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This is what happens when the great man leave. Happened at S Illawarra. Warriors will bounce...

Has Trent played in any trial matches yet mate?

Our owner owes him an apology big time

cpwigan wrote:Has Trent played in any trial matches yet mate?

Our owner owes him an apology big time

Yes just a friendly or trials as they call them

Gold Coast Titans spoil Trent Barrett's return to the NRL from England

NRL trials are never a complete waste of time, but Cronulla recruit Trent Barrett could find few positives in his side's 40-16 thumping by the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday.

A full-strength Titans side took the field in Darwin and were merciless in running seven tries past a Cronulla outfit lacking several first stringers and any cohesion.

While it would be easy to blame the lacklustre display on the fact new signings Reni Maitua, Anthony Tupou and club captain Paul Gallen were all sitting back in Sydney, Barrett said the players that did run out onto Richardson Park failed to play to their potential.

“There weren't too many positives I guess to come out of it but that's what trials are for,'' said Barrett, who is returning to the NRL after a two-year stint with Wigan in the Super League.

“It was a bit disappointing, you always want to win the games ... we're just glad to get through it without any injuries at this stage. We know what we need to fix now.''

Asked what particular aspect his side would need to improve on, Barrett replied: “Our completion rates were pretty abysmal the whole game really.

“I think we had thirty per cent of the footy in the first half and probably only completed three of them.

“You can't beat anyone with those sort of completion rates, especially a side like the Titans that are very quick.''

Conversely, Titans coach John Cartwright was delighted with what he saw, particularly at the defensive end.

“Physically it's as good, in stages, as I've seen us defend,” Cartwright said.

“Physically I thought we looked like we handled Cronulla a lot better than maybe we would've last year.

“I think it showed our off-season has achieved what we wanted to achieve and as a team I think we had more contributors than probably last year.''

Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart is likely to give all fit members of his first-choice 17 some time in this weekend's trial against Newcastle in Cessnock, the club's final match before their opening round clash against Penrith on March 14.


http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html

Although I read this forum every day I do not post that often some of you may say its apathy but although I love Wigan RLFC I discovered last season after traumas in my personal life that they were not the most important thing in my life.

In some ways this is a good thing I don’t get angry or start tearing my hair out and I tend to laugh a lot more at the comments made on this site. However I have watched all six games so far and I am far from impressed by 99% of what I have seen. The real good points for me are the performances of Sam Tompkins at Warrington, ok against a reserve side and Shaun Ainscough against Castleford. Two players who really show a passion to be playing the game that is missing from many of their colleagues in the side.

I know its early days and in the view of our coach the season is won in October but are we really supposed to turn up, pay our hard earned money and witness such pathetic performances from the bulk of the players. Should we be satisfied with dull boring rugby for half the season and merely be grateful to get into the top eight to have two or three good performances in the play offs and then fail albeit with some honour.

At the moment the club as a whole is in turmoil, Mr Lenagan wants crowds of 20000 and vast increases in the sale of merchandise but does not expect us to be entertained or to provide the merchandise in time for xmas or unforgivably the first game of the season, there have been excuses but in a well run organisation that is just what they are excuses. I think I am right in saying that he has in the past promoted shows in theatres so he must realise that if you do not entertain the paying public they will not keep coming or does he think he need not bother with us Wigan fans because we will turn up to see the cherry and whites irrespective of performance.

I have not been impressed with many of our players. Smith is not showing much imagination and I wont mention his tackling, Hock seems to have become injury prone, Fielden despite his pre season comments looks a long way off international class, Pryce is exciting but needs attention every time he is tackled effectively reducing us to 12 men for the next play, Riddell I hope is lacking fitness because at the moment he is ponderous, overweight and not the answer we were led to believe he would be. O’Loughlin is not a leader, in fact we do not have one on the pitch, but more importantly and it hurts me to say it I think we have already seen his best performances. I would say its possibly the worst team I have seen but its not really a team at times they give the impression that they only meet up for the game and never train together, there is no understanding.

Finally Mr Noble and the coaching and fitness staff, what are they doing, the players do not look fit and as I previously said they do not show any indication of playing to a plan. Mr Noble needs to realise and quick that they cannot play in his favoured way because they are not physically capable, they are too lightweight and one-dimensional. I think Mr Noble needs to realise that he is not capable of putting Humpty Dumpty together again and take his book of meaningless quotes to the Sky commentary box where he will entertain but not cause any damage.

I am not despondent, its early days but I cannot see us getting into the top four and although I would really love it if we won super league I would prefer us to do it by being the best team over the whole season and not because we scraped into the play offs and performed then.

Excellently expressed Emperorkel I agree with you entirely