OUR BACK 5 ALL PLAYED WELL

[cpwigan]

According to Wane on Wigan TV

So we all watched a different FB to Matty Bowen or different centres to Gelling and Sarge.

[Dobby]

I thought Bowen and Gelling were abysmal.

[Firestarter]

Has Bowen or Gelling broke a tackle all season?how many balls has Gelling dropped( 2 a game and easy).Has Bowen ever put another player through a gap?
If Shaun wane thinks the above is acceptable then it could be a very long season.Hopefully Hampshire will get a good go at fullback because his link play is very good.Not sure how long Thornley is out but he would improve our three quarter line massively

[i'm spartacus]

Has Bowen or Gelling broke a tackle all season?how many balls has Gelling dropped( 2 a game and easy).Has Bowen ever put another player through a gap?

Gelling is second on tackle busts behind Bateman and Bowen is equal second on try assists behind Gelling.

Bowen was also third on try assists last season behind smith and green

[cpwigan]

Has Bowen or Gelling broke a tackle all season?how many balls has Gelling dropped( 2 a game and easy).Has Bowen ever put another player through a gap?

Gelling is second on tackle busts behind Bateman and Bowen is equal second on try assists behind Gelling.

Bowen was also third on try assists last season behind smith and green

BUT do you think Bowen or Gelling played well v Leeds ?

[old hooker]

The only one of our back five to come out of that game with any credit was Manfredi, the rest were dire and Williams and Smith not much better.Anyone can see we have not got enough quality in our squad and Wane needs to stand up to IL and tell him to spend.

[i'm spartacus]

Has Bowen or Gelling broke a tackle all season?how many balls has Gelling dropped( 2 a game and easy).Has Bowen ever put another player through a gap?

Gelling is second on tackle busts behind Bateman and Bowen is equal second on try assists behind Gelling.

Bowen was also third on try assists last season behind smith and green

BUT do you think Bowen or Gelling played well v Leeds ?

No, but that wasn't the question

[Mike]

Looking at our back line, you've got:

* an international class winger in josh
* a winger with clear internation potential in budgie, but who is leaving
* a winger with potential in manfredi

that's not too bad on the wings.

* a center with 2nd-tier international experience and potential in the top teir of internationals, but whose best performances have come at full back - sarg
* a centre with good strength but very clearly deficient rugby instincts and doubts about his real position - gelling
* a center with serious injury problems who has not made a success at any club yet and IMO seems to prevent the ball reaching his winger when he does play - thornley

Bascially I'd say we have one decent option, and he probably suits a full back role best because he's an off the cuff illusive runner, not a player best suited to forming an effective partnership with his winger.

* bowen who is on the way towards retirmenet at FB
* hampshire who seems shakey at FB but clearly has potential somewhere on the field.

Not the weakest area, but could be improved.

Right now the back line is packed with project players, unproven potential, players still learning the role etc. They did very well last season, so they can do it, but IMO they have to be in a good patch of form all together to achieve that. In the past we've had a back line that could be good if they were all doing OK, but would be great if they all hit form toegether.

Personally I'd bring in at least one new center - but that would have to be a proven player in that position not a project player. I feel with 1 or 2 acquisitions, probably two centers or a centre and full back we would have a strong back lineup. Right now, its quite good compared to the cometition when we are playing well, but when we are playing average its probably a worse than 50% of current SL squads.

[markill]

If Burgess wasn't leaving people would be happy with his performance on Friday night. Missed a difficult chance but one that you would hope he scores if he wants to be one of the world's best, but he looked dangerous on a number of occasions, but was cut down by the best full back in Super league, and by far and away the best defensive full back. Can't remember him doing anything wrong in particular but because he is going and Manfredi is staying only one gets any praise. Manfredi deserves some praise, he was possibly or best player in the first half and they kept the ball away from him in the second half with their far superior kicking game, but he also missed a chance he should have taken with the kick over the top of Burrow.

[cpwigan]

Looking at our back line, you've got:

* an international class winger in josh
* a winger with clear internation potential in budgie, but who is leaving
* a winger with potential in manfredi

that's not too bad on the wings.

* a center with 2nd-tier international experience and potential in the top teir of internationals, but whose best performances have come at full back - sarg
* a centre with good strength but very clearly deficient rugby instincts and doubts about his real position - gelling
* a center with serious injury problems who has not made a success at any club yet and IMO seems to prevent the ball reaching his winger when he does play - thornley

Bascially I'd say we have one decent option, and he probably suits a full back role best because he's an off the cuff illusive runner, not a player best suited to forming an effective partnership with his winger.

* bowen who is on the way towards retirmenet at FB
* hampshire who seems shakey at FB but clearly has potential somewhere on the field.

Not the weakest area, but could be improved.

Right now the back line is packed with project players, unproven potential, players still learning the role etc. They did very well last season, so they can do it, but IMO they have to be in a good patch of form all together to achieve that. In the past we've had a back line that could be good if they were all doing OK, but would be great if they all hit form toegether.

Personally I'd bring in at least one new center - but that would have to be a proven player in that position not a project player. I feel with 1 or 2 acquisitions, probably two centers or a centre and full back we would have a strong back lineup. Right now, its quite good compared to the cometition when we are playing well, but when we are playing average its probably a worse than 50% of current SL squads.

Wigan even describe them as project players or players with potential. You are right Mike re the quoted average being 2 per year group but it rose to 6 in exceptional years. The Farrell (Liam) year under Wane at academy = 1 IIRC, the Burke year again under Wane at academy = 1 IIRC. Sometimes winning at academy rather than developing players for Wigan seemed to be more important under a former Academy coach.