Next season

Discuss all things Wigan Warriors. Comments and opinions on all aspects of the club's performance are welcome.
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stanthemanc
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Next season

Post by stanthemanc »

I think we will be surprised next season, I believe harry smith will come on leaps and bounds with lee briers helping him and if field and French don’t come back I don’t think it’s a big issue as some of the youngsters stood up very well this season. People are slating the club resigning thornley I could be wrong but a journey man at centre that knows how to slow the game down when need’s be I could be wrong .we all know what wane brings to this team and it will be a solid defence and with the exciting youngsters that have played this year . Being nurtured and coached by briers and O’Loughlin .put it this way can’t be worse than this season.
CherryB
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Re: Next season

Post by CherryB »

I wish I shared your optimism. I personally can't see an end to the current problems anytime soon, and certainly don't see the new coaching team or new signings as having any significant change.
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Wigan_forever1985
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Re: Next season

Post by Wigan_forever1985 »

stanthemanc wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:38 pm I think we will be surprised next season, I believe harry smith will come on leaps and bounds with lee briers helping him and if field and French don’t come back I don’t think it’s a big issue as some of the youngsters stood up very well this season. People are slating the club resigning thornley I could be wrong but a journey man at centre that knows how to slow the game down when need’s be I could be wrong .we all know what wane brings to this team and it will be a solid defence and with the exciting youngsters that have played this year . Being nurtured and coached by briers and O’Loughlin .put it this way can’t be worse than this season.
ill take this point by point

I think we will be surprised next season, I believe harry smith will come on leaps and bounds with lee briers helping him
He's already had one of the best half backs to play the game a player far better than briers was as his coach - so im not sure why people are so assured that Briers will provide any more insight for players than Lam did

if field and French don’t come back I don’t think it’s a big issue as some of the youngsters stood up very well this season.
We scored less than every other team in the league including the one that was relegated. If you think that we don't need French considering especially Hastings departure and Tommy going round again im not sure what for you would constitute a big issue

People are slating the club resigning thornley I could be wrong but a journey man at centre that knows how to slow the game down when need’s be I could be wrong
If there is one thing Wigan dont need - its someone to slow down the game even more

we all know what wane brings to this team and it will be a solid defence and with the exciting youngsters that have played this year . Being nurtured and coached by briers and O’Loughlin .put it this way can’t be worse than this season.


So wane brings the one thing we didnt struggle with last year? and lets clarify there was nothing exciting about last year.

You are right though it could be worse however you would have to try very very very hard to make that the case
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nathan_rugby
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Re: Next season

Post by nathan_rugby »

Wigan_forever1985 wrote: Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:56 am
stanthemanc wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:38 pm I think we will be surprised next season, I believe harry smith will come on leaps and bounds with lee briers helping him and if field and French don’t come back I don’t think it’s a big issue as some of the youngsters stood up very well this season. People are slating the club resigning thornley I could be wrong but a journey man at centre that knows how to slow the game down when need’s be I could be wrong .we all know what wane brings to this team and it will be a solid defence and with the exciting youngsters that have played this year . Being nurtured and coached by briers and O’Loughlin .put it this way can’t be worse than this season.
ill take this point by point

I think we will be surprised next season, I believe harry smith will come on leaps and bounds with lee briers helping him
He's already had one of the best half backs to play the game a player far better than briers was as his coach - so im not sure why people are so assured that Briers will provide any more insight for players than Lam did

if field and French don’t come back I don’t think it’s a big issue as some of the youngsters stood up very well this season.
We scored less than every other team in the league including the one that was relegated. If you think that we don't need French considering especially Hastings departure and Tommy going round again im not sure what for you would constitute a big issue

People are slating the club resigning thornley I could be wrong but a journey man at centre that knows how to slow the game down when need’s be I could be wrong
If there is one thing Wigan dont need - its someone to slow down the game even more

we all know what wane brings to this team and it will be a solid defence and with the exciting youngsters that have played this year . Being nurtured and coached by briers and O’Loughlin .put it this way can’t be worse than this season.


So wane brings the one thing we didnt struggle with last year? and lets clarify there was nothing exciting about last year.

You are right though it could be worse however you would have to try very very very hard to make that the case
Agree on every single point. Read the post, thought the same, didn’t have the energy to reply but thanks!
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southportcdm
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Re: Next season

Post by southportcdm »

Looking at the player turnover from this season to next you can see positives or negatives depending on whether you're a glass half full or half empty type:

Ellis and Mago for Bullock and Clubb - should be an improvement

Miski for Manfredi - an improvement on 2021 Manfredi but a huge loss compared to Dom at his best

Thornley for Gildart - similar for the 2021 Gilly but a big loss compared to Gilly at his best

The loss of Hastings is huge as he's not been replaced even if you subscribe to the idea that he dominated play too much. If Field can step up that would help but let's be honest he didn't have a chance to show what he can do this season and the limited game time he had wasn't very encouraging. If he could find a job back home, replacing him may be our best option but I think he'll return.

I'm convinced Bevan will be back. If he doesn't return it will be a disaster for our attack next season.

You'd hope that the younger players would all find some improvement, but it isn't guaranteed, and you'd hope that the older players don't deteriorate markedly. Bateman should of course have more to offer and we have to hope that Zak can 'hold it all together' for another year.

I'm expecting an improvement from the coaching staff largely because I don't think Lammy was a good coach. If we've got it right and they're above average we could see a big improvement and this is our main hope for next season.

I'd be happy with a more exciting style and being more successful against the top sides. I really don't think we'll be challenging for honours though. I think wire and Leeds will improve whilst saints and catalans will be at a similar level to this season. Huddersfield will pick up and Hull will probably find some way of underachieving.
Exiled Wiganer
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Re: Next season

Post by Exiled Wiganer »

I am optimistic, as I think a lot of the problems we had came from the lack of coaching, and, I suspect a lack of buy in to the coach’s way of doing things. I think our pack will be fine. We will have better props, and our young forwards still have plenty of improvement in them. In the backs, IL has told us that they are looking and have money for a half back (Benni Marshall is free...), and so I will wait and see what they come up with. Clearly, Peel is a fantastic defence coach, and his Academy teams scored a lot of points, so he must have some understanding of attacking play.

Peet to steer the ship, Wane to terrify everyone into lifting their standards and understanding what it means to beat Saints, and Briers to come up with some attacking plays. There is a logic to it, we just need that halfback they promised...
DaveO
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Re: Next season

Post by DaveO »

southportcdm wrote: Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:54 am
Ellis and Mago for Bullock and Clubb - should be an improvement

Miski for Manfredi - an improvement on 2021 Manfredi but a huge loss compared to Dom at his best

Thornley for Gildart - similar for the 2021 Gilly but a big loss compared to Gilly at his best
With the two forwards you'd hope they are better in quality but as it stands if French doesn't come back they are going to be the only improvements in this seasons squad with the backs going backwards.

Peet and Briers don't have a lot to work with and I am not convinced they will get any more out of the likes of TL, Powell, Partington, Bryne, Smith and Thornley (i.e. his Leigh form) than we have already seen this season because I don't think these players have any more to offer.

There is no logic to the two points in bold. If there was I'd be an improvement over Dom never mind Miski.

I have seen this sort of thing posted before. Manfredi was crocked and Gilly was off form so any old cart horse is an improvement. This is nuts and it's just excusing the squad being taken backwards in quality.
No straw damn us
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Re: Next season

Post by No straw damn us »

Yes we scored less points than any other team, however that was down in part to the poor goalkicking, we were actually eighth in tries scored.
Good enough no, but missing strike players like Manfredi, French, Marshall, Gildart, Field and Hardaker for large chunks of the season was a BIG factor.

Just to point out that Saints, most peoples favourites for the Grand Final only finished fifth in the try scoring table. What won Saints many of their games was their superb defence. They also had the lowest number of offloads in Superleague.
DaveO
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Re: Next season

Post by DaveO »

At the end of the season the only two players missing were Manfredi and French. Unless you dropped Smith or Bibby there was no room for Field.

I really don't think given the total lack of any attacking structure those two being available would have made a dramatic difference. Sure the tactic would have been "pass it to French" and he'd have done something every now and again but the issues go far deeper than the absence of a couple of injured players.

Goal kicking was indeed an issue and of course it still is with the club seemingly still blind to it.
josie andrews
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Re: Next season

Post by josie andrews »

Exiled Wiganer wrote: Wed Oct 06, 2021 12:03 pm I am optimistic, as I think a lot of the problems we had came from the lack of coaching, and, I suspect a lack of buy in to the coach’s way of doing things. I think our pack will be fine. We will have better props, and our young forwards still have plenty of improvement in them. In the backs, IL has told us that they are looking and have money for a half back (Benni Marshall is free...), and so I will wait and see what they come up with. Clearly, Peel is a fantastic defence coach, and his Academy teams scored a lot of points, so he must have some understanding of attacking play.

Peet to steer the ship, Wane to terrify everyone into lifting their standards and understanding what it means to beat Saints, and Briers to come up with some attacking plays. There is a logic to it, we just need that halfback they promised...
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