Here we go again, another season and the same two players from last season already being targeted.

No prize for naming the two!

Burgess is a confidence player. I've seen enough from him tonight to know he's still got some top class performances in him. He left Charnley for dead, only the last ditch tackle on a diagonal run stopped him. Him dropping the ball was unfortunate but good from the Wire defence on that one.

Budgie did plenty of good things tonight. He left Charnley for dead and only Ashton's speed prevented him from scoring; got held up over the line; and made a couple of good tackles when Wire broke through. As for the dropped ball with less than a minute to go, I am sure that Gelling knocked it out and it should have been play on, I shall watch the replay. My view was that he was much better than his opposite number and there are definitely signs that his form is improving.

I was surprised when Bullock missed out but I’m sure he’ll be in for George Burgess next week. Partington fell off quite a few tackles so hopefully he fixes that up.

Warrington were by far the better side and if they don’t go down to 12 they win quite comfortably. It does concern me a lot that not a lot seems to have changed, still plodding up the middle making hardly any yardage and no real plan for attack.

Defensively we looked alright in parts, poor in others and greats in some. Bit mix and match really.

Have to remember it’s the first game and a win is a win, regardless of the manner of it. French and Hastings were excellent and off last night should be our half backs. They had a fantastic partnership.

French - 8
Marshall - 7
Zak - 6
Bibby - 6
J Burgess - 5
Tommy - 5
Hastings - 8
Partington - 7
Powell - 6 (hard to score but looked ok until being decapitated)
G Burgess - 4 (really needs to get fitness right. Not to be wrote off just yet)
Isa - 7
Faz - 6
Lockers - 5 (well below usual standards)

Havard - 7
Byrne - 7
Smithies - 7
Clubb - 5 (same old, same old)

He's soft as $hit that's why. No wonder Saints fans called him Josephine.

/

Before or after we signed him?

Soft? He may not be aggressive but that does not mean he is soft. He is exactly the kind of running threat we need in the team. Isa may work hard but he offers nothing in attack. Everything Isa does with the ball is rank average or poor.

Greenwood can’t play on the right though that’s the major problem, and he’s certainly not good enough to get in front of Faz, Wells or Pearce Paul will be our long term right sided solution

French - 8
Marshall - 8
Zak - 6
Bibby - 7
J Burgess - 4
Tommy - 4
Hastings - 6
Partington - 7
Powell - 4 (100% Waney boy through and through, Needs offloading for someone creative)
G Burgess - 4
Isa - 8
Faz - 6
Lockers - 4 (His usual standard)

Havard - 7
Byrne - 7
Smithies - 7
Clubb - 4 (same old, same old)

He isn't a running threat if he isn't running though is he

Exactly this. He’s always injured. The lad is either soft or made of biscuit. Either way, he’s no use to us. Isa 110 times out of 100, for me.

Like it or not Isa does..time and time again I keep seeing the usual "he shouldn't be playing" type post on here and social media, yet 2 coaches now clearly rated him,hes not just a squad player now he is a genuine first team regular it seems to me.

The only problem I have with Isa is that he lacks basic passing skills. He’s wasted more overlaps than I’ve had meat and tater pies in the east stand. And that is a lot. Otherwise he’s decent enough. Attitude especially in defence is phenomenal.

9 carries for 129 metres for Joe Burgess. Not bad considering the major knock on him is his workrate. Appreciate a chunk of those metres were the break