Hampshire

[Wiganer Ted]

In reply to Tommy 774, your first post welcome to the board. You're right MM didn't play Powell started as 9.

It doesn't go away from my point though that bringing the 9 off and interchanging with a player from the bench doesn't work for us. We lose too much intensity.

At Wire we used GW to 9 who'd started the match and was up to the pace of the game. A player cold off the bench isn't up to the pace and that's the problem.

[josie andrews]

In reply to Tommy 774, your first post welcome to the board. You're right MM didn't play Powell started as 9.

It doesn't go away from my point though that bringing the 9 off and interchanging with a player from the bench doesn't work for us. We lose too much intensity.

At Wire we used GW to 9 who'd started the match and was up to the pace of the game. A player cold off the bench isn't up to the pace and that's the problem.

I agree with your logic there Ted of replacing, whichever hooker starts, with a player already on the pitch i.e. the Warrington game.

[cpwigan]

It is not strictly true that interchanging hookers will always have an adverse impact. KC and Roby interchanged fantastically. Piggy and MM won a GF. Brad Dwyer (A Wiganer!) has done great for Wire.

I do think the interchange need to offer something different / impact and the team play structured to allow hookers to do more than tackle and pass long.

I also do not believe MM cannot play 80 minutes and that if Wane rates Sam Powell so highly why not play him at half instead of Matty.

[cpwigan]

Why should Rocky be frustrated?

Well let us consider;

Outstanding junior international, Wigan fought off interest from everyone and anybody, academy wise his record is only matched by Sam Tomkins! Rocky's might be slightly better. Rarely if ever given an opportunity to play as a half instead only given the fullback slot, an alien position (People say but look at Sam T he played fullback. Not at the start, IIRC he had just shy of 50 first team games in the halves before moving to fullback. Academy halfback partner George gets an opportunity and look now, adding to the frustration no doubt of Rocky. You cannot do anything with young half-backs people say! Oddly two kids called Kenny and Sterling did pretty well. Two nay 3 kids called Burrow, McGuire and Sinfield did not do too bad, a couple of young halfbacks even won the Rabbitohs first GF in decades. So age is not a factor. Let's be honest experience in the present Wigan team is vastly over rated given their efforts and decision making. Just a thought, let's say Rock and George goes well; you might have a pair of international halfbacks (genuine ones!) on our hands for a decade. Somebody seems afraid to give Rocky an opportunity.

[Panchitta Marra]

I'm a big Hampshire fan and hope he's here for the long term as I think he and Williams will be great together in the future. However I'm also a realist. How many teams have ever won anything with a pair of 20, or 21 or even 22 year old halfbacks. It's failed everytime it's been tried. I do think that they should have been given some game-time together from the bench during the season.

We could have played George and Rocky and still won nowt but at least they would have gained valuable experience of playing together at SL level.

Couldn't agree more, you have to be prepared to sometimes take some hits with mistakes to get to where you want to be and with Williams and Hampshire I'm sure there would have been one or two on the way, but I'm convinced they could be the best half back pairing in SL if given the chance.

[old hooker]

Personally I have not seen anything in Hampshire that makes him a special player.What he achieved in the academy means nothing at this stage of his career.I do think however after the rubbish Smith has dished up he should be given his chance in the halves.He has been tried at full back and shown that he has not got whatever it takes to play there, but he does deserve a chance.

[DaveO]

Let's be honest experience in the present Wigan team is vastly over rated given their efforts and decision making.

That is very true.

If you were being generous you could say this is hindsight but even if that is so, we now have that hindsight and so why on earth would you not at least try Williams at 7 and Hampshire at 6 in the near future?

[josie andrews]

Deal for Hampshire going on loan to Castleford details to be sorted over next few weeks!

[josie andrews]

http://www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... 1-7536858?

[Panchitta Marra]

Hopefully he'll get a run out in the halves and he is being coached by Powell, a stand off in his playing career.
I think he will come on well at Castleford with the oportunities he'll be given.