Quote: Last Son of Wigan "It's an interesting debate with our wingers.
I'm pleased Marshall is improving as an overall player, at the end of the day we want Wigan to win games and be successful, so there's no bias over players they're all Wigan players. Saying that I think, and of course could be wrong, but currently Davies and Burgess are the best all-round wingers currently available. Marshall's try scoring record and pace is a pleasure to watch, but as Burgess finds fitness he's a better all-rounder. He has pace and can destroy defences when clear, we'll see more of this as he returns to his old form with fitness. as much as Marshall's try scoring is natural eye-catching, Burgess' defence v Saints was exactly want you want in a winger. He's big, athletic, can stand up to all wingers due to his size and pace, and is great under the high ball, someone mentioned his Aussie rules hands high style, this sums up his ability. V saints he worked hard, covered at FB and still shifted to the wing in attack. He's still young and has the physical attributes and ability to push for an England spot and be enough to match the big strong international wingers.
I honestly never feel safe v top teams with Marshall, knocking on in the CC final for example, or putting him up against some big athletic wingers which are now at a lot of teams in SL.
Davies is developing, he's solid, not perfect, or the finish article, but has the making of a good all-rounder. I'm pleased we have him.
If Manfredi is anything like he was before his absence I feel the competition on the wings will be between Burgess, Davies and Manfredi. I well could be wrong, but I feel Marshall's career at Wigan is going to as a stand in, or he'll become tried of not featuring and go elsewhere.
Of course people will disagree, which is good, it's good to discuss.'"
We have to be careful not to fall in the trap that some do in that by having a particular favourite in a discussion we over exaggerate deficiencies in the other player.
I would have picked Marshall early season as he looked fitter than Budgie etc. (Bearing in mind Budgies injury at Leigh).
But what then happened was a whole host of calls criticising Budgie, he's not interested, he's overweight, He's looking elsewhere etc. when it was just a matter of time that he regained fitness and showed us what he can do.
I don't want the same thing to happen with Marshall in reverse.
He's a very good winger and IMO is already in the Top 10/15 Wingers in SL - It just happens that we have 2 who IMO are higher.
We must be careful not to over exaggerate any deficiencies in an attempt to promote our own favourites.