Wigan Vs Catalans

[cpwigan]

Ddtftf is correct the stats say exactly that BUT stats are misleading. You have to take games in context too.

Wigan under Wane appear to me to want to spread the ball wide at every opportunity even in their own half and either go around teams OR pull the defensive line of the opposition out of position to then find gaps / holes when they move the ball wide again the opposite direction.

To adopt such an approach can be more entertaining but poses far greater risk and potentially long periods when you are not attacking the opposition line. I believe Wane would argue that the opposition become tired chasing Wigan laterally. Personally, I take the view that if the tight forwards of the opposition are having to do most of the tackling then they burn energy and have less in reserve if they have to clear their own danger zone. If teams have to bring the ball of their own line / inside their own 20 then you can attack through your defence and wear they tight forwards out when they are then asked to defend again. You also get more time in the opposition 20 to put the really clever plays / sets on that result in tries. The Roosters did exactly that to us and we were found wanting. Others teams have done likewise.

The difficulty is you can always throw the GF and CC victories at any dissenting voice / view. It is difficult to argue against that. However, Wane came into the job promising and opening declaring he could and would do better than Maguire. Remember, the statement, I/we can do better, there were lots of games we could have won by far more, played far better RL. Well sorry BUT by his own standard Wane has failed. By a GF and CC win in 2 seasons you can argue irrespective of what his aim was Wane has done very well.

The ? I always ask is you play any sport to the strengths of the players you have at your disposal. Do Wigan under Wane do that? Thornley / Goulding and so many of the team are great near the opp try line but they are not harlem globe trotter RL players going the length of the field.

At the present time the best tactic may be to kick the ball away earlier and more often. It worked quite well v Wire for example. Scrums in your own 20? why not kick from the first play. Kick offs, downfield kicks by the opp al a Graham Lowe, kick them straight back (not sure this would work these days) kick before the last certainly would IMO.

[butt monkey]

Wigan under Wane appear to me to want to spread the ball wide at every opportunity even in their own half and either go around teams OR pull the defensive line of the opposition out of position to then find gaps / holes when they move the ball wide again the opposite direction.

You certainly watched a different game to the one I did CP!

All one man stuff, no "fancy" stuff as you might describe it. Virtually never got eh ball out of the hands of the forwards - far too much ruck play with the ball constantly turned back inside

Worse still, no dummy runners, little ball movement (especially to the right wing)and virtually the worst kicking game seen from Wigan since Green and Smith were paired together.

It comes to something when one of the "better" kicks came from Logan from dummy half (and that wasn't that great).

Yes conditions were poor and Wigan allowed the referee to influence proceedings with a total lack of urgency throughout - well until the last 15 minutes or so when the team seemed to think they could snatch it

I would like to mention (as someone else also [pointed this out at our scrums) what on Earth is this about? Swapping Goulding around or playing Farrell at SO is so ludicrously slow and if we can see it then so can our opponents. Maybe it is time for our stand off to actually start playing there as I thought Green was anonymous last night

[Exiled Wiganer]

With the squad we have put together we are at our best when we can swarm around in attack and defence. We can only play to that level for a limited number of games, and so we will co time to have games last night, because if we are below par we can't rely on size. I am not concerned in the slightest, though, as Wane has repeatedly shown his ability to get us right when it matters. I would be astonished if we played anything like that on Good Friday. Cats are a really good side, with flair and size.
It was rubbish, but explicable and no reason to worry. My annoyance comes from a different source - I'd like us to be on our game in our home games more than we have managed over the last 4 years. I can't explain it, but so many of our best performances come away from the DW.

[Kaii]

Anyone else amazed that no one seems to catch up with Bowen when he makes a break. He doesn't look fast but he must be!

Was thinking the same thing

[thegimble]

Despite Daves comments, I quite enjoyed the game TBH. The ref did his best to inject a bit of atmosphere and for that I thank him. More fun than Hull KR anyway and the last dummy and try was worth the money alone.

Anyone else amazed that no one seems to catch up with Bowen when he makes a break. He doesn't look fast but he must be!

PS action has been taken on breaches of site rules earlier in this thread. No more comments please.

Young Burgess kept up with him mike when he went under the sticks and to be honest it looked as though Budgie was backing off in pace so he didn't go past Bowen.

Check Bowen's first try for us and you will see that Burgess is going to pass him and he just three quarter paces it behind him. Bowen is quicker than people think but Burgess is lightning.

[lucky 13]

Poor conditions, poor atmosphere, poor first half....... decent last twenty and two very good trys.
This years team is still finding it's way. I would say we have a off the cuff full back who can win a game with a bit of magic, just like last night. With the skill set he has I believe he can slot into our structure, it will take time though and Sol to be in the team more often than of recent . I do think we shift the ball side to side to often and in the wrong place, I think this looks a little worse than last year and thats because our forwards lack size, so somtimes it seems the only way we can make yards. The pack seems to lack a pain factor, someone who leaves a body or two on the floor after a tackle, Sol gives us a little and Eddy P seems capable. Our halves seem to lack cut and without Sam T on the structured plays seem a little lost.
On a positive..... the way we played in the games that counted last year was more like % rugby. The Giants game was a great example and so was the CC finale.
Another positive is that Sarge looks like he could be a real cutting centre for us, Budgie is looking a SL winger now and could go on to be a star. Bateman is quality and Clubb at "prop" could be very good jurys out because I think its very early to judge this team.

[DaveO]

We need a prop who can get his nose thru the line and offer a quick play of the ball. We just lack one and only one such prop.

The lads at the min are doing just enough, but lack size and weight IMO.

We still lack that tackle heavy second row and we lack a real strike center who can read an attack from the opposition ala Carmont and Glesson.

And a kicker, haha so not much.

Until I'm proven otherwise these are the areas we will continue to struggle in. If last year was some effort winning the double, this year will be the equivalent of emerging from the ashes after a nuclear disaster.

It will improve but I'm guessing so will all the other top teams. So we can't rely on the likes of Bowen week in week out with that get out of jail card. There has to be more structure and understanding coupled with execution and desire.

I think that is a pretty realistic assessment.

As Champions it ought not to be, but we are where we are.

[Kaii]

I think that is a pretty realistic assessment.

As Champions it ought not to be, but we are where we are.

It's an assessment that could be leveled at any team, we could have James Graham & George Burgess as props and people would say we need something else. Mossop was never that sort of prop but now he's gone he was a titan.

As i said in any team you can say they need something different, teamwork and a quality manager win titles

[DaveO]

I think that is a pretty realistic assessment.

As Champions it ought not to be, but we are where we are.

It's an assessment that could be leveled at any team, we could have James Graham & George Burgess as props and people would say we need something else. Mossop was never that sort of prop but now he's gone he was a titan.

As i said in any team you can say they need something different, teamwork and a quality manager win titles

Well the teamwork isn't there because (at least in part) it's a new team!

And given the way Saints and Leeds have hit the ground running and Saints have new personnel as well it's not much of an excuse anyway.

Next year when it goes 8x8x8 after the early rounds I doubt anyone will be able to be complacent of a poor start.

I am not sure why anyone defends poor performances in any home game anyway given they have paid good money to be entertained. Expecting better is not expecting too much IMO.

[Kaii]

Yes it's a poor start but the emphasis is on start and the league shield is every big teams last priority. The new format will get rid of the slacking off and resting players once you secure top 8. As you said next season it'll be different

The good point is if we win our game in hand it's only 4 points behind top which is nothing