Godinet looks like a quality player for Wakefield. He was pulling the strings for them.

Remember Jack Murphy under a high ball ?

Smith ran out of the line, possibly looking for an interception, which left the gap for Wakefield to score their first try

Jake Mullaney was my Man Of the Match yesterday.

Hock was a very close second though.

The less said about Howarth the better!

Paul McShane and Ali Lauitiiti were the stand out players for Wakefield in my opinion.

Gareth Hock was outstanding yesterday. I would go as far to say it was one of the best performances I have seen from a second-rower in a Salford shirt. The power, strength and aggression was there for all to see, he was like a man on a possessed.

MOTM for me.

This is his 3rd season at the club though so it's hardly a knee-jerk reaction!

Plus he spent a large portion of last year at St Helens under the tutelage of Keiron Cunningham and from the looks of it didn't learn a thing from him about hooking!!

If Chase isn't fit next week I'd play Fages at 6 with Owen on the bench. If Chase is in, Fages or Owen on the bench as interchange hooker in place of Howarth.

My feelings about Johnson aside I think it was foolish to play him and Walton on the same side, they might be ex team mates at Batley but they got exposed by the speed of McShane and skills of Lauitiiti every time they attacked that side.

Howarth I'm sorry not worth his starting place for me, Hock is scary with ball in hand but you kind of stand waiting for him to do something stupid in defence, Tasi for me is going to be a massive signing as along with Morley they gave us more go forward than I have seen in 20 odd years at Salford. I think you can see the class of Mullaney the only issue I would have is that he stands way too deep, at times yesterday he was that far behind the line that any form of chip over the top would have exposed him.

Going forward Howarth had an awful game yesterday, nobody could possibly dispute that. It didnt help that he was forced into the game earlier than Noble would obviously have liked to have used him but even so, his distribution was appaling. Why does he need to pick the ball up before passing? Any half decent hooker will throw the ball from the floor, instead Howarth allowed the Wakefield defence 2 seconds to get up and in our faces each and every tackle.

I would like to see Theo Fages or Gareth Owen given a go vs London.

Agree about Howarth, did a bit of decent work in defence but every time he was at dummy half he was picking the ball up and passing after a second or two. Tried a delayed pass and we got punished for it with the interception.

Mullaney looked really safe under the high ball, the only time he did drop one was when he pretty much got taken out in the air and we should have got the penalty. Think Wakefield might have scored from getting the ball back there as well.

Agree wholeheartedly with your post.
When we were under the cosh it was madness for Hock to concede that penalty.He has to act with consideration for his teammates.
Higham in the first half at Warrington and now McShane in the second half yesterday have dominated the ruck.
If the much publicized Scott Moore does the same on Saturday it could be another biting of nails down to the knuckle - and it is their big opening day at a new venue with hopefully new supporters:they won't roll-over.
We'll need Gareth Hock on his best behaviour for the full 80.

I made my mind up about Howarth after his first season. He is never in a month of Sundays a hooker. Yes he worked hard and put some shots on when defending, but there's more to a hookers game now. He's given two interceptions away in 2 out of the 3 games we've played in so far. The criticism of him is fully justified.

I never said it [iwas[/i a knee-jerk reaction, and I agree he isn't sharp enough to play hooker. The point I'm making - and it's something that really es me off about some of our fans - is that they'll make a decision about a player and then all they'll see is what that player does wrong and never what he does right, even to the point where they make some of the wrong things up (the loose ball thing being an example). Defensively, he was outstanding yesterday, but in attack he was less good. To hear some people, though, you'd think he just stood in the middle of the field with his finger up his arse while Wakefield ran rings around him.

I'm sorry but Paul McShane pretty much did.

I saw him miss and fall off more than a few tackles and he didn't even attempt to catch the high bomb that landed right next to him. He had a shocker yesterday.

Think hock played really well yesterday and good to have a forward that can take a game by the scruff of the neck! Think it was a close choice of man of the match between smith 1st half and hock 2nd imo.

As for howarth, haven't rated him since day one (3 years ago now i think inc stint at saints?), no variety at the play the ball, never given first receiever (normally smith) a chance because every play the ball he would stand his body behind the play the ball that you knew which side it was going (never dummied) and just starred at the person who he was going to throw to an then took his time to get it to that person, letting the line come up and giving them something to aim at!!

As people have said here just didn't look sharp, and imo,Tommy Lee and gareth owen brings a lot more variety to the ruck.

Appreciate with rangi going off that was the only option.

Hoping he has some better days.