Rocky

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

Still amazes me that ppl want Smith dropped. Its not ok for Smith to struggle but it seems Williams gets away with it and over all this season Smith is the better of the 2.

Williams and Rocky have not impressed enough to be considered even if they are playing out of position. Williams is not an organiser or i have not seen him do that at SL level enough.

Rocky needs a run at 6 and Williams needs to be dropped or rested to allow this against Hull to see ho wit goes.

From inside the club Smith was supposedly under pressure for his place 4+ weeks ago. The club and I daresay Smith himself are that happy with his efforts this year. However, experience owing to the dreadful inconsistency of the team won through (odd as it may seem).

You could argue George needs a break but when has Rocky been given that halfback opportunity? NOBODY incl Sam T as a youngster has been so blatantly ignored for his preferred position than Rocky.

However, a question to ponder, maybe George would play better in partnership with Rocky. Certainly Matty Smith has been poor more often than not this season.

So has Williams as well and in spite of being a good young player, he is not experienced enough to be handling the important playmaker/organiser Stand Off role which in my opinion is the root of the problem of why we are not effected as we should be in creating more options in attack.

The same happen last season when Green was out injured and we did not play well then, but that was for a limited period only and not for the full season like it has been this season.

Why do you think that Leeds, sometime ago switched Sinfield to Stand Off and moved McGuire to Scrum Half with Burrow on the bench?

We need to sign a top class playmaker/organiser Stand Off and one who perhaps, is also a top class goal kicker as a bonus.

Ratchford would have been alright, but one from down would be even better!

To be fair, Gregory and Edwards would struggle behind this shambles of a pack. Williams isn't a stand off and everyone in the club knows it, we are currently playing with two scrum halves. When the going gets tough I expect the most experienced partner to stand up and be counted but Smith has failed to deliver. Wane's stubbornness to rotate the young players has taken its toll on Williams who needs a rest and therefore Rocky needs to be given an opportunity. A utility player like Ratchford would be ideal. With regard to goal kicking, Wane and Rads have had two seasons to sort it out!

[curryman]

I thought Rocky had an excellent game.

Betts had plainly told his team to bombard him with kicks and Rocky came through every time. I thought the way the whole squad mobbed him when he scored showed what they think of him.

Keep him in the team, chances we are going to end up 3rd whatever happens next week. Huddersfield cannot overtake us and I would have thought the chances of Stains tripping up at home to KR in their last game are very slim. So although the RL claim every game counts, I don't think our last game counts for very much at all other than boosting the team's shredded confidence (when playing away from home).

[cpwigan]

Re Smith. He has always been given first choice re which side of the pitch he prefers and is now experienced BUT for a half back he does not lead his team 'around the park', he does not shoulder the burden of responsibility IMO.

[Caboosegg]

CP please watch smith when you next watch or go to a match. On friday he was doing everything you said he doesn't above.

He was shouting at the team to get there act together and trying to get them into position quicker. This was while other players including the actual captain just walked up happy for the slow play. He was also one of the very few people chasing whenever he didn't do the kick.

I do feel that he gets some undue flack because everyone wants rocky in the halfs.

only way i see rocky playing in the halfs is if williams is injured. I am of the opinion with the amount of young players in our team to play rocky and Hampshire in the half together thus season would be a bad decision.

[Owd Codger]

CP please watch smith when you next watch or go to a match. On friday he was doing everything you said he doesn't above.

He was shouting at the team to get there act together and trying to get them into position quicker. This was while other players including the actual captain just walked up happy for the slow play. He was also one of the very few people chasing whenever he didn't do the kick.

I do feel that he gets some undue flack because everyone wants rocky in the halfs.

only way i see rocky playing in the halfs is if williams is injured. I am of the opinion with the amount of young players in our team to play rocky and Hampshire in the half together thus season would be a bad decision.

Right about Smith getting the flak because of some wanting Hampshire in the side and to some, Williams can do no wrong, even when he has been worse than Smith on occasions.

[DaveO]

I also think Hampshire should be given a go at 6 and Williams rested.

If Wane is so concerned about over-playing Bateman why doesn't the same apply to Williams?

Williams is in a key position expected to make the team tick so the pressure must be great.

He's had a few bangs and knocks as well.

[southportcdm]

I'm a big George fan and think that he will turn out to be a great 7 in the future. He's had a lot of pressure this season and it seems to be getting to him. A full season at 6 or 7 for a twenty year old is a big ask and we all assumed that Rocky, George and Sam Powell would be rotated more this season. If Waney won't give Matty a rest (and play George and Rocky together) why not rest George and give Rocky a run out at 6 against Hull? If it doesn't go well he can always put George back in when he's had a break. If Waney doesn't play Rocky at 6 against Hull he certainly won't 'risk' him in the play offs. What happens then if Matty gets injured in the next couple of weeks? I think he's put Sam in before Rocky. There are more potential positives than negatives of playing Rocky at 6 this week.

[old hooker]

CP please watch smith when you next watch or go to a match. On friday he was doing everything you said he doesn't above.

He was shouting at the team to get there act together and trying to get them into position quicker. This was while other players including the actual captain just walked up happy for the slow play. He was also one of the very few people chasing whenever he didn't do the kick.

I do feel that he gets some undue flack because everyone wants rocky in the halfs.

only way i see rocky playing in the halfs is if williams is injured. I am of the opinion with the amount of young players in our team to play rocky and Hampshire in the half together thus season would be a bad decision.

I dont criticise Smith because I want Hampshire in the side.It is because I think he is too slow, has an average kicking game and does not direct the team around the park.He is not good enough.As for Hampshire he is poor at full back and does not give me the impression he is anywhere near ready to be our number 7.He may prove me wrong but I doubt it.

[southernpie]

As for Hampshire he is poor at full back and does not give me the impression he is anywhere near ready to be our number 7.He may prove me wrong but I doubt it.

Rocky is a natural 6 not a 7, George is a natural 7 not a 6.

This is part of why I am totally confused.com this year and can't wait for seasons end, if you knew me you would be rushing me to the hospital now for the last part of that statement.

It seems to me most of the time half the side are playing out of position, therefore it is no wonder our plays look crap, as the players are having to think about what they are doing or where they should be, they are not acting instinctively doing what comes naturally they are all trying too hard to be something they are not or maybe throwing their teddies out of the pram.

Just don't get me started on who is (or not)doing the forwards job of "laying the platform".

Although I still want to see Wigan as Grand Final Winners (can't help myself), I will never look back on 2015 as a season to remember, more one to forget.

[cpwigan]

I thought Rocky showed some glimpses of real class v Widnes. Unfortunately the Wane philosophy makes it difficult for any half to shine and be at their best. It is the same win or lose, we NEVER CONTROL games and score 'easy tries' Too many of our tries are 'magic' 'high risk' tries.