Reading between the lines of Rads' final blog after the WCC, I think the club have realised they have got their recruitment slightly wrong this year, and it's left us very light in the SR. I presume the original intention was to use Clubb there, but it is now pretty obvious that he is better utilised straight up the middle than outwide, same with Pettybourne and Flower. I'm not sure what the deal is with Hopkins, and even if he does break in to the first team where SW intends to play him.

Our recruitment in this off-season has left us oversubscribed with props and far too short with SRs. Farrell is top quality, Bateman is looking a top signing but is probably playing far more than the club originally wanted him to and there are still massive question marks over Hughes, after that we are left with youngsters waiting for their debuts.

Mark Bitcom is certainly earning his money, as we now have props filling in at second row and he is having to get them fitter and faster in a short time scale. As well as bulking up the younger lads to play in there.

Probably one of the most important men at Wigan at the present time, and someone we desperately need to keep at the club.

We are light in the 2nd row but v Wire the coaches did seem to have found one way of preventing them doing to much "heavy lifting"
There were only a couple of minutes gone when Burgess was given the ball, he went around Monaghan and was tackled by Ratchford. He'd gone from our 30 approx to their 20 mtr line. That's a lot of yards forward our pack had not had to make. 2nd time Joe got the ball Faz scored.
That move was repeated 3 or 4 times in the 2nd half with Joe B making 30 to 40 mtrs a run. Hence his almost 200 mtrs in the game.
Faz and Bateman did make big meters but I did think the use of Joe B was well planned. Also bearing in mind Wire's starting 6 forwards were an average of 8 years a man older than the Wigan starting 6.

I think it was said on another thread, but Gelling must be worth a shot in the second row, big, pretty quick and he's shown he's got a decent off-load when he's played at centre. Useful player to have on the subs bench.

Can't see why he isn't getting a shot there to be honest. He's NOT going to make it as a winger, has too much competition at centre to be able to hold down a place. He makes good yards in the tackle and has a great offload. Plus if we get an injury in the backs during a game he can cover there. I only see him making it at Wigan if he plays second row but for some reason we are persisting with players who are under performing I this position rather than playing him.