Isa

[5miler]

What do you expect? The slug is a second hand car salesman in his spare time.

[Barney841]

Didn't look dangerous to me either

That's right. It's not like he came the front of his legs

[jao711]

It seems a few more people have"discovered"Willie Isa .Willie has been in good form all season and particularly the last few weeks.Iposted before that he reminded me of Cassidy.never a World star but worth every penny to Wigan.Of course we have the slagging from the usual suspects,nothing specific ,just name calling.Every team needs "grafters".Incidentally,take a look at Redvee under the heading Three decisions.The poster says the referee said to the linesman"he went for the crease"meaning he tackled the back of the legs which is what I thought.Why should anyone on this board condemn the player so strongly.

[DaveO]

He's had more than one good game that's for sure.

I agree. Two.

He's not someone who is one of the best players in the side every week but I seriously doubt he's being paid at that level.

Don't care what he is paid.

Isa was brought in to play down the middle and has only recently been able to put a consistent run of games together in the middle of the park and do what was expected of him. And it wasn't a case of him not playing down the middle because he isn't good enough, but because his versatility meant he was the obvious choice to fill in at second row or centre.

How many games has he played at centre again? Are you seriously suggesting a former centre who has played most games for us in the 2nd row (and was doing so for Widnes before he got here) has spent most of the season out of position not playing prop? Really?

Also, if you're going to use Wembley as the yardstick then our entire team bar O'Loughlin and Gildart are crap. You've got to view Isa in relation to our other props, and he's not doing badly in comparison to them and is probably in better form than all except maybe Clubb. You could criticise pretty much all of our props for not being consistent and generally not being in form most of the year. I'm inclined to believe it's a team issue rather than half a dozen inconsistent individuals.

He's not a prop.

Who else in the squad is at the same level as Isa? Wells is next in line but I still see him as a back row forward and not quite at the level physically for the front row. Bretherton hasn't played himself into contention and Field isn't ready yet.

Isa is not good enough so who cares who else isn't? Wells and other young players have an excuse, age and inexperience. We recruited Isa as an experienced player and he holds down a first team spot regularly and regularly does naff all.

Having Isa on the bench gives us a versatile bench player who can cover lock, prop, second row and centre, will generally do a pretty good job in any of those positions (and a 'pretty good' job is about the best we get from our props) and every so often you get a very good game from him. I doubt you'll find many players who can provide that to the same standard for the same wage.

You can tell umpteen players to play in any position and 99 time out of 100 they will take to the field at the behest of the coach. That does not equal versatility. It's not good enough every so often we get a good game out of him because he isn't picked every so often but regularly.

He is a typical Wane player. Gives 100% so never mind the quality.

We have too many of those in the team and it is a big reason we lost so many games this season.

[DaveO]

It seems a few more people have"discovered"Willie Isa .

If you mean discovered he is bang average at best, I'd agree.

[medlocke]

Isa isn't good enough yet several of our current and former players rate him very highly, who do i believe :eusa16:

[DaveO]

Isa isn't good enough yet several of our current and former players rate him very highly, who do i believe :eusa16:

Your own eyes? When was the last time you heard former or current players diss another player? Ask any player an opinion on any other and he is NOT going to say he is crap.

[morley pie eater]

Are you on something, Dave O? You seem very intent on "dissing" Willie Isa or anybody who praises him.

I agree with the gist of many on this thread, that Willie is probably not on a top wage and was probably signed as someone who can cover a number of positions and do an ok job - a squad player who doesn't bust the salary cap.

Judging him on this basis (which is perfectly reasonable, just as I'd expect more of a marquee player on top money), he's done a good job for us. He was exceptional against Saints, and "exceptional" by definition means he doesn't play that well every week. Nevertheless he has clocked up some creditable stats whilst going under the radar a bit.

My concern about Willie was when we had lots of young lads in the team, he seemed to think he had to be a playmaker/showman and made some laughable errors. If he sticks to being a solid unspectacular grafter a bit like Mick Cassidy was - that's not equating them in value terms btw, just saying they are/were . . er, solid and unspectacular grafters) - then he'll deserve all the praise he gets.

[DaveO]

Are you on something, Dave O? You seem very intent on "dissing" Willie Isa or anybody who praises him.

Why would I need to be "on something"?

He had a good game v Saints and all of a sudden he deserves a thread singing his praises despite the rest of the season?

I agree with the gist of many on this thread, that Willie is probably not on a top wage and was probably signed as someone who can cover a number of positions and do an ok job - a squad player who doesn't bust the salary cap.

Judging him on this basis (which is perfectly reasonable, just as I'd expect more of a marquee player on top money), he's done a good job for us. He was exceptional against Saints, and "exceptional" by definition means he doesn't play that well every week. Nevertheless he has clocked up some creditable stats whilst going under the radar a bit.

He plays that well once in a blue moon and it's a straw man argument to say he's cheap so he can be average for the rest of the time when he gets picked most weeks.

My concern about Willie was when we had lots of young lads in the team, he seemed to think he had to be a playmaker/showman and made some laughable errors. If he sticks to being a solid unspectacular grafter a bit like Mick Cassidy was - that's not equating them in value terms btw, just saying they are/were . . er, solid and unspectacular grafters) - then he'll deserve all the praise he gets.

You have no idea what he thought. Cassidy and Hansen were indeed grafters but they were also well suited to the position they played in the pack. Mind you to say that is all they offered to justify Isa is rather an insult to those former players who were far better than Isa.

[markill]

You're right cherry. He may 'look' more like a 2nd rower, but every single start he's had in that position has been for Wigan, he wasn't accustomed to it when he came.
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/match ... S0tLS0tLS0

He's a squad player. Expendable if someone better emerges, but vital until that happens, given the amount of forward injuries we get.