Youngsters did great but the experienced ..?

[The Eclipse]

I think for Wigan to move forward, Matty Smith has to go, unfortunately Williams is injured but when he is back I would play him at 7 and get Hampshire back to play 6.
Combinations are so important and I believe they play well together with plenty of flair.

[Owd Codger]

I think for Wigan to move forward, Matty Smith has to go, unfortunately Williams is injured but when he is back I would play him at 7 and get Hampshire back to play 6.
Combinations are so important and I believe they play well together with plenty of flair.

Exactly what I have been saying and why Smith was given a four year contract until 2018 when Williams was progressing at Scrum Half, Hampshire at Stand Off and where so near to first team selection is beyond me.

They could have been Wigan's version of McGuire and Burrow when they came on the scene together in 2001, but alas that was not to be!

[Wigan_forever1985]

I think for Wigan to move forward, Matty Smith has to go, unfortunately Williams is injured but when he is back I would play him at 7 and get Hampshire back to play 6.
Combinations are so important and I believe they play well together with plenty of flair.

Exactly what I have been saying and why Smith was given a four year contract until 2018 when Williams was progressing at Scrum Half, Hampshire at Stand Off and where so near to first team selection is beyond me.

They could have been Wigan's version of McGuire and Burrow when they came on the scene together in 2001, but alas that was not to be!

I agree that smith has no place in our team but I'm still to see what Hampshire offers at this level

What I think we need is a thinking half to compliment williams off the cuff ability. An out and out leader who will organise and not go missing when the pressure is on.

I would look to an aging quality Aussie like campese but without the injury woes I think we have the brawn and the speed we just need the brains.

To be honest lockers at 6 and Willian's at 7 would better a much better balance than what we have now

[LooseHead]

Good call re Williams and Lockers. Lockers can play without having to over think about his own game after 360 plus games, Williams is getting there.

Zoning in and thinking solely about your own game is fine as a forward but sides need halves who get the best out of what is outside them. Smith has a rugby brain that isn't sharp enough to change how his other backs are playing. If plan A doesn't work there's no Plan B. Sam T will make Smith look good when he's fit, as gelling has at times but it's not BECAUSE of Smith.

[gillysmyhero]

Is Tierney injured ? If he wasn't I'm a bit confused by wanes team selection. Why did he pick the inexperienced Highinson at centre when he could have put sarge in there and Tierney at fullback. I'm not saying Highinson was poor but it just added more inexperience to an already depleted side

[cpwigan]

Agree with Gilly, it was a huge call.

Wigan felt two inexperienced halves was too much so Smith benefited BUT maybe the time has come. Maybe, Powell could even play half, at least hig defence would be much better.

When times are difficult, your 'leaders' have to step up.

[DaveO]

Exactly what I have been saying and why Smith was given a four year contract until 2018 when Williams was progressing at Scrum Half, Hampshire at Stand Off and where so near to first team selection is beyond me.

They could have been Wigan's version of McGuire and Burrow when they came on the scene together in 2001, but alas that was not to be!

I agree with the four year contract being a bad idea as I also could not see how that would not interfere with the progress of the younger half backs.

I think the club wasn't prepared to risk going with two inexperienced half backs and with Green determined to leave kept Smith but for four years?

At best it should have been two years with options for the club for extra years. I said so at the time.

As to Williams and Hampshire people are now saying Hampshire isn't what he was cracked up to be. My view on that is how far was he set back by being played out of position at FB and how frustrating must it be to see Williams at 6 and Smith at 7 with Smith on the team sheet every week regardless of how he performs?

If he came back now and was played at 6 the pressure to perform would be immense.

Now Lockers has what looks like a hamstring injury and Williams is out any other club would be recalling Hampshire and ought to be questioning letting him leave for a year in the first place given Smiths form.

We have no one to keep Smith or Williams on their toes. There is no competition for their places.

Will Wane call Hampshire back? I very much doubt it. He doesn't seem to like him and I have also heard rumours that he will be a straight swap for Carney at the end of the season.

If that deal or Wane's inability to put the team's needs first (by working with Hampshire not just criticising him) prevents us from making what seems like an obvious move to get Hampshire back then we have a bigger problem at the club than a run of injuries.

[Southern Softy]

Hampshire is a bit anonymous at Castleford, although, to be fair, he did show up well towards the end of their last match. I was concerned that Powell just seemed to disappear in the second half last night.

[gillysmyhero]

From what I've heard Hampshire won't be coming back to Wigan fullstop. Wane doesn't rate him and doesn't want him back and is being used a part of the deal to get justine Carney to wigan

[lucky 13]

After watching Gregson last night in what was his third game and playing out of position second half at first team level, it's pretty obvious what the problem is!! If we are not well on top and have not got off the cuff moments from Gells Tomkins we have nothing from half, Gregson was the better of the two on display second half which is!!!! We are looking for organisation and creativity being the only half on the field second half, being tackled twice on the fourth tackle is unbeivlable. That would be bad enough but coupled with countless bad reads and missed tackles in D and a kicking game that's almost disappeared... I really wouldn't blaim Hampshire for wanting away I'm sure he could not do worse as that would be impossible but would get dropped for less.
By the way no one would like Smith to be a superstar more but he's not.