Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Wed Aug 25, 2021 8:51 pm  

First 14 minutes I watched Smith and thought, finally the kid has turned up…rest of match he once again vanished and the old excuse of playing behind a beaten pack simply doesn’t stand up. For the first half the pack were on the front foot.

Compare Smith to Leeming tonight. A 9 playing at 7, he took the ball to the line and drew in defenders, then hit a pass.

Smith drops off players 5 meters away from the defensive line, it’s so basic it’s terrifying. You can blame Lam for that, but any half from the age of 13 up knows you can’t not challenge the defence when looking to make plays.

He wasn’t the biggest problem. The lack of basic fundamental skills is embarrassing but once again he is a significant problem in regards to our lack of quality at half.

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Wed Aug 25, 2021 8:52 pm  

100% Warrior wrote:

It’s hard to see how the best interests of the club are being held when Lam is still in post. I can’t see us winning, or scoring more than 12pts in our last 4 games.

His position if it wasn’t already (which is f*****g was months ago) is utterly untenable. He has to go and go now. If he doesn’t then that to me says the clubs best interests aren’t at heart and IL/Rads must go if that’s the case. It’s unforgivable what’s happened to this club. Absolutely unforgivable.

I agree. Any inaction from this moment onwards comes from the top (should have gone on Friday IMO). Lam MUST be sacked either tonight or tomorrow morning. No other option (unless Lam quits of course).

If we don't then they may as well hand over the reigns to owners who want the club to progress.

Just seen Lams post match interview, looks resigned to the fact he's being moved on soon. Let's hope so.

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Wed Aug 25, 2021 11:22 pm  

Time that some supporters faced the fact that the club has been in decline for the past three years or so and the people to blame for it are those running the club.

Poor signings not up to the standard expected by supporters , too much expected of young players, the Edwards shambles, the loss of Sean Wane as Coach, financial mistakes like the Millwall game and the Australia tour have all added up the present situation.

The headline in the Manchester Evening News about the present state of the club says it all.

But some will still keep wearing the blinkers.

From heroes to zero's is now the norm at Wigan!

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Wed Aug 25, 2021 11:23 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Agreed, that first one is at least a red IMO, didn't think the one he was binned for was that bad.

Something that annoys me about the game Grimmy. When can, or when does, a video ref get involved?

The game is stopped there, so what stops him telling Hicks what happened? I disagree with plenty in the NRL but he's gone over there.

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:35 am  

jonh wrote:

First 14 minutes I watched Smith and thought, finally the kid has turned up…rest of match he once again vanished and the old excuse of playing behind a beaten pack simply doesn’t stand up. For the first half the pack were on the front foot.

Compare Smith to Leeming tonight. A 9 playing at 7, he took the ball to the line and drew in defenders, then hit a pass.

Smith drops off players 5 meters away from the defensive line, it’s so basic it’s terrifying. You can blame Lam for that, but any half from the age of 13 up knows you can’t not challenge the defence when looking to make plays.

He wasn’t the biggest problem. The lack of basic fundamental skills is embarrassing but once again he is a significant problem in regards to our lack of quality at half.

Smith wasn't the only HB issue though, how many times did Hastings run the ball on the 4th tackle and take himself out of the options on the last tackle, meaning Smith had to try and organise and do everything. That is also poor play for a supposed top half-back. Also Hastings long kicking is like watching TL all over again - pointless long hoofs directly to the Leeds full back with time to spare.

I get that Hastings is trying to do everything but some of his decision making was very suspect and he was continually putting himself in positions where the defence could smoother him - he needed to drop back a bit and give himself more time/room to operate - he plays more like a 9 than a HB.

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:42 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

Something that annoys me about the game Grimmy. When can, or when does, a video ref get involved?

The game is stopped there, so what stops him telling Hicks what happened? I disagree with plenty in the NRL but he's gone over there.

He can get involved when he deems it worthy of a card (not when it's only worth a penalty, as they don't want players staying down forcing every bit of minor contact to be reviewed as was happening at one stage). Either he didn't get replays (controlled by Sky) in time to give his input, or he didn't see it the way I did.

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Thu Aug 26, 2021 9:48 am  

exiled Warrior wrote:

Smith wasn't the only HB issue though, how many times did Hastings run the ball on the 4th tackle and take himself out of the options on the last tackle, meaning Smith had to try and organise and do everything. That is also poor play for a supposed top half-back. Also Hastings long kicking is like watching TL all over again - pointless long hoofs directly to the Leeds full back with time to spare.

I get that Hastings is trying to do everything but some of his decision making was very suspect and he was continually putting himself in positions where the defence could smoother him - he needed to drop back a bit and give himself more time/room to operate - he plays more like a 9 than a HB.

How many times is Hastings attacking the line on the 4th tackle and there is 0 push around him.

The rest of the attack is way behind him.

You are correct he is trying too hard but he is getting no support so he has no choice.

The last comment is very telling.

This rotation of 9s that sees our halves move in to that position during games is a terrible tactic. That’s on the coach not them as it is clearly his instruction. Whenever they get in at 9 which they do very often it reduces our attacking threat even more.

I can’t agree re Smith having to organise a last tackle play though, as if it is some major issue.

He is a 7 playing at Wigan. His job is to do that.

If we are saying that is a challenge for a SL half back then we may as well give up.

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Thu Aug 26, 2021 10:23 am  

Grimmy wrote:

He can get involved when he deems it worthy of a card (not when it's only worth a penalty, as they don't want players staying down forcing every bit of minor contact to be reviewed as was happening at one stage). Either he didn't get replays (controlled by Sky) in time to give his input, or he didn't see it the way I did.

Thanks as always

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Thu Aug 26, 2021 11:35 am  

jonh wrote:

He is a 7 playing at Wigan. His job is to do that.

If we are saying that is a challenge for a SL half back then we may as well give up.

I agree he should but for the entire line on his own?, But it also on Hastings as the senior half-back to be in the back line organising as well not getting himself trapped in a tackle and only having one half-back (and a young one at that) and not even a good link forward like Lockers to dictate the play, we look so dis-jointed and a lot of that is down to awful coaching.

Smith is struggling - that is obvious, the reality is he is being expected to do far more that he should (given that without the raft of injuries the HB paring would likely be Tommy and Hastings) and I think it has badly effected his confidence. In an ideal world he would have been drafted in and given some game but not as much. Comparing him to other young HBs in better teams is not a fair guide.

I am undecided about Smith - there is a player in there and I would want see how he would go in a better team (more structed) before casting him out. Maybe with less pressure he would make fewer mistakes or bad choices but without improvements in the team right across the board (for example so little comes from hooker these days which puts more onus on the half-backs) that I think it will difficult.

Re: 21 man squad to face Leeds Wednesday. : Thu Aug 26, 2021 12:43 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Quite possibly. I'm not doing a Ruddy Duck here and saying my way is the only way...

Feel free to talk me through it as the way this one looks to the 'uneducated', it doesn't paint the process in a good light. Two varying points of argument and the match review panel back their own man. An independent tribunal then review it and find JB not guilty.

Or ref believes player was mouthing off at him, penalty imposed accordingly. Player has right to appeal, does appeal, gives his version of events and succeeds. This looks like a system that works to me.