Hampshire

[cpwigan]

Shame the other thread was deleted.

[No straw damn us]

As Smith is contracted until 2018, it is not looking very likely that Hampshire will return, especially when he comes from Normanton(heart of Featherstone Rovers country) and near to Castleford.

If that happens, I am not at all pleased as I would have loved to have seen him in the first team at Stand Off with Williams in his true position of Scrum Half.

No different in my book than when McGuire and Burrow got in the Leeds team together a few season's ago.

At least, McNamara has had the sense to put Williams with a good class Stand Off in the England team.

The Burrow McGuire thing didn't happen at the age of Williams and Hampshire though did it! They were about 23/24 years of age before they became the regular first team pairing.
Before that both Sinfield and Dunemann were also used in the halfbacks. People seem to forget we tried the young combination before with Brown and Robinson. The Wigan fans (and coach) would not give them time and I don't think it would be too long before the fans again "got on their backs" if it didn't work out. Saints had a similar problem with Gaskell and Lomax. I would like to have seen Hampshire get more time off the bench to #6 last year but Wane like a lot of coaches didn't appear to want a back on the bench. The loan move to Cas should be good thing for Ryan and it's now up to him to prove what a lot of us think. If he does than no doubt he will be back at Wigan, if not then his future could well be elsewhere, as Wigan will not want to be paying someone not to be in contention. I also don't buy into this he's only a stand off. Hampshire could make a superb fullback, and I believe that a couple of clubs wanted to take him on loan in that position. A coach has every rite to pick a player in the position that he thinks is best for the team at that given time. He will stand or fall on those decisions.

[Mike]

Shame the other thread was deleted.

?

[Andrew0604]

Something I don't think has been mentioned so far........ Goal kicking. I seem to remember Rocky having a great record at Academy level. Based on Smiths record having Rocky as goal kicker would have meant a fair few points in almost every game.

I am sad to see someone with such amazing potential be given the news "you don't feature in our plans for next year so we will let you play somewhere else and hope you still want to be part of this club if you live up to your potential". It isn't even a case of 'go on loan and we will watch how you do and call you back as soon as you prove yourself". It's a blatant "we don't want you next year'. A perfect recipe for resentment.

[dickidido]

No straw damn us. If you had a BMW would you make it into a fiesta,thought not. So why would you make probably the most natural half to come through in years into a full back and then not back him 100 per cent. His points record at half is prolific look at the stats on bilko over the years he's been there.why simple really because he's a type of player who needs the ball in his hands to make things happen. Why would nearly all the club's take him why do wigan block him from going on loan or selling to the top clubs. Is matty smith strong enough he misses on average 4 to 5 tackles per game.one season he missed nearly 60.halves are not there to tackle there nuts off they are there to win games and in most other teams and styles of play they do just that.play George and rocky together and build a pack round them for years protect them. Can it be any worse than smith. Wigan are frightened to death rockys going to burn them so what wane doesn't want him.i can't see rocky playing under wane again sad but that's life he just won't play him

[dickidido]

A coach has every right to pick a player anywhere he likes but don't make players feel inadequate or tortured. Wanes comments pre season anyone not performing will be dropped. Rules for some but not others.

[cpwigan]

As Smith is contracted until 2018, it is not looking very likely that Hampshire will return, especially when he comes from Normanton(heart of Featherstone Rovers country) and near to Castleford.

If that happens, I am not at all pleased as I would have loved to have seen him in the first team at Stand Off with Williams in his true position of Scrum Half.

No different in my book than when McGuire and Burrow got in the Leeds team together a few season's ago.

At least, McNamara has had the sense to put Williams with a good class Stand Off in the England team.

The Burrow McGuire thing didn't happen at the age of Williams and Hampshire though did it! They were about 23/24 years of age before they became the regular first team pairing.
Before that both Sinfield and Dunemann were also used in the halfbacks. People seem to forget we tried the young combination before with Brown and Robinson. The Wigan fans (and coach) would not give them time and I don't think it would be too long before the fans again "got on their backs" if it didn't work out. Saints had a similar problem with Gaskell and Lomax. I would like to have seen Hampshire get more time off the bench to #6 last year but Wane like a lot of coaches didn't appear to want a back on the bench. The loan move to Cas should be good thing for Ryan and it's now up to him to prove what a lot of us think. If he does than no doubt he will be back at Wigan, if not then his future could well be elsewhere, as Wigan will not want to be paying someone not to be in contention. I also don't buy into this he's only a stand off. Hampshire could make a superb fullback, and I believe that a couple of clubs wanted to take him on loan in that position. A coach has every rite to pick a player in the position that he thinks is best for the team at that given time. He will stand or fall on those decisions.

Yet Parra went with an 18 and 19 year old halfbacks called Sterling and Kenny; A teenage Alex Murphy demanded a transfer when not selected for the first team at Saints, thankfully fort them they refused, at 18 became the then youngest player to tour GB, Dave Bolton debuted what 20/21 for Wigan then toured at 21 for GB with Murphy in the half backs.

You offer one example in a totally different circumstance when Wigan were far from the position they are in now and the competition was stronger.

I will throw it back Matty Smith showed in 2015 and GF that age/experience means nothing if you have not got the talent/ability.

[cpwigan]

Lest we forget signings under Wane are a tad hit and miss and we do not even make that many for him to get it wrong.

[Mike]

As Smith is contracted until 2018, it is not looking very likely that Hampshire will return, especially when he comes from Normanton(heart of Featherstone Rovers country) and near to Castleford.

If that happens, I am not at all pleased as I would have loved to have seen him in the first team at Stand Off with Williams in his true position of Scrum Half.

No different in my book than when McGuire and Burrow got in the Leeds team together a few season's ago.

At least, McNamara has had the sense to put Williams with a good class Stand Off in the England team.

The Burrow McGuire thing didn't happen at the age of Williams and Hampshire though did it! They were about 23/24 years of age before they became the regular first team pairing.
Before that both Sinfield and Dunemann were also used in the halfbacks. People seem to forget we tried the young combination before with Brown and Robinson. The Wigan fans (and coach) would not give them time and I don't think it would be too long before the fans again "got on their backs" if it didn't work out. Saints had a similar problem with Gaskell and Lomax. I would like to have seen Hampshire get more time off the bench to #6 last year but Wane like a lot of coaches didn't appear to want a back on the bench. The loan move to Cas should be good thing for Ryan and it's now up to him to prove what a lot of us think. If he does than no doubt he will be back at Wigan, if not then his future could well be elsewhere, as Wigan will not want to be paying someone not to be in contention. I also don't buy into this he's only a stand off. Hampshire could make a superb fullback, and I believe that a couple of clubs wanted to take him on loan in that position. A coach has every rite to pick a player in the position that he thinks is best for the team at that given time. He will stand or fall on those decisions.

Yet Parra went with an 18 and 19 year old halfbacks called Sterling and Kenny; A teenage Alex Murphy demanded a transfer when not selected for the first team at Saints, thankfully fort them they refused, at 18 became the then youngest player to tour GB, Dave Bolton debuted what 20/21 for Wigan then toured at 21 for GB with Murphy in the half backs.

You offer one example in a totally different circumstance when Wigan were far from the position they are in now and the competition was stronger.

I will throw it back Matty Smith showed in 2015 and GF that age/experience means nothing if you have not got the talent/ability.

Countering with just one example of a *pair* of very young halfbacks of you own though.

[No straw damn us]

Brett Kenny started off as a centre, and both he and Sterling were over 20 when they moved to their #6 and #7 positions. Yes they were young, but I'll stand by what I said. Also it was the 1962 tour when Murphy and Bolton really came together as a pair IIRC Jeff Stephenson was the incumbent scrum half. And having to go back to a completely different era of 30 - 50 years ago sort of proves my point.