Squad v Castleford

[fozzie58]

A game easily forgotten about frankly,Wigan need to start upping their game a nadge because while Can are a very poor side much better teams are coming into view now so games such as these should really be used as a stepping stone towards the better sides in super league.

Good to see Mike Cooper back and young Nsemba with a good wind behind him in the coming years could turn into something special, ill be kind and say Hampshire is a step down from usual half back shall we say how he got man of the match was a head scratcher,no sock need to be pulled up the shadow of the WCC still seems to be hanging over the side to me I can't come up with any other explanation why its so clunky at present.

[josie andrews]

My take. We went away from our normal game plan. We didn’t take the ball down the middle and take the juice out of Cas, we moved the ball wide far too often without earning the right. Velle didn’t police the ruck efficiently. Leeming’s dummy half play was poor. Field’s pace and threat gives the halves more room to operate. Our contact in the tackle was poor. On the plus side, Junior was great, we got minutes into Coopers legs, our goal kicking improved, Mago and Dupree are a handful, there was a healthy crowd and we got the two points.

I said exactly the same thing. Cas would never have scored their first try if Jai had been at FB. Sorry Bevan but think you forgot which position he was playing at times

[josie andrews]

A game easily forgotten about frankly,Wigan need to start upping their game a nadge because while Can are a very poor side much better teams are coming into view now so games such as these should really be used as a stepping stone towards the better sides in super league.

Good to see Mike Cooper back and young Nsemba with a good wind behind him in the coming years could turn into something special, ill be kind and say Hampshire is a step down from usual half back shall we say how he got man of the match was a head scratcher,no sock need to be pulled up the shadow of the WCC still seems to be hanging over the side to me I can't come up with any other explanation why its so clunky at present.

It was, to me anyway, changing 3 out of the 4 main spine! FB, SO & hooker.

We should be still playing to beat every team & score as many points as we can they will all count come the end of season. Plus, if Smith is proving to be inconsistent at goal kicking let Adam Keighran have a go like this evening

[Jonathon Kerr (JK)]

I think with the current guidelines on how many games each player can play this was a good choice to rest a few.

As others have said though, regardless of who is playing we should always earn the right to attack out wide and that starts with forwards running hard and straight.

I do believe though, if we play with a high ball retention like we did early in the second half, there was enough evidence there to suggest thats enough to beat most teams in the league.

[nathan_rugby]

A game easily forgotten about frankly,Wigan need to start upping their game a nadge because while Can are a very poor side much better teams are coming into view now so games such as these should really be used as a stepping stone towards the better sides in super league.

Good to see Mike Cooper back and young Nsemba with a good wind behind him in the coming years could turn into something special, ill be kind and say Hampshire is a step down from usual half back shall we say how he got man of the match was a head scratcher,no sock need to be pulled up the shadow of the WCC still seems to be hanging over the side to me I can't come up with any other explanation why its so clunky at present.

It was, to me anyway, changing 3 out of the 4 main spine! FB, SO & hooker.

We should be still playing to beat every team & score as many points as we can they will all count come the end of season. Plus, if Smith is proving to be inconsistent at goal kicking let Adam Keighran have a go like this evening

Our line up indicates that was the plan as did the final score.

My main worry though is we aren’t playing cohesive fluid rugby. But as we know, the title isn’t won in apri!

[blindsideprop]

There were some good performances particularly by Nsemba,and the props,Marshall and Wardle also very good.To move French to full back was a mistake and Hampshire,although he scored twice was average.If French gets injured for a long spell we would be in trouble.Keighran should be the first choice goalkicker too.

[NICKYKISS]

A game easily forgotten about frankly,Wigan need to start upping their game a nadge because while Can are a very poor side much better teams are coming into view now so games such as these should really be used as a stepping stone towards the better sides in super league.

Good to see Mike Cooper back and young Nsemba with a good wind behind him in the coming years could turn into something special, ill be kind and say Hampshire is a step down from usual half back shall we say how he got man of the match was a head scratcher,no sock need to be pulled up the shadow of the WCC still seems to be hanging over the side to me I can't come up with any other explanation why its so clunky at present.

It was, to me anyway, changing 3 out of the 4 main spine! FB, SO & hooker.

We should be still playing to beat every team & score as many points as we can they will all count come the end of season. Plus, if Smith is proving to be inconsistent at goal kicking let Adam Keighran have a go like this evening

Our line up indicates that was the plan as did the final score.

My main worry though is we aren’t playing cohesive fluid rugby. But as we know, the title isn’t won in apri!

You can’t be perfect every week. Cas came with so much more determination than last week and that combined with us tinkering with the side (and how slow the play the ball was with that ref again) lead to it not being a cricket score.

I wouldn’t worry too much. I’ve seen a few comments on here about a clunky attack but in the two games before last night it was flying, scoring over 100 points. We’re ticking along nicely IMO but we will improve further as the pitches firm up and we get a more settled side.

[morley pie eater]

One thing seems to have been missed in all the analysis - though Josie touched on it by referring to changes in the spine:

At any point in the season, we could have enforced changes due to injury. If this means changes to the spine, then Hampshire is first in line to come in. Yet he's had very little chance to adapt to the first team, and get to know the players around d him in match conditions. What better game and what better time to give him a run out?

If we'd signed a star Aussie (recommended by Meds, no doubt!), we'd surely allow him a settl8 g in period of 4 or 5 games, say. I'm not Hampshire's biggest fan, but I can see that, under the cap, he's an astute signing to cover 1, 6 and 7. And I remember him doing some good stuff on the odd occasions I watched him at Wakey.

Surely we can make some allowances, and see the big picture?

[josie andrews]

We are letting too many tries in and we have only played, (bar Sts) teams below us. Our defence is sometimes a little soft IMO

[M6 Warrior]

I do agree with the number of points conceded being a bit too high at the moment but, 14 last night and 22 at London when the team was tweaked is quite a telling stat. I do think, once it gets serious and we have the strongest team out on the pitch, the defence will be much tighter. It’s a long season. Injuries and suspensions will impact all teams and we’ve got the strongest squad by far. As long as we don’t get decimated by injuries (and we we need a bit of luck with our backs staying fit) and they keep Vella away from reffing our games every other week, I’m sure we’ll be at Old Trafford again in October.