Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Thu Sep 23, 2021 9:14 am  

FearTheVee wrote:

Hardaker is absolutely part of the problem for Wigan when he pays FB in my opinion, but I think Harry Smith is also an issue for you as he looks rather heavily overrated to me (albeit accepting he has played behind a back-pedalling pack all year).

Smith has the same number of try and try assists as Lomax and most attacking kicks in Superleague. He's doing ok and your point about the pack is correct. The other point is that Hastings is so dominant and that sometimes will hamper him. It'll be interesting to see how he goes next year when he'll have more of a dominant role in the team.

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Thu Sep 23, 2021 9:36 am  

I have come to the conclusion that where Harry Smith and other good young players are concerned, some supporters would not know one when they saw one!

A few seasons ago, some supporters were saying the same about Martin Dermott not being good enough when he replaced Nicky Kiss as the hooker in the first team!

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:10 am  

Ruddy Duck wrote:

I have come to the conclusion that where Harry Smith and other good young players are concerned, some supporters would not know one when they saw one!

A few seasons ago, some supporters were saying the same about Martin Dermott not being good enough when he replaced Nicky Kiss as the hooker in the first team!

That "A few seasons ago" is doing some heavy lifting there pal.

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:34 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

Smith has the same number of try and try assists as Lomax and most attacking kicks in Superleague. He's doing ok and your point about the pack is correct. The other point is that Hastings is so dominant and that sometimes will hamper him. It'll be interesting to see how he goes next year when he'll have more of a dominant role in the team.

I wouldn't use 2021 Lomax as a barometer - he's been ineffective for most of the year and those stats Smith is matching are really poor given the side he's in. Welsby and Dodd probably have more try involvements in the few games they've played together than he has all season.

Hope Smith kicks on - he looks to be struggling to me but there is certainly a proper player in there.

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Sat Jul 30, 2022 10:56 am  

nathan_rugby wrote:

Surely that is a joke?

He won Man of Steel as a halfback, he's played his whole career as a halfback but you think he's a 9 or 13?

Which is it? 9 or 13? They are two completely different positions.

Sorry to bring the thread back from the dead, just triggered something after reading about Wests this season and got me thinking 'I remember someone laughing at me for saying that'.

Well he's a 13 now for Wests.

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:41 am  

So glad these two muppets are out of our club. No wonder the feel of the place is so much better than last year.

Seen this article in the Sydney morning herald
“
The Wests Tigers roster could be set for an overhaul over the summer. Jackson Hastings’ future at the club isn’t guaranteed.

There are a number of people at the club who don’t believe he is a good influence on the team despite the image he portrays in the media for the fans. He has become a cult hero, but the view is different among most internally.“

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Sat Jul 30, 2022 1:04 pm  

NSW wrote:

So glad these two muppets are out of our club. No wonder the feel of the place is so much better than last year.

Seen this article in the Sydney morning herald
“
The Wests Tigers roster could be set for an overhaul over the summer. Jackson Hastings’ future at the club isn’t guaranteed.

There are a number of people at the club who don’t believe he is a good influence on the team despite the image he portrays in the media for the fans. He has become a cult hero, but the view is different among most internally.“

He also hasn't been all that good in my opinion. He's solid enough at all the core skills but very rare that he's stood out.

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Sat Jul 30, 2022 1:18 pm  

I can only ever sum up Hastings and his relationship with Wigan as ‘weird’. An absolute obsessive about his time at Salford and seems similar with Wests but just seemed to see Wigan as a wage. Always gave everything on the field mind but I’m glad he’s moved on and I think we’re better for it.

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Sat Jul 30, 2022 2:55 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I can only ever sum up Hastings and his relationship with Wigan as ‘weird’. An absolute obsessive about his time at Salford and seems similar with Wests but just seemed to see Wigan as a wage. Always gave everything on the field mind but I’m glad he’s moved on and I think we’re better for it.

I feel he will be very easily forgettable, in the same vein someone like Tim Smith is now. In ten years time I best most Wigan supporters will resign him to a distant insignificance (its not like he scored the winner in the GF against Saints is it).

Hardaker will be remembered more for the risk we took on him, his bad boy image and his sudden departure.

Re: Hardaker & Hastings : Sat Jul 30, 2022 3:04 pm  

He played at Wigan for the money and for a route to the NRL. He also seemed to have a good relationship with Adrian Lam. But there was no affinity with the club and the fans felt no affinity with him.