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The majority have been overplayed IMO. I agree with most of what Peet says but I do not agree that we couldn’t rest them because of the situation we found ourselves in. That may have been the case on occasion but my recollection is that Lam pretty much refused to use Clark or Bullock for one and very weirdly seemed to have very little faith in playing Halsall or Hanley in their actual positions (but didn’t mind flogging young forwards to death) for two, meaning guys like Isa and Farrell had to jump in to the centres and we then had to keep picking young forwards on mass.

It’s why Ellis and Mago will be so important for us this season. We absolutely need them to be an upgrade on Clark, Clubb and Bullock. We also look to have more depth in the outside backs and I think Peet will show more faith in Halsall as a centre or Hanley as a fullback and then allow us to keep Isa, Farrell and Bateman in the pack.

If that all happens we’re probably going to be looking at having 2 or maybe 3 (at most) of Havard, Byrne, Partington, Smithies, Pearce-Paul, Shorrocks and McDonnell in a first choice 17. That means they all will need to fight it out against each other and it is a far better balance than the 6 or 7 kids we had in the 17 at times last season.

morley pie eater wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 9:00 pm Matty Peet almost seems to be responding to the negative stuff posted on here throughout the season about the young forwards.

What do we get (mostly) in response? More negatives!!! Last season has gone. We have a new coaching team, some new players, and a new season. Give the lads a break, for goodness sake.

I think the lads will get a break this year, hopefully the NRL signings will allow them to be rotated and the new coaching team will use them wisely.

Regarding Byrne, seem to remember seeing an interview with Wane where he was asked who could improve the most, and he immediately said "Byrne". Could be interesting...

morley pie eater wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 9:00 pm Matty Peet almost seems to be responding to the negative stuff posted on here throughout the season about the young forwards.

What do we get (mostly) in response? More negatives!!! Last season has gone. We have a new coaching team, some new players, and a new season. Give the lads a break, for goodness sake.

The lads have been given a break Morley to me the right criticism is being aimed at the new leigh coach it seems to me,but let's be honest not all of them will make the grade law of averages tells us that but after last season I'm very unclear as to who will push on and that's down to Lam and his insistence on playing them so often when the club had players spare.

morley pie eater wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 9:00 pm Matty Peet almost seems to be responding to the negative stuff posted on here throughout the season about the young forwards.

What do we get (mostly) in response? More negatives!!! Last season has gone. We have a new coaching team, some new players, and a new season. Give the lads a break, for goodness sake.

I don't see anyone being negative. Just offering their honest opinions.

I'm sure we will all be delighted if they all kick on this year, and that is a distinct possibility. However, the reality is that for whatever reason, our "young players" went backwards last year.

This was not the case for all young players in the SL.

I think most of the criticism last season came about as a result of supporters' bafflement at seeing immensely talented players suddenly struggling for form. While there were doubts about some of them to train on, Smithies was the most puzzling, going from being the new SOL into a lost soul. I presume it was frustration with himself and the coaching (or lack of it) that caused his decline so I'm hoping that we will see him back to his considerable best this season.

Southern Softy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:04 am I think most of the criticism last season came about as a result of supporters' bafflement at seeing immensely talented players suddenly struggling for form. While there were doubts about some of them to train on, Smithies was the most puzzling, going from being the new SOL into a lost soul. I presume it was frustration with himself and the coaching (or lack of it) that caused his decline so I'm hoping that we will see him back to his considerable best this season.

I don’t quite buy that Smithies had a poor season. I’ve seen it mentioned a couple of times in this thread. I actually thought he went under the radar a little at times. He played well at second row and he’d worked on his discipline but Lam had an obsession with blitzing him through the middle.

I think he was a victim of just how poor the side was. We were crying out for somebody, anybody to do something exciting but Smithies will never be that man. Don’t get me wrong, I think he can play better but he will only show his true worth for me when he gets the benefit of playing in a good side.

I liken him to Morgan Knowles a lot. He is rightfully getting praise for his form at Saints but it’s only really these last two years where he’s kicked on. Even now he doesn’t make masses of ground more than somebody like Smithies but he is the glue of a successful Saints side, who does the basics to a high level and is a leader of their intensity in defence. That is the role Smithies can perform for a successful Wigan side in time but unfortunately he’s been playing in a poor side, a frustrated side or a team in transition for pretty much his full first team career so far.

I fancy Smithies to have a big 2022 but his form in 2021 wasn’t too bad and I wouldn’t expect him to ever become a Lockers style loose forward or really stand out from an attacking POV.

As i remember it most the criticism was aimed at Lam for not playing the senior players like bullock and clark etc more