Wigan are :-
3rd top try scorers
2nd top metre makers
top for offloads
3rd top for tackle busts
3rd top for clean breaks

With those stats we should not be in 8th position.

Missed goals and penalties conceded appear to be part of the reason.

Very high cruncher.

Imagine we're near the top in the "tries conceded" league and near the bottom in the "chances converted" - we never seem to be able to get over the oppositions line, the times I've watched us this season I've always been left with the impression that giving the opposition two early tries we might as well have given them four or five. We don't seem capable of getting over the try line.

When we've won games we've won them well in the main but when we've lost it's always been pretty close.

If only we could turn some of these close defeats into wins we'd be very very close to having a half decent side.

It's all about attitude.

Paaaaaat's form has definitely been off the mark with his goal kicking this year.

Obviously he's going to miss a few but compared to last year his conversion rate must be way down from the 80-odd percent he was getting.

It'd be interesting to see what, if any, games we might have one if he'd have kicked better.

Don't think it helped that earlier in the season our backup kickers proved to be about as good as my Mum (I'm looking at you Roberts and Riddell).

It might have something to do with the fact we can only score tries out wide off kicks...etc

I was going to say that, most of our tries have came out wide and you can see that on the other thread where Richards and Ainscough are clear of the rest in the try scoring.

However if Pat can do what he did on Sunday with Vella then he doesnt have to worry about kicking for the touchline

Did we score all our tries under the sticks last year? Richards was top try scorer from FB last year followed by Carmont at left centre.

Surely most of Carmont's tries were scored out on that left side.

I suppose it's something Bilko touched on yesterday saying we cannot hold our nerve in close games. We have not done as much wrong as we think. We should be in at least 5th with those stats.

We have lost 8 games in the league by 12 points or less most of those being by 8 points or less.

I am pretty sure with someone like Barrett in our team this season we would of come through most of these games with the win, especially games against Celtic, Wakey, Cas, Hull KR.

Just had a look at cherryandwhite.co.uk and it has Pat's goal kicking at 80.1% last season and 69.8% for this.

Surely that is down to where we are scoring our tries and not the reason we are losing games.

-We need that extra bit of cleverness or class e.g. Hull KR at home with the game in the balance Smith decides to run it on the last tackle in his own half and gets charged down. Stupid play

-Warrington away an extra bit of composure needed in front of their line with the repeat set of six’s we had.

-Wakey at home 1st game of the season Tim Smith kicks the majority of ball away.

-Saints Easter weekend we had them on the ropes and couldn’t score but yet we had repeated sets on their line.

Like you said we need a HB to create that spark with a run or magic pass like Trent used to do as well as a HB that can take the right options at the right time.

Our fortunes are easy to turn around next season if the right people are brought in.

I would like to see how many trys have been put past us from silly penalties that the players dont seem to learn from. I think thats why were 8th and not were we should be also the soft defence at times.

Good post but I do not think it is just the creative side of things that Trent would of brought this season, just his leadership may of brought us through some of those games with the win.