Re: Catalans (H) : Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:27 pm  

I've only listened to the game so far, but Cats didn't sound great, but I'm sure they'll make a much better showing at home in front of their own fans. But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, there is Leeds to overcome first.

Re: Catalans (H) : Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:40 pm  

Dreadful amount of dropped ball (Wigan really are the worst ball-handlers jn the league), some typically ridiculous decisions by the ref (I literally wouldn't pay this crop of officials in washers), but a pleasingly solid performance. We seemed to spend ages in our own half again, though constantly losing possession on the first or second tackle doesn't help with that, but we didn't look especially vulnerable - their second try was very jammy.

I'd still like to see us attacking with more incisiveness. If Hardaker had gone over in the closing minutes, that would have made it a fairer representation of the game, but even then it would only have been three tries, which is simply not Wigan.

Good signs tonight. But so much more for the new coach to get right.

Re: Catalans (H) : Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:06 pm  

Brick with eyes wrote:

Is Lams master plan coming to fruition?

Despite lots of dropped ball we stuck at it tonight and thoroughly deserved the victory.

McDonnell and Halsall were superb , as was Isa . I don’t think we missed Singleton but things are looking a bit brighter , especially with Farrell , Bateman , Marshall and possibly Powell to return . We’ve actually turned the corner whilst Powell has been out of the side . Surely he has to come back in though

Really enjoyed tonight. Let’s hope there’s more to come !

Has Halsall run more than 15 metres so far???
High ball good but going forward zippo.
Too leigtweight for a centre
Superb????

Let’s not get away with ourselves

McDonnell’s try the best of the season for me.

Defensively good but in a coma going forward

Dreadful atmosphere

IL and KR management of the squad has roosted
Hard working but hardly a semblance of flair or skilll

Sorry for being negative but a step from awful isn’t a major improvement
Boring low risk rugby isn’t for me.

Re: Catalans (H) : Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:44 am  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

Boring low risk rugby isn’t for me.

Each to their own, but 100% it's for me.

I'd rather win 12 - 0 than 50 - 44. Personally, I want to see us be overly aggressive in defence, complete our sets by kicking well and generally be smart when we've got the ball in hand. No crazy offloads or overplaying our hand in the wrong areas of the pitch.

Basically it's Madge rugby that I want to see.

Re: Catalans (H) : Sat Sep 18, 2021 7:18 am  

How many times over the seasons have we seen Wigan not be outstanding in league games, but when it comes to the business end of the season, they are always with the odd exception, in with a chance of winning the Championship/Grand Final trophy.

Last night we beat the team that finished top of the pile and won the LLS with a depleted and younger squad which should be applauded instead of the usual moaning and negativity.

I have supported the club long enough to learn that when it comes to the business end of a season, never write off Wigan!

Granted, they may not win the trophy, but at least after the awful circumstances in which the game has had to play this season, they are in with a chance which is more than can be said for clubs like Castleford, Hull FC etc with what some consider to be as good, if not better squads than us.

Come on, get behind the team instead of moaning about the Coach and Individual players which appears to be the norm with some supporters.


'

Re: Catalans (H) : Sat Sep 18, 2021 7:36 am  

Ruddy Duck wrote:

How many times over the seasons have we seen Wigan not be outstanding in league games, but when it comes to the business end of the season, they are always with the odd exception, in with a chance of winning the Championship/Grand Final trophy.

Last night we beat the team that finished top of the pile and won the LLS with a depleted and younger squad which should be applauded instead of the usual moaning and negativity.

I have supported the club long enough to learn that when it comes to the business end of a season, never write off Wigan!

Granted, they may not win the trophy, but at least after the awful circumstances in which the game has had to play this season, they are in with a chance which is more than can be said for clubs like Castleford, Hull FC etc with what some consider to be as good, if not better squads than us.

Come on, get behind the team instead of moaning about the Coach and Individual players which appears to be the norm with some supporters.


'

Was it really that depleted? I’m not sure but nevertheless you have a point. Irrespective of whether we were full strength, half strength or whatever that’s a great result.

As I said on another thread; play off rugby is a different ball game. It’s conservative type tough rugby with strong defences and generally low scores. I agree with Sgt pepper in that I’d rather win 12-0 (or in this case 12-8) than 50-44.

Great result, and much unexpected from me anyway. Happy to say I was wrong about this result and here’s hoping I, and a few others, are proved wrong once again in the coming weeks.

Just for clarity - Lam still should go.

Re: Catalans (H) : Sat Sep 18, 2021 7:57 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Each to their own, but 100% it's for me.

I'd rather win 12 - 0 than 50 - 44. Personally, I want to see us be overly aggressive in defence, complete our sets by kicking well and generally be smart when we've got the ball in hand. No crazy offloads or overplaying our hand in the wrong areas of the pitch.

Basically it's Madge rugby that I want to see.

As José Murinho says - if you stop your opposition from scoring you can’t lose. And Adrian Lam’s philosophy of scoring one more try than the opposition has a similar ring to it. As I recall, a certain Shaun Wane had a similar philosophy.

And in finals footy that works for me as it is builds excitement . But in the normal season games it is boring. So a blend of both is required from the new coach.

Re: Catalans (H) : Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:59 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Each to their own, but 100% it's for me.

I'd rather win 12 - 0 than 50 - 44. Personally, I want to see us be overly aggressive in defence, complete our sets by kicking well and generally be smart when we've got the ball in hand. No crazy offloads or overplaying our hand in the wrong areas of the pitch.

Basically it's Madge rugby that I want to see.

It would be a boring old world SP if we all liked the same things.
I’d take the Madge rugby of say versus Wire in the CC of 2011 every week of the year.

We play every game for a 12-6 result. That type of score in RL is the exception not the general. I said it earlier in the season if you play every 80 minutes of every game as an arm wrestle you going to lose as many as you win. We play for a 12-6 because we incapable of scoring more tries. I just think that it’s a sad and pretty depressing way to approach a game. Playing to nil your opponent for me is the prerequisite for every game but it doesn’t mean that you don’t look to post a shed full of tries.

Currently we play a slow methodical no risk rugby with nothing to get you off your seat. I quite “happily” queued for 15 minutes for a pint last night pretty confident I wouldn’t miss anything. I didn’t. That is not the frame of mind I should have watching my team.

Last night and most games the play with the FB in the line is a kick over the top. It’s never utilised. In Marshall we have arguably the fastest winger in the competition so you’d think that we would use that asset with regularity. We never do. How many tries in 3 years has Marshall scored by running more than 10 yards? Very few and the one occasion where he kicked an ran the full length of the pitch to score in added on time he was “worried” what the coach would have said if the kick hadn’t come off. Even our backs play with a “stats” mentality. A high completion rate is great if you win but like all other stats pretty meaningless on their own.

An improvement last night for sure but it still won’t win trophies or just as importantly more fans.

Re: Catalans (H) : Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:33 am  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

It would be a boring old world SP if we all liked the same things.
I’d take the Madge rugby of say versus Wire in the CC of 2011 every week of the year.

We play every game for a 12-6 result. That type of score in RL is the exception not the general. I said it earlier in the season if you play every 80 minutes of every game as an arm wrestle you going to lose as many as you win. We play for a 12-6 because we incapable of scoring more tries. I just think that it’s a sad and pretty depressing way to approach a game. Playing to nil your opponent for me is the prerequisite for every game but it doesn’t mean that you don’t look to post a shed full of tries.

Currently we play a slow methodical no risk rugby with nothing to get you off your seat. I quite “happily” queued for 15 minutes for a pint last night pretty confident I wouldn’t miss anything. I didn’t. That is not the frame of mind I should have watching my team.

Last night and most games the play with the FB in the line is a kick over the top. It’s never utilised. In Marshall we have arguably the fastest winger in the competition so you’d think that we would use that asset with regularity. We never do. How many tries in 3 years has Marshall scored by running more than 10 yards? Very few and the one occasion where he kicked an ran the full length of the pitch to score in added on time he was “worried” what the coach would have said if the kick hadn’t come off. Even our backs play with a “stats” mentality. A high completion rate is great if you win but like all other stats pretty meaningless on their own.

An improvement last night for sure but it still won’t win trophies or just as importantly more fans.

Funnily enough the first half for me flew by, most of this season it’s been like water torture. The second half was more like the usual too many early set mistakes in our own half. I have to commend the defence and the kicking game that was much improved. Without Marshall we look woefully short of pace, Gildart made some breaks that Marshall could have exploited. Clubb looks fatter than ever, as a so called leader of the group you would have thought he would be busting a gut to go out on a high. Looking to next week I wouldn’t have Clubb or Bullock near the team they offer little for the minutes they play. If we lose a forward through injury I wouldn’t be confident they could play more than a 15 min spell. I thought Byrne went well, Harvard a few errors he seems to be trying too hard and overplaying in the wrong areas. There was a nice touch were Isa came across to have a chat with him.

There needs to be some attacking threat through the middle, any breaks backed up otherwise we will be back to shuffling across the pitch and picked off by the opposition.

Re: Catalans (H) : Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:54 am  

stpatricks wrote:

Funnily enough the first half for me flew by, most of this season it’s been like water torture. The second half was more like the usual too many early set mistakes in our own half. I have to commend the defence and the kicking game that was much improved. Without Marshall we look woefully short of pace, Gildart made some breaks that Marshall could have exploited. Clubb looks fatter than ever, as a so called leader of the group you would have thought he would be busting a gut to go out on a high. Looking to next week I wouldn’t have Clubb or Bullock near the team they offer little for the minutes they play. If we lose a forward through injury I wouldn’t be confident they could play more than a 15 min spell. I thought Byrne went well, Harvard a few errors he seems to be trying too hard and overplaying in the wrong areas. There was a nice touch were Isa came across to have a chat with him.

There needs to be some attacking threat through the middle, any breaks backed up otherwise we will be back to shuffling across the pitch and picked off by the opposition.

I thought Byrne was really good last night, he would have been excellent apart from that one dropped ball. He reminds me of a young Ryan Sutton in the respect of he always seems to have one error per game, but he is a big body and we tend to forget he has only just turned twenty-two years of age so is a "baby" in prop age.