Not all doom and gloom, remember that

[cpwigan]

I think the most irritating things about forums on the net is when you read posts like this. Not popsted here BTW.

XBrettKennyX
Bronze RLFANS Member
Joined: 07 Jun 2003
Posts: 4988
Posted:
Sun Oct 04, 2009 1:46 am

Hopefully will learn from this.

He needed to step up today. He didn't.

He is young and hopefully will get better, but for all of us who thought he was the answer to our #6 berth, we have been given a stark lesson.

Nobby was right to question his readiness.

Maybe with a fit Tim Smith, we could have unlocked Stains. Sadly Sam offered zip.

Maybe I watched a different game but bar missing a tackle on Matt Gidley, I thought Sam was the player most likely to break the Saints defence until the second half when a switch of Joel T to left side second row worked well.

Tim Smith getting injured and Sam having to play was pivotal in our end of season run IMO.

We have lots of potential in some very young players.

[centralparkforever]

You are so right as far as Sam is concerned,he is a great talent,but it hurts me to say it but their defence was awesome,slow play the balls dont help a half back with his talent,with an oncomimg defence running at you.Basic mistakes with the ball condemned us. Didnt see one drop ball from Saints all the way through the game,that was the conclusion of why we lost in my opinion.

[ian b]

You are so right as far as Sam is concerned,he is a great talent,but it hurts me to say it but their defence was awesome,slow play the balls dont help a half back with his talent,with an oncomimg defence running at you.Basic mistakes with the ball condemned us. Didnt see one drop ball from Saints all the way through the game,that was the conclusion of why we lost in my opinion.

when no one runs on to the ball any teams defence would look good

[centralparkforever]

Yeah when nobody is coming onto the ball at pace instead of from a standing start defences are made to look good.It is just frustrating to see it and then come home and watch it. The team seems to lack any idea of how to attack with the ball.

[butt monkey]

Slow play the balls dont help a half back with his talent,with an oncomimg defence running at you.

You are so correct with this assessment. The poor decision making (from Riddell) and generally slow potb for Wigan really helped an average Stains side reach another final when then really should have been ousted.

Basic mistakes with the ball condemned us. Didnt see one drop ball from Saints all the way through the game,that was the conclusion of why we lost in my opinion.

I saw plenty of dropped ball by the stains, however Mr Ganson was all to eager to award penalties for "ball stealing" or "interference" :conf: When it was clearly poor ball control by their players.

BUT, Wigan's ball control was poor, Lockers losing the ball on the 4th tackle, Prescott the 3rd, J Tompkins too, all early in the second half set the tone for the side, when the team should have been applying pressure.

[ancientnloyal]

How can you say he wasn't ready? He is nominated young player of the year, in a super league dream team and won numerous MOM performances on SKY tv... if that isnt ready I dont know what is. Probably a Nobby sympathiser or that Breet Kenny himself (the wizard of oz) is jealous. somehow i doubt that.

[Jimlav]

not that i agree with the first post, but sams form has been considerably less in the playoffs than the regular season.

maybe that shows to those people who says sam and trent would have been the best half back combo at the end of the last season, that it did get to him abit this season, and it would have got to him even more with no first team experience now. because this season he has been in the england squad, and got plenty of experience.

having said that, he was still worthy of his place in the team, it wasnt like he seriously let the side down. wouldnt say he was one of the best on the pitch, but he also wasnt the worst.

[weststand-rich]

I thought Sam had probably his poorest game for Wigan since coming into the side. He seemed to miss more tackles than he made, including one on Eastmond in the build up to the first try which he was more than capable of making. He also was playing greedy and kept hold of the ball on several occasions choosing to go himself rather than pass the ball quickly to create an overlap.
Saying that, it was his kick that got us our first try, and his kicks in goal weren't too bad and caused a few problems.

Sam wasn't the only one who had a poor game though, and I think to rubbish either of our halfbacks on that performance is ridiculous because the forwards (except Mossop and Tomkins) offered absolutely nothing. All Leuluai and Sam could really do was pass and try to dart through the line.

Sam has been the best stand off in the competition this year, and in all honesty he could fail to improve at all in the next few years and still be one of the best stand offs in the league.

I thought his game was off slightly on Saturday, more so in defence than attack though. In the defensive line he kept running out - with limited sucess. He nailed a few players and on 2 other instances missed his man and slipped off the tackle. Eastmonds try in the 2nd minutes was in part due to this.

I think some of this 'problem' is that his reading of the game is so good, that he can't help himself and go for it.

Youthful exuberance - that's a problem that can only be managed by seasoning and experience. Both of which he's getting.