Issues like players ageing or not having a talent for kicking are impossible pretty much to sort out. A player being an absolute moron shouldn't be and that's the difference. It's easy to tell him to stop being a prat, it's not as easy to tell Carmont to freeze time or to tell Finch to put his kicking feet on the right legs.

We made plenty of errors in the game and have plenty to work on but it's impossible to get away from the fact that Lauaki ultimately cost us the game. Errors, penalties, negative penalty options and intercepts kept Wire in it but Lauaki was Wires hero at the end who saw them over the line.

He has a lot of hard work to do to repay his teamates, coaches and the supporters.

I don't know about it being easier to coach idiocy out of players - particularly if it comes out in high stress periods of big games. Hauraki at Leeds seems to become error-prone in high pressure situations - the exact opposite of a 'big game' player.

If it can't be coached out of him he doesn't play and it's as simple as that. To me asking somebody to not spear tackle an opposing player infront of your own sticks with the scores tied at 20-20 should be easy enough.

He should have 2 choices.

If these issues are IMPOSSIBLE to sort out I think were in trouble!
I think if wigan did have a kicker in the team much of super league would struggle to contain us. The fact we don't leaves us very open on kick returns and give easy yards to opposing teams. Finch can kick you don't play halfback for NSW if you cant, just hasn't done it for us yet. As regards to the aging players, it's not that there not up to the job, we tend to rely on them a little to much, and only having 1 out and out centre this problem wont go away. I've nothing against goulding just think he's a winger, maybe swap him and charnley around was impressive when he played there for hull kr.

Our problem is that we don't have any pace at half-back. Tommy and Finch are both strong players but we need one half back with pace...a Maguire, a Lomax or a Dureau. Someone to frighten the opposition like Sam does. Our forwards were on top, despite idiotic penalties and our backs didn't take advantage.

I still think that was a 1 on 1 ball steal that went forwards off the Wire player, should have been a Wigan scrum.

Agreed!

Spot on. I haven't noticed any criticism of Prescott for conceding the penalty to make it 20-all, for example.

Not quite the same though is it. The tackles where the arm bounces up off the ball often can't be helped, which is why they never receive further punishment. Lauaki's penalties were of the deliberately daft variety which is why he's getting so much stick.

There was still no way that Lauaki was solely to blame for the defeat though, he was just to blame for conceding the match winning penalty, which in my opinion isn't the same thing. It doesn't help that it isn't the first time Lauaki has cost his team in this manner.