Tonight's Match - Wigan squad for Hull FC

[TrueBlueWarrior]

French - 2
Miski - 3

Keighran - 6

I am ready to be put in my place for this suggestion but French is not a 6, Miski has the ‘best of the rest’ attributes as a centre and Keighran can play 6 comfortably.

I hide away!

You are presuming that King returns to Wire or we don’t sign another centre.

Until something is confirmed then we can only talk about players that we certainly have for next season but hopefully a new centre signs or king stays.

[Charriots Offiah]

Unless we sign King he is going back to Warrington. The status quo is that he is going, so no announcement means he is leaving. Miski is a winger, and has turned into a good one. Centre is a very difficult position to play in, and we need 2 specialist centres.

That’s the logical conclusion regarding King but it is not certain. The fact that we have not made announcements is irrelevant, we have not said anything about further signs yet as well.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

French - 2
Miski - 3

Keighran - 6

I am ready to be put in my place for this suggestion but French is not a 6, Miskii has the ‘best of the rest’ attributes as a centre and Keighran can play 6 comfortably.

I hide away!

How many 28 year old wingers have made the switch to centre without any prior experience in the position?

It’s one of the hardest positions to truly master and a huge no from me.

How many 27 year old full back/wingers have made the switch to half back without any prior experience in the position?

I know it’s not an ideal situation at all but if we don’t sign another centre or King leaves then I feel Miski at centre is a better option than French in the halves!

[Southern Softy]

Well, we did play most of a season with Farrell and Isa at centre, It wasn't perfect but as an emergency, it worked, so, maybe the basics of centre play is something can be picked up more quickly than is assumed. Often, in games, centres move to the wing and vice-versa when there are injuries.
I don't see what we have to lose by trying Miski at centre and Keighran in the halves and French on the wing.
We know French excels on the wing - Keighran has played in the halves during his career and I'm presuming that King will be going to Warrington and the club have given up on Cust.
Frankly, until Keighran gets here I'd try French on the wing - Miski at centre and Shorrocks back in the halves. He's more defensive than attacking but he did a job earlier in the season and we looked more of a cohesive unit.
Whatever we do, it seems obvious, currently, that French in the halves just isn't working.
(Puts on tin hat - lights blue touch paper - etc.etc.)

[Flash]

Well, we did play most of a season with Farrell and Isa at centre, It wasn't perfect but as an emergency, it worked, so, maybe the basics of centre play is something can be picked up more quickly than is assumed. Often, in games, centres move to the wing and vice-versa when there are injuries.
I don't see what we have to lose by trying Miski at centre and Keighran in the halves and French on the wing.
We know French excels on the wing - Keighran has played in the halves during his career and I'm presuming that King will be going to Warrington and the club have given up on Cust.
Frankly, until Keighran gets here I'd try French on the wing - Miski at centre and Shorrocks back in the halves. He's more defensive than attacking but he did a job earlier in the season and we looked more of a cohesive unit.
Whatever we do, it seems obvious, currently, that French in the halves just isn't working.
(Puts on tin hat - lights blue touch paper - etc.etc.)

We've won 7, lost 2 since French went to stand off. Both losses were by 1 point and included the "Shorrocks red card" semi final. The wins have included several drubbings. Keep that ratio over the next 9 games and the likelihood is we'll be discussing how we'll go in the Grand final.

That said, I think we ditched Field at 6 far too early and on the back of 1 bad performance when he was coming back from injury. We looked superb at Leigh with him at 6 before the injury. We should have spent some time on French fullback in attack but defending at stand off in my opinion. Unfortunately that ship has now sailed as we won't be making those changes this late in the season.

[Gerrumonside]

I agree - little late for experimenting again, but would love to see jai at stand-off and Bevan full back for a game before the playoffs…

[Exiled Wiganer]

Unless we sign King he is going back to Warrington. The status quo is that he is going, so no announcement means he is leaving. Miski is a winger, and has turned into a good one. Centre is a very difficult position to play in, and we need 2 specialist centres.

That’s the logical conclusion regarding King but it is not certain. The fact that we have not made announcements is irrelevant, we have not said anything about further signs yet as well.

My point was the narrow one that he goes if nothing else happens. I hope he stays. I think having 2 centres playing centre is not just very effective but makes us much better to watch.

[morley pie eater]

Can I just float a controversial idea, which I first mentioned a while ago?

The elephant in the room could be this: that, try as you may, fitting two top-class full backs into a team leads to other problems - specifically French and Field.

We have spent a season trying to resolve it, but still it goes on. The simple, obvious solution is to do the unthinkable: let Jai go. Play Bevan at 1, Keighran at 6, King at 3 if he stays.

Or 1. French, 3. Keighran, 6. AN Other

Or 1. French, 3. SO Else, 6. Keighran.

In the immortal words of Brother Medlocke . . . "The End."

[Southern Softy]

On the question of defence - Field (allowing for the odd mistake which all FB's make) is much more use at FB than he is defending in the halves. Defensively, French, now that he's much stronger this season is a very useful defender on the wing and OK at FB. Neither seems to play to their full potential in the halves and they both tend to disappear for long spells during matches. Field is a better passer, (in that he does tend to look where he's passing the ball!) In pure attacking terms, Field at FB and French on the wing seems to be the most effective.
It used to be said 3 into 2 doesn't go - it may be that 2 into 1 doesn't either. I wouldn't want to lose either of them but their value to the team should come first, not individual preferences.

[DaveO]

Can I just float a controversial idea, which I first mentioned a while ago?

The elephant in the room could be this: that, try as you may, fitting two top-class full backs into a team leads to other problems - specifically French and Field.

We have spent a season trying to resolve it, but still it goes on. The simple, obvious solution is to do the unthinkable: let Jai go. Play Bevan at 1, Keighran at 6, King at 3 if he stays.

Or 1. French, 3. Keighran, 6. AN Other

Or 1. French, 3. SO Else, 6. Keighran.

In the immortal words of Brother Medlocke . . . "The End."

If the idea is to let someone go the obvious solution is to let Miski go. It's a completely bonkers idea to let a player of Fields class leave to keep Miski. Miski is a decent winger but he's not good enough to be forcing Field to leave.