To be fair to Hodgson, Warrington were near perfect today and he was playing behind a shocking Giants outfit. When it came down to one of the most important things a fullback as an individual is there for, diffusing bombs... I thought it was quite telling. Hodgson took two very high pressure ones from the Wolves superb kicking game and follow up defence. Mathers was given a bomb with absolutely no pressure and he looked too scared to go near it! Hodgson would have had a nice easy afternoon playing behind the guys Mathers was too!

Opening piece of the Warrington Guardian report -

Warrington Wolves fans singsignal his acknowledgement.

Hodgson is a wire, Hodgson is a wire na na na na na na na na

correct... Hodgson's bomb diffusing was a different class.

for his error (the knock on) he should never have even passed the ball in the first place the winger cudjoe was under no pressure in running the ball out from his line why he passed to hodgson who clearly wasnt fit says more about cudjoe's lack of bottle at running at the wire defence than it did about hodgson being poor.

I watched Hodgson closely on Sunday.

Defensively - poor didn't make a one on one tackle all the game

Catching and running the ball - o.k. no mistakes, but no great long runs, but an improvemnt on Mathers.

Now the interesting bit (for you Wire fans)
Within 30 metres of the Wigan try line, he was superb. His reading of the game was brilliant. He would just hang around behind the play the ball and then suddenly appear either just inside or outside the centre, that's how David Hodgson got his tries.
If you watch the highlights here you'll see what I mean. He's so difficult to pick up as a defender.
rlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/video/player.php?id

What he does need is fast accurate ball, and I would expect that is one of the reasons that Wire have extended Briers contract, obviously along with Monaghans distribution.

Just watch him on Sunday, and you'll see what I mean.

Ive got no problem with Hodgsons acknowledgement to the Wolves fans (which he clearing did). It wasnt as though he came over signing autographs or stepping aside to allow Warrington to score. Players making acknowledgemenst to the crowds has for long been part of rugby whether it be positive of negative remoarks (eg Andy Farrell at Wilderspool). It doesnt show him to be unprofessional just a player willing to acknowledge praise.