Wigan squad for Hull FC

[ian.birchall]

BENT HALER was his usual. I hate Wigan, and look at me everyone, I'm on TV. But having six players in the International last week, when all the other clubs withdrew, really hurt us. All other clubs had a weeks rest, we had half our team playing for England. No surprise then that every player who played for England last week had a poor or quiet game tonight. Smith was poor compared to normal, and our two england centres were non existent. Maybe Shaun Wane could have done his own club a favour and bit picked so many Wigan players last week.

+1

[fozzieskem]

Just minor criticisms but with hindsight its easy - Nsemba should have had more time on the pitch, Shorrocks get himself isolated too often, poor options taken at times.

Credit Hull with a determined effort, rain, cold, Thaler...not our night, learn and move on.

It was bloody freezing & the blasted rain!

Yes, move on.

Wasn't it just so cold typically I'd put my big coats away this week thinking they wouldn't be needed

I will say they made us feel welcome the staff at the ground can't be said at all grounds so to me worth a mention

[Karl Carpenter]

Mago is a big man but he ambles into contact and is therefore nowhere near as effective as he could be. He’s been a big disappointment.

[Southern Softy]

not the end of the world, but we need a 6 back soon. All efforts I sense concentrating on Challenge Cup in the near future. Encouraging sign was Thornley. Can't remember how long Ellis is out for, but another prop would be good. Mago did little wrong tonight.

I'd remove the word 'wrong' from that assessment. Seeing him pushed back countless metres while clinging on was symbolic of his use to us.
It was just a generally poor performance from us. French didn't look right at all. The basic error of trying to cut back inside following a scrum where all the tacklers are was made worse by the one time we went wide - we scored.
Thaler (who isn't as bad as this normally) had a stinker. Hull were perpetually offside, particularly when defending on their own line, meaning that they were in the face of the second receiver and we had little chance of putting a move together. That said, we were very flat all game and players like King and Wardle, who were beginning to look impressive, took a big step backwards.
Forget it and carry on but those injuries are making the Leeds matches look worrying.

[bertina]

A stand off in that team tonight and we win it.
We had Shorrock at 6, O'Neil at 9, and Powell at 13 for big chunks of the game, and we wonder why we can't create anything !!!
Someone please explain to me why, with 45 seconds left we didn't take the 2 points and go to extra time against 12 men.
Mago, time up for me. Crap.
Thornley went well. Miski brought the ball out well. Have to feel sorry for Smith playing on his own.

[medlocke]

Thornley doesn't attempt to pick up the loose ball and he doesn't crash into Shorrocks, Shorrocks scores, the end

[endoman]

A stand off in that team tonight and we win it.
We had Shorrock at 6, O'Neil at 9, and Powell at 13 for big chunks of the game, and we wonder why we can't create anything !!!
Someone please explain to me why, with 45 seconds left we didn't take the 2 points and go to extra time against 12 men.
Mago, time up for me. Crap.
Thornley went well. Miski brought the ball out well. Have to feel sorry for Smith playing on his own.

Cos we were 4 points behind weren't we?

[medlocke]

A stand off in that team tonight and we win it.
We had Shorrock at 6, O'Neil at 9, and Powell at 13 for big chunks of the game, and we wonder why we can't create anything !!!
Someone please explain to me why, with 45 seconds left we didn't take the 2 points and go to extra time against 12 men.
Mago, time up for me. Crap.
Thornley went well. Miski brought the ball out well. Have to feel sorry for Smith playing on his own.

Cos we were 4 points behind weren't we?

[morley pie eater]

Also forgot to say, Bryne is like one of those big old awkward reclining deck chairs you had as a kid, massive, might trap a finger but you can fold them up easy enough.

Love the analogies: fridge freezers, hamsters and deck chairs

[morley pie eater]

A bit more composure we win that tonight.
Shorrocks doesn’t work at stand off, he’s too slow. Thornley went well, didn’t realise he had that pace, finished his tries well.
Thought Hull defended their hearts out tonight

Correct - not enough credit given on here. We seemed unable to number up on their defence, and many fans unable or unwilling to acknowledge their part in that.

In general, many posts fall into a few categories:
Blame the ref.
Blame injuries/team selection.
Blame specific players.

There may be some truth in each, but Hull have been improving and their defence was a major factor in their deserved win. We didn't play that badly, certainly after the first quarter.

As has been said - we move on.