well for the future of the club.
Re: Academy Final
TC,
What you are saying is not strictly true. Indeed, that is the key point. Throughout the season whenever the older players were available, they were brought into the academy team. So why not for the biggest game of the season especially when free from reserve commitments.
Two Cumbrian players played a significant role in getting Wigan to their league position and both were seemingly dumped. Where were they in the GF? What did John Pendlebury say to Glen Riley and Karl Olstrom both of whom played in the only game we beat Wakey. Riley actually looked like a prop whereas IMO young players have been 'used' Adam Jones 11 times on the bench but never going to play Pro RL. Kieron Harrison, a guttsy young man but a future pro front rower? A loose forward/occasional stand off has spent part of the season in the front row, Liam Thompson. After a near career ending injury what sense did it make to play Thompie in the front row, a position he will never play in pro RL?
Did we give others who played a part in the season an oppoertunity? What happened to the Parkinson twins?
Did Ian Thornley not already contribute to the wins in the regular season and in the play offs? I seem to recall he played a big role the only time we beat Wakey.
Josh Charnley? Joe Mellor? Stefan Marsh? All contributed to the Academy season and except Marsh owing to injury all should have played in the GF. Why bring them in to create a false position and then leave the remainder of the squad to be exposed in the biggest game of the season.
If you go for pure player development which I have no argument against why oh why have umpteen youngsters spent the entire season scratching their bottoms and not developing. It is interesting that Sam Powell benefitted more from not being signed by Wigan at 16 and playing in the NYL with St Pats than his peers who spend far too long twiddling their thumbs than playing.
I am not even sure the age difference is as big an issue as you imply. The starting Wigan 13 contained 1 first year player. The best 1st year player was relegated to the bench. All the rest of our players were 2nd and 3rd year players. Johnnny and Gaz being 3rd Year players. Yes, Wakey had a large number of 3rd and 2nd year players but they had some players younger. MOM Southernwood is younger IIRC.
I will never understand a coach constantly chasnging players around at the business end of the season as JP did. Look at the play off teams. Playing players out of position such as Jack Hughes. We lost 3 times to Wakey. The GF replicated the League game when we saw Wigan beaten easily. The play off game was the closest but we still looked some way off. The one time we beat Wakey we had the likes of Thornley in the line up. You play your best team and you win and yes 4 lads miss out on a losers medal but 17 others get a winners medal.
What you are saying is not strictly true. Indeed, that is the key point. Throughout the season whenever the older players were available, they were brought into the academy team. So why not for the biggest game of the season especially when free from reserve commitments.
IMO is not true and there are many unanswered question by John Pendlebury who I am led to believe is leaving.John picked the players who had got the team to 2nd in the league and through to the Final.
Two Cumbrian players played a significant role in getting Wigan to their league position and both were seemingly dumped. Where were they in the GF? What did John Pendlebury say to Glen Riley and Karl Olstrom both of whom played in the only game we beat Wakey. Riley actually looked like a prop whereas IMO young players have been 'used' Adam Jones 11 times on the bench but never going to play Pro RL. Kieron Harrison, a guttsy young man but a future pro front rower? A loose forward/occasional stand off has spent part of the season in the front row, Liam Thompson. After a near career ending injury what sense did it make to play Thompie in the front row, a position he will never play in pro RL?
Did we give others who played a part in the season an oppoertunity? What happened to the Parkinson twins?
Did Ian Thornley not already contribute to the wins in the regular season and in the play offs? I seem to recall he played a big role the only time we beat Wakey.
Josh Charnley? Joe Mellor? Stefan Marsh? All contributed to the Academy season and except Marsh owing to injury all should have played in the GF. Why bring them in to create a false position and then leave the remainder of the squad to be exposed in the biggest game of the season.
If you go for pure player development which I have no argument against why oh why have umpteen youngsters spent the entire season scratching their bottoms and not developing. It is interesting that Sam Powell benefitted more from not being signed by Wigan at 16 and playing in the NYL with St Pats than his peers who spend far too long twiddling their thumbs than playing.
I am not even sure the age difference is as big an issue as you imply. The starting Wigan 13 contained 1 first year player. The best 1st year player was relegated to the bench. All the rest of our players were 2nd and 3rd year players. Johnnny and Gaz being 3rd Year players. Yes, Wakey had a large number of 3rd and 2nd year players but they had some players younger. MOM Southernwood is younger IIRC.
I will never understand a coach constantly chasnging players around at the business end of the season as JP did. Look at the play off teams. Playing players out of position such as Jack Hughes. We lost 3 times to Wakey. The GF replicated the League game when we saw Wigan beaten easily. The play off game was the closest but we still looked some way off. The one time we beat Wakey we had the likes of Thornley in the line up. You play your best team and you win and yes 4 lads miss out on a losers medal but 17 others get a winners medal.
Re: Academy Final
CP
Academy appearances
Murphy 19,Melling 16,Hughes 20,Crow 15,King 13,Mcloughlin 17,Powell 21,Spencer 20,Tomkins 20,Harrison 21,Sarsfield 13,Malloy 11,Thompson 21, Russel 15,Burke 17,Jackson 8,Bridge 17
Riley 3,Olstrom 8,Charnley 4,Mellor 3,Marsh 3,Thornley 7
As I said the players picked for the Final were in the main responsible for getting there. Yes the others contributed but Charnley, Mellor, Marsh and Thornley spent most of the season in the reserves playing in a majority of the games including the Grand Final.
Why Danny and David Parkinson were not selected I dont know, who'd be a coach. With regards to Riley and Olstrom looking at their appearances this season both seem to have dropped off the map, I dont know why.
I still believe the age difference played a large part in the result,this made Wakefield faster, stronger and more tactically aware than Wigan.
Regarding the best player being on the bench, I dont know which one you mean as they are all excellent players in their own right, each with different attributes and weaknesses and all have and will make great contributions to the team this season and in the future.
Utlimately yes they lost, but at least they had the opportunity to play in a Grand Final, for most of them possibly the only one they will ever appear in.
I still believe Wigan have a promising group of youngsters coming through the ranks and I cant wait to play Wakefield Academy next season when their current older crop of players have moved on.
Academy appearances
Murphy 19,Melling 16,Hughes 20,Crow 15,King 13,Mcloughlin 17,Powell 21,Spencer 20,Tomkins 20,Harrison 21,Sarsfield 13,Malloy 11,Thompson 21, Russel 15,Burke 17,Jackson 8,Bridge 17
Riley 3,Olstrom 8,Charnley 4,Mellor 3,Marsh 3,Thornley 7
As I said the players picked for the Final were in the main responsible for getting there. Yes the others contributed but Charnley, Mellor, Marsh and Thornley spent most of the season in the reserves playing in a majority of the games including the Grand Final.
Why Danny and David Parkinson were not selected I dont know, who'd be a coach. With regards to Riley and Olstrom looking at their appearances this season both seem to have dropped off the map, I dont know why.
I still believe the age difference played a large part in the result,this made Wakefield faster, stronger and more tactically aware than Wigan.
Regarding the best player being on the bench, I dont know which one you mean as they are all excellent players in their own right, each with different attributes and weaknesses and all have and will make great contributions to the team this season and in the future.
Utlimately yes they lost, but at least they had the opportunity to play in a Grand Final, for most of them possibly the only one they will ever appear in.
I still believe Wigan have a promising group of youngsters coming through the ranks and I cant wait to play Wakefield Academy next season when their current older crop of players have moved on.