Wigan squad for Catalans (R10)

[w.thomas]

I am not sure that Byrne should keep his place in the team with the current virtually fully fit squad, still the potential for stupid penalties from him.
I would think that once Walters is in the team and Cooper is fit, then Byrne should be left out. I also think Harvie Hill offers more than Byrne.
One thing with a fit squad, players should have to play very well to keep thier places.
The work rate from Thompson and Havard is outstanding and Mago is a great impact player.
Nsemba goes from strength to strength and still only 19, what potential he has to become a true great.

Agree completely, he’s easily our weakest forward. Good to bounce back after last week, much improved but plenty room for more improvement.

[Mike]

Another observation - high tackles are now either a penalty or nothing. Not a hint of a VR review for head contact anymore. I guess they think they've done enough for the insurance company (i.e. they'll be bored now) so we're back to business as usual. Very inconsistent, but what most people seemed to want.

[Stanfax]

Give the ball to Wardle and we’ll score tries. A pure class centre

Quality player.
Always has a good game.
Best centre we’ve had since Carmont.

Spot on. Said exactly that at the match!

[Stanfax]

Superb second half. A lot to like. I think Wardle is superb. Someone above suggested the best centre since Carmont. With respect to that fine player, Wardle is a class above. I would say the best centre we have had since Renouf.

Fair enough. Hard to argue! Although in his brief time with us, Gleeson wasn't bad either.

[Stanfax]

Incidentally, as this was the game closest to her 100th, our auntie was in hospitality. We had contacted the Dragons separately, and she was treated to an evening for the ages. Bernard Guasch came over and presented her with a signed shirt, she was given a signed Wigan top, and lots of the players spent time with her, including Ellis in his kit, and Liam Marshall who went out of his way to see her off at the end of the evening.

We are a truly special club.

Wonderful!

[Stanfax]

Good win in the end.

Positives
- Impact of Leeming and Mago
- Havards minutes, defence, and obvious size he has put on
- Wardle and Keighran

Negatives
- Unforced errors - (Miski, Nsemba, ONeil spring to mind)
- Byrne - Not kicking on, not improving, doesn't make a dent in attack
- Smith and French combo just doesn't seem to be improving

Agreed. You can add Byrne to the unforced errors list. The number of unforced errors was much too high and was a repeat of the HKR game. If Cars had been as incisive in attack when presented with the ball and field position as HKR were we could have been looking down a similar half time score as the HKR game. The errors really need sorting out.

We really need to sort out our discipline, or else we'll come a cropper in a tight game when it counts. Like the upcoming semi.

[Stanfax]

Also, while I absolutely get that you have to earn the right to play an expansive game through dominating in the forwards, it is a bit frustrating that we seem to wait until later in the game to deploy French and Field to full effect. I would imagine that they are one of the top topics of conversation in the opposition camp, and a slightly more expansive game, without getting giddy, could reap dividends and make the latter stages easier to manage.

[Stanfax]

Superb second half. A lot to like. I think Wardle is superb. Someone above suggested the best centre since Carmont. With respect to that fine player, Wardle is a class above. I would say the best centre we have had since Renouf.

It was me that said it. But if we are gonna go that far back, I’d have Connnelly above all of them.
Renouf in his prime yes but his best years were behind him when he came here. Still hell of a player though

Tuigamala? Dean Bell?

Gene Miles?

[medlocke]

We never signed one of the best in SL, one of Lenagan's biggest mistakes was not signing Patrick Ah Van

[ian.birchall]

We never signed one of the best in SL, one of Lenagan's biggest mistakes was not signing Patrick Ah Van

Good to see that you are as stubborn as I am Medlocke although of course in my case it is about the 'importance' of womens rugby league.