Stand Off

[widdenoldboy]

Genuine question, when French first joined us he played Stand Off at first? I also remember him playing Full Back with the Eels before he came here, can't remember him playing SO for them? To me, he is improving, he will get better behind a better pack and if they can sort out a partnership with Field - that would take some stopping.

[Firestarter]

Genuine question, when French first joined us he played Stand Off at first? I also remember him playing Full Back with the Eels before he came here, can't remember him playing SO for them? To me, he is improving, he will get better behind a better pack and if they can sort out a partnership with Field - that would take some stopping.

He played wing for parra… I remember him signing and i said hes something special.Obviously at the time we had the usual people on here saying we dont needs another winger but omg sometimes you just need to take a chance. Didnt he want out at parra coz they wouldnt play him at fullback?

[Mike]

But what does 'split halves' really mean? Virtually all rugby league teams, both in the SL and the NRL. play with *mostly* one half on the left and one half on the right (Melbourne might be a bit of an exception with Hughes and Munster, come to think about it). But almost inevitably, there tends to be a 'kicking, organising half' and a 'running half''. Like Moses and Brown at the Eels.

It means one half is first receiver on the left of the ruck and the other is first receiver on the right I'd say.

[Fan4Fifty]

Watching the first half against Leigh I came to the conclusion that it isn't Bevan that's the problem in our halves but the fact that we we lined up so flat (and at times so disorganised) that there is no space for Bevan (or any other half back) to create anything. I know that teams set up differently but Bevan needs more of the space that Lomax gets so that he can hit the ball and the defensive line at pace. Maybe that's a function of the limited go forward from our pack but in the first half in particular on Saturday we looked very flat and disjointed in attack. It would be interesting to see how French would shape up at 6 with a Lee Briers organising the attacking shape because I believe we have the best back line in the competition.

[josie andrews]

We never run onto a ball! We are always bunched up together so there will never be space for a player at 6 to make yardage!

[DaveO]

For me i would see the 7 as the primary "leader" and the 6 the more opportunist player

that said id expect both to have the following skillset

Passing - French's is hit and miss atm
Kicking - apart from the odd grubber its not in his locker
Running threat - has this in spades along with possibly the best dummy in the league
Decent Defense - think he has that covered

To me you cannot spend top end of your cap on a Winger, i dont know any club that does or would do this - i cant imagine French being a low earner at Wigan so to that end he is either playing 6 or Fullback. If you move him to Fullback its what you then do with Field

Through their time here both of them have had periods in which they have been the out and out star for Wigan so its really hard to say if you had to keep but if one of them isnt going to be a half and we want to recruit a decent halfback (and by decent i mean above the likes of hampshire/miller/mellor type player) thn one of them will have to make way.

I cant see a situation in which we can recruit a classy 6 and keep both in a capped sport unless you really weaken another area to keep French on the wing which again for me is just not an option

Forwards decide who wins, the backs decide by how much is supposed to be a truism but only to a point in reality. The reason you spend a lot of money on a winger is because they score the tries. The way you go on sometimes you’d think every try a winger scored was a walk in.

Whether you like it or not, French is a better winger than Miski. If Wigan can’t afford French as a winger that’s a financial issue but it doesn’t mean we should afford his wage as a 6.

The problem Wigan have got is there are three wingers capable of being in the first 17, Marshall, Miski and French and no number 6 since Cust has obviously been declared not good enough.

This idea the first team is some sort of training ground for a potential 6 does my head in. First team jobs for players and coaches should be because that’s what they are. Not what they can be.

The trouble is the standard in SL is so low these days a pretend 6 like French may well get away with it.

[Mike]

For me i would see the 7 as the primary "leader" and the 6 the more opportunist player

that said id expect both to have the following skillset

Passing - French's is hit and miss atm
Kicking - apart from the odd grubber its not in his locker
Running threat - has this in spades along with possibly the best dummy in the league
Decent Defense - think he has that covered

To me you cannot spend top end of your cap on a Winger, i dont know any club that does or would do this - i cant imagine French being a low earner at Wigan so to that end he is either playing 6 or Fullback. If you move him to Fullback its what you then do with Field

Through their time here both of them have had periods in which they have been the out and out star for Wigan so its really hard to say if you had to keep but if one of them isnt going to be a half and we want to recruit a decent halfback (and by decent i mean above the likes of hampshire/miller/mellor type player) thn one of them will have to make way.

I cant see a situation in which we can recruit a classy 6 and keep both in a capped sport unless you really weaken another area to keep French on the wing which again for me is just not an option

Forwards decide who wins, the backs decide by how much is supposed to be a truism but only to a point in reality. The reason you spend a lot of money on a winger is because they score the tries. The way you go on sometimes you’d think every try a winger scored was a walk in.

Whether you like it or not, French is a better winger than Miski. If Wigan can’t afford French as a winger that’s a financial issue but it doesn’t mean we should afford his wage as a 6.

The problem Wigan have got is there are three wingers capable of being in the first 17, Marshall, Miski and French and no number 6 since Cust has obviously been declared not good enough.

This idea the first team is some sort of training ground for a potential 6 does my head in. First team jobs for players and coaches should be because that’s what they are. Not what they can be.

The trouble is the standard in SL is so low these days a pretend 6 like French may well get away with it.

Woah, Daves almost come round to French being an adequate 6. Although he's obviously never going "good" 6 even if he wins the MOS in that position, but adequate enough for SL. It's as close as I've ever heard to an admission that a point of view other than Dave's might have some merit. Mind blown!

[pedro]

Genuine question, when French first joined us he played Stand Off at first? I also remember him playing Full Back with the Eels before he came here, can't remember him playing SO for them? To me, he is improving, he will get better behind a better pack and if they can sort out a partnership with Field - that would take some stopping.

He played wing for parra… I remember him signing and i said hes something special.Obviously at the time we had the usual people on here saying we dont needs another winger but omg sometimes you just need to take a chance. Didnt he want out at parra coz they wouldnt play him at fullback?

no its because he couldnt get a game, didnt they have ferguson and radradra and gutherson at fullback, so he never got a smiff

[moto748]

The trouble is the standard in SL is so low these days a pretend 6 like French may well get away with it.

I am so sick of coming to this site and reading crap like this.

Day in, day out, year in, year out.

If it's so bad, why don't you turn your interest to another sport and leave us in peace?

[Wigan_forever1985]

For me i would see the 7 as the primary "leader" and the 6 the more opportunist player

that said id expect both to have the following skillset

Passing - French's is hit and miss atm
Kicking - apart from the odd grubber its not in his locker
Running threat - has this in spades along with possibly the best dummy in the league
Decent Defense - think he has that covered

To me you cannot spend top end of your cap on a Winger, i dont know any club that does or would do this - i cant imagine French being a low earner at Wigan so to that end he is either playing 6 or Fullback. If you move him to Fullback its what you then do with Field

Through their time here both of them have had periods in which they have been the out and out star for Wigan so its really hard to say if you had to keep but if one of them isnt going to be a half and we want to recruit a decent halfback (and by decent i mean above the likes of hampshire/miller/mellor type player) thn one of them will have to make way.

I cant see a situation in which we can recruit a classy 6 and keep both in a capped sport unless you really weaken another area to keep French on the wing which again for me is just not an option

Forwards decide who wins, the backs decide by how much is supposed to be a truism but only to a point in reality. The reason you spend a lot of money on a winger is because they score the tries. The way you go on sometimes you’d think every try a winger scored was a walk in.

Whether you like it or not, French is a better winger than Miski. If Wigan can’t afford French as a winger that’s a financial issue but it doesn’t mean we should afford his wage as a 6.

The problem Wigan have got is there are three wingers capable of being in the first 17, Marshall, Miski and French and no number 6 since Cust has obviously been declared not good enough.

This idea the first team is some sort of training ground for a potential 6 does my head in. First team jobs for players and coaches should be because that’s what they are. Not what they can be.

The trouble is the standard in SL is so low these days a pretend 6 like French may well get away with it.

Sometimes i wonder if recently you are even bothering to read peoples posts or just arguing with what you imagine people might be saying?!

I dont go on about every try being a walk in - and ive never once suggested that Miski has more ability than Bevan French.

You then talk about it being a financial issue if we cant afford French as a winger we shouldnt just stick him at 6 which is exactly the point im making in my post. My point is i cant think on any team that would put marquee end wages on a Winger in a capped sport

I disagree with your last point in bold too as players arent limited to stay in one position sometimes you unlock more potential in a player by moving them into a different position. Sam moving to full back as an obvious example but the sport is littered with other examples of players reaching the next level after a positional switch. Im not saying French will suddenly become the worlds best 6 im simply saying sometimes you have to try something if as a coach you think it will work for that player. You can't send him back to the reserves to spend a year at 6, you try it and see how it goes.

French is a long way from a top 6 however personally i think week on week he's played there he has improved so id be willing to let the experiment run a bit longer until at least the level of development in his understanding finishes

you seem to have this French has to be on the wing because he's suddenly the best winger in the world approach which im not even sure is the case. Who would i trust under a bomb more French/Miski? who would i bet on to make 30 yards on exit sets in a wet grand final French/Miski? who would i back to not be put in touch on a 10 yard dash to the line Miksi/French?

You cant just disregard the aspects of wing play that dont fit your French is the best winger narrative, there is more to wing play than simply running 100 yards or beating 3 people with footwork - if that were the case Kevin Penny and Jamie Foster would of had much better careers.

Again this is not me saying Miski is a better player or even a better winger but if i look at value i.e what they give you for what they are earning and the importance of that position then there isnt a gulf between the two