What is everyones opinion on Ainscough?

[hodgyhmad]

At the beginning of the season everyone thort ainscough was awful but i think he is improving and everyone should give him a break.His performance at warrington was brillant and at saints on tuesday well the viewers at home thort he deserved man of he match.

[Panther]

I have to agree with you. I think Ainscough is providing alot of skills and class to the Wigan side. He had a slow start, but I think you have to put that down to the fact that he needed time to adapt to a new team, and the British game. I think alot of fans have been really hard on him, I can remember the same kind of comments applied to Johns last year - and yet he seemed to be really clicking in the Wigan side just before he left. Hopefully O-Neal will come right in the same way. I just wish the Wigan fans would give these guys a chance. It can take a whole season for somebody to slot in. And yes before anybody says it, I know we pay them alot of money. However my view is that Raper and Lindsey are not stupid when they pay money out for these guys (and I also know they are very demanding of their players), so we should give them the time and support, even if it takes a while and we don't always like the performance. Wigan are looking really strong in my opinion - the future is bright, the future is cherry & white.

[John M]

Ive been saying for ages on the other board that Ainscough is a good player but ive been flamed for it.
His early season form was poor because he was in the wrong position.He had only played a couple of games as a centre prior to joining Wigan and his real position is winger.Now he is settling in we are seeing that whilst he is not a flashy player he has the brains and ability to do good things for the team as a whole and as we all know,RL is all about the team not individuals.As the great John Monie used to say,'individuals win games whilst teams win trophys.

[Mike]

I thought he was a centre in Aus. If he was a winger - well that explains everything that I think is wrong about his centre play. He just doesn't seem to know when to pass to his supporting wing. Its interesting that the try he scored came when he was on the outside of Hodgson in the centre. THey worked a great bit of inter-passing to make the break, but in a similar situation in the 1st half, this time with Ainscough in the centres, he didn't give the ball wide. I think if he had, and supported in the inside, just like HOdgson did, we could have at least made a break in that situation.

On the plus side, he's a good consistent performer in defence and doesn't make stupid mistakes. I just think he still takes the wrong option in attack a little too often for comfort.

ALso, why did Raper and Lindsay buy a winger if we needed a center???

[John M]

No Mike,Ainscough had played only a handfull of games as a centre in Australia before joining Wigan.I too am as confused as you as to why we bought a Winger to replace a world class centre in Renouf?????? I really think the deal was done with Ainscough before Renouf had decided he would like to stay another year.

Having said that,Jamie is a good player,unfashionable to watch but he does the job asked of him and brings lots of experience to the team.Hes also showed that he has the brains to win us a game in a tight situation with his superb try against Saints when the game was balanced on a knife edge.He also saved us at Murrayfield with tackles on Long and Albert when they where certain to score.And of course although hes not world class in the centres he can fill in there in emergency.

Luckily we have two of the best up coming centres in GB in Hodgeson and Aspinwall so Ainscough has been able to switch back to the wing without us losing too much.