Hampshire

[Wiganer Ted]

I don't want anyone coming off the bench to replace MM for one more match. It just doesn't work. We won one away game last season at Wakey running this option and we were awful as usual away from the DW. A half decent team would have beaten us.

We need a player to replace MM who has started the game. MM did the 80 at Newcastle but others did dh. They were players who started the game. We won convincingly.
At Wire in the 0-28 win, MM went off and George W stepped up to 9 with Hampshire coming on at 6, there wasn't the usual drop in intensity. We were unrelenting and Wire couldn't cope same as Leeds couldn't at Magic. We won convincingly.

Replacing MM with someone off the bench didn't work last season nor the season before. They need to get it sorted.
They have four half backs in Williams, Smith Powell and Hampshire, they need rotating so they all get to play half back.

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

What I can't get my head round is if the club think he might come back and haunt us then they must really rate him. Now if they rate him why is he not in the team?

BINGO.the club won't play him are frightened to death St's, wire or leeds will get him so loan or sale to them is not an option. I think the chairman rads and most of the fans rate him, from what I gather all the other clubs rate him and would take him but wane whether being stubborn as he's been told on numerous occasions by ex players to pair him with George and build a big pack round them just won't play him.why should it matter if he went to St's or leeds if wigan don't want him, it's everything that's wrong with the game. Let him go if he burns wigan it's tough blame wane. Rocky and George are the most gifted half back pairing this country has produced in years it would be an absolute crying shame if rocky walked away without being given a chance in the halves a position he's played all his life.talk to bill Ashurst not a bad judge he thinks wane is totally missing the trick and both are just pure class.

TBH I am concerned that this is what's going on. But the off-season is a good time for reflection so perhaps he will get a shot in the pre-season and Wane will go with it.

The trouble is Mike the clock is ticking and the lad is going to walk away without having the opportunity to prove whether he is good enough to play first grade. Smith's poor form this season gave Wane ample opportunity to give him a chance but for some bizarre reason he chose not to! Perhaps somebody should pose a direct question to Wane at the next club function. In the old days the press would have been on his case permanently.

[Mike]

This is my one problem with Hampshire, he's not got into the first team ad quickly as he'd like but rather than buckling down, working hard, earning a chance and taking it, he seems to have the hump and want to leave. Seems a bit early in his career to act like that IMO. Its superstar primadonna stuff.

[nathan_rugby]

This is my one problem with Hampshire, he's not got into the first team ad quickly as he'd like but rather than buckling down, working hard, earning a chance and taking it, he seems to have the hump and want to leave. Seems a bit early in his career to act like that IMO. Its superstar primadonna stuff.

A lot does point to a suggestion like this...

[Tuigamala]

This is my one problem with Hampshire, he's not got into the first team ad quickly as he'd like but rather than buckling down, working hard, earning a chance and taking it, he seems to have the hump and want to leave. Seems a bit early in his career to act like that IMO. Its superstar primadonna stuff.

Can you blame him though when he's being snubbed for one of the "untouchables" in Smith? Rocky beats Smith in all areas of his game but to be fair there are areas of Rocky's game that he still needs to work on to fulfil that potential but Smith... well if performing like an amateur all season earns you an England jersey these days then god help us in the next world cup.

I don't like having a pop at the coach too much because I know he lives and breathes Wigan Rugby and he mostly follows his heart where the team is concerned but one area where Waney let's himself down is letting the more experienced players off the hook when they under perform. Prime example is Smith but then on the other foot Gelling being dropped for a couple of bad games. Now to be fair I agreed with his decision at the time but my issue is he didn't give him a chance to fix it that was the end of his season and I think we paid for that decision in the grand final.

[No straw damn us]

I'm a big Hampshire fan and hope he's here for the long term as I think he and Williams will be great together in the future. However I'm also a realist. How many teams have ever won anything with a pair of 20, or 21 or even 22 year old halfbacks. It's failed everytime it's been tried. I do think that they should have been given some game-time together from the bench during the season.

[DaveO]

I'm a big Hampshire fan and hope he's here for the long term as I think he and Williams will be great together in the future. However I'm also a realist. How many teams have ever won anything with a pair of 20, or 21 or even 22 year old halfbacks. It's failed everytime it's been tried. I do think that they should have been given some game-time together from the bench during the season.

What good in terms of winning things has it done persisting with Smith? That has failed the last two seasons.

If Smith was an older half back playing as well as Deacon did then fair enough but he isn't and still keeps getting picked.

As I said elsewhere when Green left Wigan panicked and signed Smith long term, for the reason you sate no doubt, but even though he has done next to nothing since Green left he's in the team every week.

We have some very poor sides in SL and the away form was rubbish yet despite this Wane doesn't try anything different in the halves.

Williams is the only running threat we have at half back as Smith is too slow so it's easy for defenses to close us down.

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

I'm a big Hampshire fan and hope he's here for the long term as I think he and Williams will be great together in the future. However I'm also a realist. How many teams have ever won anything with a pair of 20, or 21 or even 22 year old halfbacks. It's failed everytime it's been tried. I do think that they should have been given some game-time together from the bench during the season.

We could have played George and Rocky and still won nowt but at least they would have gained valuable experience of playing together at SL level.

[tommy774]

I don't want anyone coming off the bench to replace MM for one more match. It just doesn't work. We won one away game last season at Wakey running this option and we were awful as usual away from the DW. A half decent team would have beaten us.

We need a player to replace MM who has started the game. MM did the 80 at Newcastle but others did dh. They were players who started the game. We won convincingly.
At Wire in the 0-28 win, MM went off and George W stepped up to 9 with Hampshire coming on at 6, there wasn't the usual drop in intensity. We were unrelenting and Wire couldn't cope same as Leeds couldn't at Magic. We won convincingly.

Replacing MM with someone off the bench didn't work last season nor the season before. They need to get it sorted.
They have four half backs in Williams, Smith Powell and Hampshire, they need rotating so they all get to play half back.

MM didn't even play in this game he was injured. Sam Powell started the game at hooker.

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

As a Saints fan who's seen quite a bit of Hampshire over the years I'm amazed that Shaun Wane doesn't play him at 6 and Williams at 7.
Hampshire has the speed to terrify defences and Williams is the best 7 since Sean Long.
I'd use Matty Smith in the role Sam Powell is playing currently if I had this squad.
Someone mentioned Shorrocks above but he isn't in the same league as either of the two mentioned here.

Why?