: Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:12 pm  

sgtwilko wrote:

it takes much longer than your giving him to get back from the injuries he's had!! he was probably about 18 months away from been fully back from his first injury when he did his other knee at the titans, so i think next season or the season after is when mathers will be looking at his very best again.

truley judge him then! as a fan i can understand why that may be unrealistic, but it also shows how desperate or how badley the club was been run at the time when you signed him

Fair enough but i'd rather not use first time matches as a way of building his fitness and getting his form back. Its no good saying "oh look someone else has gone in for a try and ran round Mathers as if he isnt there, but its ok he's had an injury." The point is he shouldnt be playing in the first team.

: Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:37 pm  

- Neil - wrote:

As I have said all along Mathers will get his chance...first 10 games or so...

I saw an improvement in him towards the end of last season and I think he deserves a chance. Wigan have invested alot of time and little money into Mathers if we gave up on him now it would be wasted.

Exactly, he will get a chance, but if he doesn't take it, it could be the end of his career at Wigan.

: Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:38 pm  

Nogga wrote:

Fair enough but i'd rather not use first time matches as a way of building his fitness and getting his form back. Its no good saying "oh look someone else has gone in for a try and ran round Mathers as if he isnt there, but its ok he's had an injury." The point is he shouldnt be playing in the first team.

when you come back from ligament injuries a player is obviously fit to play the game opposed to it braking down but it takes a year to 18 motnhs(sometimes 2 years) to get full movement forward, back and lateral, balance also takes time as well as confidence and you can only get this playing first grade.

but as a fan i totally see where you coming from but i think mathers has a lot to offer the game.

: Mon Feb 02, 2009 4:05 pm  

I've always found Mathers to the kind of player who looks very nervous under a high ball and unlikely to stop an attacking player in a one-on-one break.

Worrying traits for a fullback.

I thought he was a good signing when he first arrived, on a well thought out contract which gave us control over his future. He seems like a decent enough lad with great enthusiasm for the team but IMO he's just not good enough.

Pat should be at FB with Roberts on the wing on Sunday.

: Mon Feb 02, 2009 5:10 pm  

Let's just hope he does a complete U-turn in form, as Paaaat did after his first season with us. Although I've seen no evidence of him doing that yet.

To be fair to the lad he seems slightly more confident at the moment compared to last season in some respects (taking the ball on the volley on most occasions instead of letting it bounce all over the place) but then other times he just scares the cr@p out of me (dithering when he's got the ball behind our line).

: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:18 pm  

Nucking Futs wrote:

dithering

Proper Wigan word that Robyn

: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:47 pm  

If you can tackle, you tackle. If you have guts, it stands out a mile. He can't tackle, and his lack of guts stand out a mile.

Give him another 5 seasons, and he'll still be gutless.

Stick Richards at FB, we have people to cover the wingers spots just fine.

: Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:36 am  

Not trolling here, but it seems that over the last few seasons a fair number of your recruits in the backs have failed to fulfil their initial promise.

: Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:46 am  

Hard to say. Richards and Carmont have. Trent did.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:07 pm  

Must not play for Wigan again until he can dominate Reserve matches consistently for several weeks.

That said, I'd be ecstatic if he went on loan for the season.