Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Nov 08, 2014 7:40 pm  

Williams and Powell went well, but they are not at Green's level. I absolutely support the need to bring young players through, but they need to learn off an experienced pro, to learn their trade, before being given the role, and then being dropped if things don't go well.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Nov 08, 2014 8:50 pm  

I've said this before but I'm happy enough to go with the youngsters at 6 because there's three of them. If we were heaping pressure on one youngsters shoulders I'd be worried but these three can rest, rotate and have a general scrap for the shirt. I think they will drive each other on and keep each other on their toes.

We've given them every chance to impress now with a big pack to play on the back of.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:54 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

I've said this before but I'm happy enough to go with the youngsters at 6 because there's three of them. If we were heaping pressure on one youngsters shoulders I'd be worried but these three can rest, rotate and have a general scrap for the shirt. I think they will drive each other on and keep each other on their toes.

We've given them every chance to impress now with a big pack to play on the back of.

Whilst i have a lot of time for Sam Powell i don't think he's good enough to be a long term option at 6 for us. He's an excellent squad player but is he good enough to start @ 6 for a team who have real intentions at winning silverware? I don't personally think he is.

Williams, for me, is a 7 or potentially a bench option covering 9. Whilst the 7 & 6 positions at quite similar i don't think it's fair to ask him to stand up play there. We wouldn't see Smith playing 6 so why should we expect Williams to do it?

Rocky is the one with the potential to be our long term 6. He's been the start 6 at academy level and it makes the most sense for him to develop into our long term 6. He's not ready yet however.

What really irks me is that next season we will be weaker because one of the three above are going to be playing 6. For me these three should be on loan at other SL clubs learning their trade, ironing out mistakes. Once they are ripping it up in SL then they should come back to Wigan.

[DaveO]

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Nov 09, 2014 5:17 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I've said this before but I'm happy enough to go with the youngsters at 6 because there's three of them.

That is two too many. We can't have a season where we play each of them a third of the time or give the one given the job a few weeks off or whatever variation you can think of. We need a settled half back pairing so whoever plays 6 gets an understanding going with Smith.

Last season when Green was out we looked disorganised at times. Wane has already said he is going to have to blood fewer young players due to P&R being back and he should be hoping for a settled half back pairing for the same reason.

If we have to rotate players at 6 that just tells you we definitely are not up to standard in that position.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Nov 09, 2014 5:26 pm  

DaveO wrote:

That is two too many. We can't have a season where we play each of them a third of the time or give the one given the job a few weeks off or whatever variation you can think of. We need a settled half back pairing so whoever plays 6 gets an understanding going with Smith.

Last season when Green was out we looked disorganised at times. Wane has already said he is going to have to blood fewer young players due to P&R being back and he should be hoping for a settled half back pairing for the same reason.

If we have to rotate players at 6 that just tells you we definitely are not up to standard in that position.

Obviously at some point it'd be nice to have one of them settle in and make the position their own. In the short term though the hope has to be that the three drive each other on and when one gets an opportunity they fight like hell to keep the spot knowing there's another two capable lads breathing down their neck.

I don't have any worries at all about any of them. They're all top quality players just needing games to kick on. One of them will do a Joe Burgess and rip it up.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:29 pm  

Let's not forget we also have bench hooker spot.

Powell and Williams will be in the mix for that with Tomkins potentially.

Hampshire will be going for 6 and with Bowen 1. That's 3 positions between 5 players not that much of a stretch when you factor injuries.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Nov 10, 2014 7:48 am  

jonh wrote:

Let's not forget we also have bench hooker spot.

Powell and Williams will be in the mix for that with Tomkins potentially.

Hampshire will be going for 6 and with Bowen 1. That's 3 positions between 5 players not that much of a stretch when you factor injuries.

Sarginson could cover 1 and 6 if needs be as well and Tierney also gives us an option at fullback.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Nov 10, 2014 5:06 pm  

Smooth Stu wrote:

Williams and Powell went well, but they are not at Green's level. I absolutely support the need to bring young players through, but they need to learn off an experienced pro, to learn their trade, before being given the role, and then being dropped if things don't go well.

That's a good post. We tried youngsters in the halves and it worked to a degree but young lads often take the wrong option so time is needed if Wigan think one of them is going to 100% be the Wigan 6.

Gaskell at saints was going well but took wrong options and had quite game you'd expect from a kid and it didn't pan out and left us we are truly stuffed as good halves are hard to come by.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Nov 10, 2014 5:12 pm  

Any news on Mossop?good player but terrible injury record.He will be on a good wage which I feel would be better spent on a stand off.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Nov 10, 2014 5:15 pm  

St pete wrote:

That's a good post. We tried youngsters in the halves and it worked to a degree but young lads often take the wrong option so time is needed if Wigan think one of them is going to 100% be the Wigan 6.

Gaskell at saints was going well but took wrong options and had quite game you'd expect from a kid and it didn't pan out and left us we are truly stuffed as good halves are hard to come by.

Agree. Go back to Robinson and Brown at Wigan. Both were outstanding junior players who did very well when they came into the first team and have gone on to have good Superleague careers. However too much was expected of them too soon and the confidence drained out of them. Sadly wigan had to move them on, it was the correct move for all concerned at the time, but I would have loved Wigan to have kept Brown. In a salary capped sport it was however very difficult to do that.

I'm really hoping that Wigan can manage the transition of Williams, Hampshire and Powell into the first team but spectators are going to have to be more patient than they have been in the past.