: Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:12 pm  

Tbf Roberts hasn't been at the races at all and maybe a kick up the backside is what is needed or a confidence boost in the reserves.

Keep in mind tho Roberts didn't have a pre season. Everyone suddenly seems to have forgotten that he wasn’t even meant to play the first month of the season if I’m correct? Btw it’s only been six games into a four year deal and someone mentioned the other day about him being near the last chance saloon! Come on let’s not go OTT on what have apart from the Leeds game been steady if not unspectacular performances. He should at minimum get half to ¾ of the season before we even expect to see him hitting anything near his top form.

I'm in no doubt that he will come good although i'm worried that we haven't even seen flashes of what he's capable of yet.

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:40 pm  

thepriestman85 wrote:

Tbf Roberts hasn't been at the races at all and maybe a kick up the backside is what is needed or a confidence boost in the reserves.

Keep in mind tho Roberts didn't have a pre season. Everyone suddenly seems to have forgotten that he wasn’t even meant to play the first month of the season if I’m correct? Btw it’s only been six games into a four year deal and someone mentioned the other day about him being near the last chance saloon! Come on let’s not go OTT on what have apart from the Leeds game been steady if not unspectacular performances. He should at minimum get half to ¾ of the season before we even expect to see him hitting anything near his top form.

I'm in no doubt that he will come good although i'm worried that we haven't even seen flashes of what he's capable of yet.

Maybe I was being a little dramatic re the last chance saloon!

As I've already posted I thought he just about deserved a start on Friday but he has generally failed to impress and this has been exacerbated by Ainscough's form.

Therefore, not surprised to see him missing. Not bothered either.

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:51 pm  

jinkin jimmy wrote:

Maybe I was being a little dramatic re the last chance saloon!

As I've already posted I thought he just about deserved a start on Friday but he has generally failed to impress and this has been exacerbated by Ainscough's form.

Therefore, not surprised to see him missing. Not bothered either.

Defo he deserves some time on the sidelines but maybe a 'weaker' team like Salford would have been a good team for him to play against. One or two tries against them could have transformed his game maybe.

I maybe would have tried him at FB also lets see how he goes there

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:03 pm  

thepriestman85 wrote:

Defo he deserves some time on the sidelines but maybe a 'weaker' team like Salford would have been a good team for him to play against. One or two tries against them could have transformed his game maybe.

I maybe would have tried him at FB also lets see how he goes there

I wasn't totally happy with Pat's performance at FB last time out but putting Amos there weakens us considerably. Maybe he would have found his feet against Salford but you now have to earn the right to play at Wigan. We may lack quality but we do have more depth than in recent years, particularly in the backs.

BTW that "weaker" team are only getting 12 start. If they play to that it will be their second best performance of the season. What would that say about us?

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:14 pm  

jinkin jimmy wrote:

I wasn't totally happy with Pat's performance at FB last time out but putting Amos there weakens us considerably. Maybe he would have found his feet against Salford but you now have to earn the right to play at Wigan. We may lack quality but we do have more depth than in recent years, particularly in the backs.

BTW that "weaker" team are only getting 12 start. If they play to that it will be their second best performance of the season. What would that say about us?

Look I don’t want to sound like a big head but Salford are a weaker team than us. The league shows it and we’ve lost one of our last three games so it’s hardly all doom and gloom.

Every week it’s a reason after excuse for not trying new things. How do you know putting Roberts at FB will weaken us considerably until we try it and find out? If worse comes to worse we could then put him back on the wing and Pat to FB! If we can’t try new things against Salford who can we do it against?

We were told Wakey wasn’t the game to try to new things, then Castleford will be trying their hardest to beat us and we even have Barrow fans telling us if we drop to many players we will lose there also! We can’t keep the same team together for the whole of the season and I’d like to find out what other options we have if players get injured e.g can Roberts play fb if Pat is out cause knowing our luck it will be the game before Saints or Warrington when we try these things out for the first time.

Still we are arguing over nothing as Roberts for what ever reason isn’t in the squad so it’s all just if’s and buts anyway.

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:29 pm  

It's ok saying we need to give Roberts more time etc, but at what expense?
The expense of Karl Pryce who is playing well in need of a shot, Roberts is no special case, for whatever reason if he's not playing well and someone in the same position is pushing for a place then he will have to step out of the 1st team and prove his worth in the reserves.

And if Pryce continues to play well in that position he holds it, and rightly so.

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:54 pm  

Last Son of Wigan wrote:

It's ok saying we need to give Roberts more time etc, but at what expense?
The expense of Karl Pryce who is playing well in need of a shot, Roberts is no special case, for whatever reason if he's not playing well and someone in the same position is pushing for a place then he will have to step out of the 1st team and prove his worth in the reserves.

And if Pryce continues to play well in that position he holds it, and rightly so.

But hopefully Pryce will be moving inside to the number 3 spot, so we need a wingr there, and letting the new guy play a few more games couldn't hurt.

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:26 pm  

But why drop Bailey? He's doing better than Roberts. Tightened up his side of the field.

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:59 pm  

I would got with

Richards
Pryce
Bailey
Carmont
Ainscough
Sam
Tommy
Prescott
Riddell
Coley
Hansen
Lockers
Tomkins

Feka
Hock
Fielden
McIlorum

Dropping Roberts should be a wake up call for him but I think we should give him time as he has obvsious speed and ability. I think he will be a very good signing for us but I think we desperately need a quality centre inside him as I don't think he is like Ainscough who can make something from nothing.

Fielden on the bench will be another wake up call and I think he would respond in the right way. Hopefully like he did against Warrington last season

I think if we are to have any chance of getting to finals and having some success this season I think we need a settled half back partnership and the best we have to offer is Sam and Tommy which isn't too bad to be honest Give them a decent run together and I think they will do us proud

: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:47 pm  

converted warrior wrote:

coleys stats for the leeds team made him the strongest prop last week i am afraid to tell all you coley haters!!!

Its not that I hate him I just feel he is very poor. He is unbelievably slow, runs sideways in attack and has the thinnest legs I have ever seen for a matured prop forward, therefore he very rarely wins the collision and has a very poor leg drive.