FARRELL 10 OUT OF 10

[The booze hound]

Thought Tautai showed nothing tonight other than a bad signing.

I thought it was Tutai's most effective game in a Wigan shirt. He made some good offloads in offensive parts of the field but I feel we play such structured rugby that when a player receives an offload they don't know what to do, as if to say, "this isn't in the plan, what now?"

[Southern Softy]

When Tautai sets off, it looks fantastic - crashing forward - hurtling at people - hair streaming etc. etc. When the dust settles, what does he achieve? More or less nothing. Makes a few yards but dies with the ball and the defence resets itself because he rarely manages a quick PTB. Compare him with Flower and you can see the difference between a constructive forward and a showboater.
Who played well or not in that irrelevant sideshow last night doesn't really matter. For what it's worth, Gelling played quite well (attack not defence) - it will probably help Tierney's confidence because he gave a decent account of himself - Manfredi will probably get tapped up by an Aussie side and everyone else can concentrate on trying to win the real matches in SL and the Cup.

[Owd Codger]

When Tautai sets off, it looks fantastic - crashing forward - hurtling at people - hair streaming etc. etc. When the dust settles, what does he achieve? More or less nothing. Makes a few yards but dies with the ball and the defence resets itself because he rarely manages a quick PTB. Compare him with Flower and you can see the difference between a constructive forward and a showboater.
Who played well or not in that irrelevant sideshow last night doesn't really matter. For what it's worth, Gelling played quite well (attack not defence) - it will probably help Tierney's confidence because he gave a decent account of himself - Manfredi will probably get tapped up by an Aussie side and everyone else can concentrate on trying to win the real matches in SL and the Cup.

Tautai had his best game for Wigan last night and did what he should have been doing before, taking the ball well up and then off loading like he was doing last night and I only hope that he carries on like that for the rest of the season and justifieds why he was signed.

[doc]

Tautai's stats were better than Lockers for the opening 2 SL matches. He seems to have cut out the knock-ons for which I think he was vilified unfairly after one match where he shouldn't even have been left on the field after taking a bad knock to the head.

Gelling seems to be the only player that troubled the defence and he didn't defend too badly considering how many times the Broncos managed to create an overlap.

We lacked creativity in the halves. Playing split halves relies on having two organising half-backs. We need at least one creative half (preferably 2) who can organise as well. Williams is not that player yet and Smith never will be.

We also miss some one who backs up the half breaks, ready for the off load. Hampshire used to run off Williams shoulder all the time at the younger grades but he doesn't have that sort of player backing him up in the first team. Watch old footage on youtube and you will see that invariably after a break is made that Edwards will appear from nowhere. He got a lot of tries this way but it also gave the ball carrier options that confused the defence.

[cpwigan]

I worry is people think Tautai was outstanding.

Truth be told nobody was great last night. Several had a ig but largely got pounded. I am a Manfredi fan but has anybody seen him made to look so bad as last night and bashed about. Not on his own. I think it reflects Wigan v anybody with their sideways passing / shuffling. Luckily, the opposition are not that good for much of the time.

[morley pie eater]

FWIW I thought Tautai had a decent game last night but agree that no-one was great.

I'd guess the reason some of us think Faz was good, especially in 2nd half, was that he seemed to realise what was needed on attack and try to do a bit of ball handling/short passing.

When you think that he developed running off Finch and Greeny, he must be aware of our current weakness. A left-field idea (!) but what about trying Faz at 6?

[DaveO]

Gelling seems to be the only player that troubled the defence and he didn't defend too badly considering how many times the Broncos managed to create an overlap.

Gelling was awful. When he gets the ball we have a Wigan team consisting of one player. He may be big enough to carry a few players with him when he runs in but the attack dies with him being tackled 9 times out of 10.

[Panchitta Marra]

Thought Tautai showed nothing tonight other than a bad signing.

Tautai was one of our forwards who looked like breaking the game line, and I thought he had a decent game tonight.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

Gelling seems to be the only player that troubled the defence and he didn't defend too badly considering how many times the Broncos managed to create an overlap.

Gelling was awful. When he gets the ball we have a Wigan team consisting of one player. He may be big enough to carry a few players with him when he runs in but the attack dies with him being tackled 9 times out of 10.

If Gelling was awful how did you rate the rest of the players?

[cpwigan]

Thought Tautai showed nothing tonight other than a bad signing.

Tautai was one of our forwards who looked like breaking the game line, and I thought he had a decent game tonight.

Did he make a break PM? Honestly, watch it and look at how he runs across / sideways far more than forwards and I do think people get sucked in by his 'bluster'. The caveat I am certain the way we play does not help ANY forward in our team.