surely putting 2 youngsters in would benefit them more than throwing 5 in at once. isn't it better to drip feed 1 or 2 at a time into an experienced team, and preferably at the dw stadium. isn't the theory supposed to be they will learn from the experienced pro's. 5 in one game away from home is just too much.

I accept the need to develop the squad but I truly believe we need to put our strongest side out for every game. These are professional athletes who are 6 weeks into a season. I remember not long ago Wane saying how he wanted to win every game and this simply isn't the way to do it. Even if we'd scraped a win is be disappointed with today's performance. 2 debuts with Sam and lockers on the bench would have given us a bit of strike and leadership if it started to go wrong! It went wrong!!

I've been having this discussion on another forum and it seems people have their own opinions on what will or will not work. I think the only way to see whether blooding these players quickly was the right thing to do is wait and see how they cope the next time they are given a chance.

Obviously Mellor stood out to me more because I was watching the Wigan players. Didn't even know O'Brien had played until It was mentioned on the radio on the way home. He might have had a decent game but he didn't do anything special enough for a opposition fan to notice.

To sort of answer your question though, I was quite impressed with Mellor, he scored a good try and was jinking around the way Sam Tomkins does, set up a few clean breaks with good off-loads and was there in support play most of the time, if we had injures in the halfs, I reckon Mellor will slot in well in super league

Mellor and Gelling should have played today imo, as the coaching staff need to see if they can step up next year and replace the outgoing Tommy and Carmont.

We have seen time and time again Sam kill off the so-called lesser teams almost single handedly and definitely should have played. I've only seen Russell play a handful of times but he does look prone to errors defensively, I think blooding him in with a few wing appearances would probably be the best approach, and with him only being 18 there'll be plenty of opportunites.

Bottom line is we have a talented group of youngsters coming through and Wane has made a mistake by trying to play too many of them at once rather than drip feed them 1/2 at a time. I can't see him making the same mistake again. We need to get over this week with a big performance against London next week to prepare for Wire the week after. Not all doom and gloom it's all down to how the players respond.

O'Brien has a good kicking game with field kicking and attempts at goal.
No one doubts his ability but Warrington should be spelling someone as good as him into their first team on a regular basis.
Wane just over did the "introducing youngsters" theory today and paid the price.

We have always had players out of contract at the end every season and I have never yet seen the club deal with that by doing what Wane did today as long as I have been watching Wigan.

There are plenty of games in the season to give younger players a game without leaving five first team players out.

There was no reason to do it. Certainly not the fact we have those players above out of contract.

You are actually implying Wane will do this again which fills me with dread. It is just not the right way to do it. These young players need to play alongside the established pros not instead of them. He won't learn anything watching them get beat (which they will) if he does this again. He needs to evolve the team not replace it.

In any case it is totally unrealistic to expect the experience in the list above to be replaced entirely by the young players in the squad in 2013 so I fail to see the connection between the two sets of players. If we lose Finch and Tommy the young players we have won't be good enough to replace them both and the idea they will be if we drop five first team players to give them games is unrealistic. We will have to recruit form outside for at least one half back slot if Sam remains at full back.

The club does need to be mindful of who is out of contract and I am sure it is but it needs to get the balance right about promoting young players and recruiting experienced players from outside.

We produce a lot of young players and its just a fact some will leave because they do not get the opportunity.

However none of this which is all pretty obvious and nothing new requires five first team players to be rested.

To be fair Warrington play a half-back same age as Mellor every week plus Ratchford has played every week as well. That's two young British half-backs in the 17 already so it makes sense O'Brien getting game time at Widnes especially as he returns from injury.

How did Mullaley go for Widnes? Looks a good youngster.

Wayne Bennett seems to think you need to do your business now otherwise you miss out on the top talent, his reasoning behind the Beua Scott signing.

Couple this with the likelihood of us losing both halfbacks in 2013 then you can understand the urgency. It was a gamble that didn't pay off, maybe next time he'll expose less kids to SL at once. He is still green and I'd rather he learnt lessons now than in October.

We may have lost, but Leeds proved last year that today's poor result means nothing. I'm more concerned about wane learning about all his players and moving himself and the squad forwards for Oct and then 2013.

Bennett is probably right but I'd bet my house on the fact Bennett has never rested five first team players at once to see if younger players at his club are good enough.

The idea Wane did this out of a sense of urgency about next years squad is crazy IMO. If he did we are in trouble!

He didn't need to drop Sam and Lockers to give Mellor a game.

He wanted to see how Russell and mellor went as they may be pivotal for 2013, we should be finalising plans for next years squad within the next month. It is a matter of urgency.

Yes too many kids at once doEsnt work and we've seen the evidence for this when millward was in charge of us. But let's look at the bigger picture - Leeds proved you Win nothing for finishing first in the d1ck waving contest like wire did.

Nothing changes with regards to Oct.

Well that is two players. Mellor to start as Tommy was injured and Russell on the bench to allow Sam to go to 6 and Russell to come on. Once the game was won if he really wanted to see them play at the same time he could do so. Or do it the other way letting them both start and have Sam on the bench as insurance.



As you say too many kids never works and you are right we first saw that with Millward but I wish people would stop banging on about Leeds. What Leeds did has no relevance to what Wane did today. Sinfield played in 27 SL matches and Burrow 25 and their coach never rested five senior pros at any time. They were just off form and had some injuries early on. The fact they won it from 5th wasn't because they rested players.