It's enough to make you think we don't really need Hardaker...

Yes. he's been one of our better players this season. But that's starting from an abysmal base. And he always looks like he's running through treacle to me. If people are happy with Sarge at full-back (I am one of them), and if Hank is a better goal-kicker than Hardaker, and we have options in the centres and back-row...

Set against all that, though, will Sarge even be at Wigan next season?

And i thought he was very high on the "Scapegoat" chart.... Fickle, fickle fickle...

Who?

Sounds unlikely which I thinks a shame.

We were having a conversation on the way back from the game last night about the loose rumours of a swap deal with Cas for Hardaker. It sounded a fanciful more that a concrete chance but the talk was Hardaker for McMeekan and if that was put to the club I wonder what their thoughts would be? They could get a good quality right sided second row to balance Greenwood or Faz on the left (or probably Faz at loose forward in time) with Sarginson bringing his energy from the back and in to the bargain potentially avoid the trouble you feel Hardaker may bring at some point.

All probably irrelevant but sometimes chances come along that make you make tough choices for the greater balance of the side.

Wing? Hardaker will come back in at FB, he’s too good to miss out, so Sarge back to centre and then it doesn’t really matter who his winger is, they won’t receive a pass anyway and Hank is more dangerous in the air.

I agree McMeeken would be a more useful addition to the squad. Faz and Greenwood are all well and good, but how often are they going to be injured?

BTW I don't see, and have never seen, why, given two left-sided second-rowers, it has to be the senior pro who'd played there successfully for years, Faz, who has to move to accommodate Greenwood, instead of the other way round.

The last three games I can remember Hankinson playing for us off the top of my head were last night at centre, on the wing at Magic and he came on in the second row at the Nou Camp. His performance at centre to those two before was chalk and cheese as it’s clearly his position. We’ve then got Sarginson in a position that is by a margin his best best but that then leaves Hardaker out of the side. It would be Hardaker I’d consider putting on the wing in Marshall’s place next week (Marshall doesn’t look fully fit with that knee to me). It minimises disruption and he’s been very good in that position in his career.

Why not leave Hanks at right centre Hardaker at full back for a few games and Sarginson on the bench after all he might be going next year any way .Sargison on the bench can play in the backs Hanks could move into the forwards if need be .Goalkicking has been a problem since Richards left if Hanks can kick goals then let him be the kicker .Having Hanks playing regularly could improve his capabilities as a team player.

He kicked one great kick from touchkine converting gillys try, next 3 were simple kicks which matty smith would have probably kicked one maybe 2 of and last one was pressure free. I was more impressed with his general performance as much as anything. I think its only fair that he is judged after playing 6 games rather that having him as the saviour for one good game. My opinion is that he is an average super league player who had a very good game on Friday but as i have said on many occasions until they have had a fair run its unfair to judge completely. Large sections of this forum slagged Wigan off for signing championship players? Does this mean the very same people will now give Wigan and IFL some credit for making good signings???

He did what he had been asked to do which was police Hurrell. Can he have an impact going forward? We really need to think about the balance of the team because at the moment we do not look a threat and games of attrition will not win the fans back.

Simple - he needs a run in his favoured position to see if he can make the position his own. I do not get a lot of the criticism because he has never had a settled run in the team at centre - a few games here and there through a season hardly is a fair trial (and given he picked up a significant injury last season) so far he has been centre, wing and second row.

A player moving up from a lower league will need time to adjust (just like a young player starting in the first team) and that is not made easy when the player is in and out of the team.

Attacking play always needs more time to develop and given the Wigan's right edge is the poor relation to the left side it is not that easy to stand out as an attacking force.

Will he make it - time will tell, but I do not think he has done badly but we need to see if there is more to come with a run in the team, and lets face it if he can be a decent goal kicker it would be a major boost given how long it is since we had one of those!

If Friday is anything to go by, he keeps his spot for now. Even though Sarge did well too, I'd even keep Hankinson at right centre even if Zak comes back.

This isn't really a slight on Sarge at right centre - the way that we're geared up to attack down the left (and the lack of a creative 7) has meant for years individuals down our right side have struggled to make much of an attacking threat, and had to make do with scraps and being useful in other areas. Even gelling, who'd probably been our best right centre for some time, wasn't all that prolific in scoring or setting them up. Until that changes, it's going to be difficult for anyone to stand out in my view, and at least Hank is a natural on that side and is a top quality goal kicker.

Hankinson 190 career goals over 5 seasons
Hardaker 82 career goals over 9 seasons

I know who I'd rather have kicking goals

Had no clue he was a goal kicker - looked the most random thing ever when he was lining them up on Friday.

Greenwood is a biscuit and you're never going to have him free of injury for as long as you or he needs. Waste to even talk about his coming back into the fold lol.