Bevan French : Thu Feb 03, 2022 3:05 pm  

Back at Wigan next week.

Peet saying we arent going to rush him into action and give him a preseason which I think is wise given what happened last year.

Will be nice to inject a fully fit Bevan French into the team a month or so into the season.

Hopefully in the meantime Field can gain confidence and play his way into the team. I’d love if Field was playing so well French returned on the wing to ease him back in.

Re: Bevan French : Thu Feb 03, 2022 4:01 pm  

Hopefully we can fit them both into the team, those two plus Marshall is some serious pace in the backs

Re: Bevan French : Thu Feb 03, 2022 4:02 pm  

He will be a very welcome addition as and when the time is right. As you say, let’s hope Field is ripping it up and that will mean there’s absolutely no rush to get French back in. You’d think they’ll want to get a month or more of work in to him, so it could get towards late March or in to April before we see him. A player of that class will be some boost for us when he is back.

Re: Bevan French : Thu Feb 03, 2022 4:54 pm  

Hopefully all going well. Fit french to FB. A confident Fields in the halves. The speed in that combo would be frightening

Re: Bevan French : Thu Feb 03, 2022 5:22 pm  

WWste wrote:

Hopefully all going well. Fit french to FB. A confident Fields in the halves. The speed in that combo would be frightening

The options when he’s back fit and up to speed are superb. We could keep Field at fullback and play French on the wing, move Field to the halves and put French back in at fullback. We could use either to add impact from the bench. There is always the option to play Cust at hooker as well and that would add a bit more pace and a running threat at dummy half.

Re: Bevan French : Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:49 am  

Sounds like great news, and again, more options.

Re: Bevan French : Fri Feb 04, 2022 7:38 am  

Great news but I don’t like the idea of French on the wing “to ease” him back in.

He’s either fit enough to play or he’s not
He’s either ready to play or he’s not

Wingers can get balls put up high, cross field kicks, grubbers in the in goal area all game just like fullbacks. We also demand a lot from our wingers in our in 20.

Also, whilst French is fast, it’s more his agility / step that allows him to create space and bamboozle defences. That isn’t possible as much outwide and more often than not at Wigan it’s about being able to finish in tight angles.

Re: Bevan French : Fri Feb 04, 2022 8:44 am  

nathan_rugby wrote:

Great news but I don’t like the idea of French on the wing “to ease” him back in.

He’s either fit enough to play or he’s not
He’s either ready to play or he’s not

Wingers can get balls put up high, cross field kicks, grubbers in the in goal area all game just like fullbacks. We also demand a lot from our wingers in our in 20.

Also, whilst French is fast, it’s more his agility / step that allows him to create space and bamboozle defences. That isn’t possible as much outwide and more often than not at Wigan it’s about being able to finish in tight angles.

We would have to change the way we play undoubtedly if we were to accommodate French on the wing. It is possible though.

We have centre options who can do the hard yards like Thornley, Bibby and KPP so you would have to pair him with one of those lads in the centre and they would have to take on the responsibility of the early carries. Absolutely no way we should be chucking French in for that role.

KPP as centre with French as his winger could be a very interesting prospect for opposition defences to defend against.

Re: Bevan French : Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:20 am  

There are three reserves fixtures between the end of Feb and 19th March, so they may well ease French back in via a couple of those. They’d also have the option of him turning out for Newcastle if both clubs wanted to do that.

Re: Bevan French : Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:49 am  

WWste wrote:

Hopefully all going well. Fit french to FB. A confident Fields in the halves. The speed in that combo would be frightening

Cust and Fields in the halves, Tommy on the bench to interchange with the mediocre Powell, Don't think Smith is Wigan standard, If he has not put his mark on the team by the age of 22 then I doubt he will, nothing more than a Rocky mk2, bulled up by the usual suspects