Tonights Game v Catalans Dragons

[Charriots Offiah]

Our forwards are dominated every week. And we’ve not earned the lesson from last season. IMO Catalan are ok but not great and I don’t think they will make the top 4 and neither will we. At the beginning of the season MP said he was happy with his squad, to me that was a concern especially as we had lost Bateman from a pack which was not good enough in the first place.

So MP needs to deliver with what he’s. got. We’re in this position dare I say it because of poor recruitment and extensions everybody knows it except KR. Our overseas signings field and french apart have been poor compared to other teams. If you get it right you probably need 1 or 2 signings each season just to freshen things up a bit. Whereas last season and this we’ve got 6 or 7 to sort out. Probably just as well because we need a massive clear out. We invest a lot in youth but at the moment teams like Huddersfield, Leeds and Warrington are benefiting. Again poor management. Until this improves no chance of a GF win.

More worringly let's not forget Lenegan called this the best squad of the last 10 years didn't he?

As for French his centre needs to look at him remember he plays for Wigan and pass the sodding ball to him,King has been woeful so far which will no doubt lead to a.long term deal..come back Thornley and let's hope he can stay fit.

I do agree a clear out is needed I'm not sure how much longer they can keep picking Powell,O'Neil isn't the answer either. Oh, for an Andy Ackers type hooker it'd transform that side.

I'm sure once the weather turns they'll hand out a few thrashing there's to much speed in that side not to but to utilise that speed the ball has to be passed doesn't it

What makes this annoying is that Ackers was on our books. Forber is similar in style and should be given a gig.

[Charriots Offiah]

What a shocking performance against a team with 8 regulars missing. Powell enough said,Smith poor,he has 1 good game then 4 bad ones and Cust was even worse than those 2.The centres are new so perhaps there will be improvement there but i am not convinced.I thought Cooper took the ball up well and Mago had some impact when he came on.Smithies makes mistakes but never gives less than 100% whereas KPP gave the impression he is just biding his time.Although French and Field will be far more effective on dry pitches if we lose them to injury it will be a long season with no silverware.

We can't play in wet weather as our forwards are not good enough to cope with the conditions. Our only hope is the CC if the weather stays dry.

[Charriots Offiah]

I could give 100% each week but that doesn't mean I'd be good enough to play in the team. Smithies offers absolutely nothing yet gets picked week in week out along with , dare I say it Powell. Both are nowhere near good enough.
I'll throw Cust into the hat as well, why do we sign a player who has played his best rugby for Manly at nine yet we sign him as one of our chief play makers

Ask Rads and IFL. Why you are at it, ask them why we signed a winger that hardly ever plays and two props who are at best average.

[Charriots Offiah]

Morgan Smithies 62 tackles with only 1 missed!
My only criticism of him last night would be the two penalties he gave away.

This is the problem with how some talk about our players. Look at all the tackles he’s done, he needs to his game than just his tackling. This is exactly what people say about Powell

He needs more to his game, that should of said

To be fair, there are a lot of players in our team who are worse.

[Charriots Offiah]

There lies the issue with both Smithies and Powell if we look at defence, pretty solid if we look at attack (lets not forget they are hooker and loose forward) they offer very little. Needs balance but, play Isa at 13 or 9 if its all about the tackling. Spine is 1/6/7/9 and 13, have to admit other than Jai there's got to be a concern. Needs a big improvement for Hudds away.

If we look at Cust - no defence, attack, speed, kicking game etc.,

[Mike]

I think there a pretty big OTT reaction to that defeat last night.

I'd agree. After last weeks win at Cas, representing a 96-0 scoreline in two matches, there were - wait for it - a big fat zero posts about the game. After this weeks loss, we're up to 12 pages and counting, and I think I've heard that pretty much every player except Field, French and Marshall need to be shipped out right now (and those players won't be long for the chop either)!

Wiganers are slow to praise (or at least to express moderate satisfaction given the ease of the task) and very quick to moan.

The above opinion is based on these observations and doesn't mean I disagree with all the criticism of the side, however I await the posts saying its not allowed to criticize and I'm a happy clapper etc.

I personally am more interested in our form going into the last 10 games of the season, and I think there is a lot of potential for improvement between now and then. I think our squad has a good balance between attacking threat and defensive solidity, with scope for the coaching staff to tweak that because we have the options now. We do perhaps have a lack of impact in the forwards, but Wane managed multiple GFs without a dominant prop, so that should be manageable. I'm still in wait and see mode.

[Firestarter]

Smith not good enough? Oh here we go again.

Besides a couple of errors when he was trying to force the play he was the one player who was looking to create and make something happen tonight, he can only do so much with no pack and a 6&9 who aren't a 6&9.

The fact he scored all ten of our points tonight tells you a little something as well, I’ve not watched the game back yet but I’m going to stick my neck out and say the experts will also recognise how well he did in difficult circumstances.

Ialso thought smith had a good game

Good game he had a decent 20 mins but apart from that was shocking. Caused no threat. Kicked out on the full TWICE. I don’t know if it’s a confidence issue or what but he’s a slow starter in games and if it ain’t going well he does a Williams and go’s missing

He was one of our better players so what does that tell you?

[Mike]

Our forwards are dominated every week. And we’ve not earned the lesson from last season. IMO Catalan are ok but not great and I don’t think they will make the top 4 and neither will we. At the beginning of the season MP said he was happy with his squad, to me that was a concern especially as we had lost Bateman from a pack which was not good enough in the first place.

So MP needs to deliver with what he’s. got. We’re in this position dare I say it because of poor recruitment and extensions everybody knows it except KR. Our overseas signings field and french apart have been poor compared to other teams. If you get it right you probably need 1 or 2 signings each season just to freshen things up a bit. Whereas last season and this we’ve got 6 or 7 to sort out. Probably just as well because we need a massive clear out. We invest a lot in youth but at the moment teams like Huddersfield, Leeds and Warrington are benefiting. Again poor management. Until this improves no chance of a GF win.

The truth hurts and you have just stated it Graham.

Not sure they are "dominated every week"? You mean every week we play someone good?

[Wigan_forever1985]

I think there a pretty big OTT reaction to that defeat last night.

I'd agree. After last weeks win at Cas, representing a 96-0 scoreline in two matches, there were - wait for it - a big fat zero posts about the game. After this weeks loss, we're up to 12 pages and counting, and I think I've heard that pretty much every player except Field, French and Marshall need to be shipped out right now (and those players won't be long for the chop either)!

Wiganers are slow to praise (or at least to express moderate satisfaction given the ease of the task) and very quick to moan.

The above opinion is based on these observations and doesn't mean I disagree with all the criticism of the side, however I await the posts saying its not allowed to criticize and I'm a happy clapper etc.

I personally am more interested in our form going into the last 10 games of the season, and I think there is a lot of potential for improvement between now and then. I think our squad has a good balance between attacking threat and defensive solidity, with scope for the coaching staff to tweak that because we have the options now. We do perhaps have a lack of impact in the forwards, but Wane managed multiple GFs without a dominant prop, so that should be manageable. I'm still in wait and see mode.

Think that’s unfair - there were posts against the wins - however huge factor being that the two games we’ve lost have been televised therefore lots more people will have seen the detail to comment better

I think the prop issue is bigger than the players on the books and it again comes down to the 9

Alex warmsley makes very few meters when saints are coming out from their own line - look at the better packs and the service they receive

If you have a play receiving a ball at virtual standstill with a defensive lines that’s up to speed I don’t care how big or strong you are you ain’t making meters

AW is at full tilt most the time as he gets the ball it’s a flat pass and he has momentum

Anyone who’s played rugby will know how much difference there is between tackling a player at full speed to tackling a player who is accelerating

Everything you do on a rugby field stems from your 9 the pace of the game the pace of your attack the direction everything so if you have one of the slowest players in the league there with a limited skill set how on earth do you expect to make progress

[Graham1]

No I mean we are dominated every week. HKR forwards outplayed ours . And in the first half against Cas we couldn’t get out our half. Our away form last year was poor because our pack was always well beaten. Not many teams are going to lie down like Wakefield.

Last year we relied heavily on french and field to win majority of our games. But they are going to marked men this year which means we are going to be in for a tough year. I Don’t think the comments on here are an over reaction. The displays against HKR and Catalan were a disgrace.

And it won’t get any easier at Huddersfield.