Liam Marshall over Joe Burgess every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Couldn’t agree more with this.

In

Clark - Big body chance for him to provide some punch of the bench

Bullock - Good game for him to impress. Like has been said been our best prop in preseason games, we need a prop to break some tackles and make some yards

Greenwood - we look like we’ll struggle to many tries, this guy at least has flair. Was a real asset in the grand final push in 2018, lost confidence due to injuries last year, give him a go. adds size aswell which is good.

Manfredi - top 3 winger in SL when he’s out there. Marshall playing out of his skin for me. Burgess looks timid and slow again this year. Runs with zero agression.

Powell - I really like Harry Smith, and Toronto at Home is exactly the game we should be playing him in. Tommy on the bench is a bit like a rest for a veteran player.

Flower - experience again needed in the pack, Clubb is finished.

Out

Havard - like this guy, great size and looks great. But shouldn’t be an every week player at this stage of his career.

Partington - great attitude, heart and bravey. But not big enough to be a starting front rower. I’m not one who cries out for position changes but think he could go alright in the back row. Bryne looking the better front row prospect.

Burgess - as above looks finished, slow when he’s make breaks this year. His yardage carries are hard to watch.

Clubb - 2 year deal wow.

SOL - home game against a bottom half of the table team, when we have such a big squad. Rest him.

Sharrocks - another new contract which I disagree with. Just not good enough for Wigan. I would rather josh woods still be with us. Gets his name throw in with youngsters but he’s 25 this year, year older than Gildart!

No doubt Lam will “give the players a chance to respond”

We’ll beat Toronto but look unimpressive. Then get mullered by Hull Fc

Looking at last nights game statistically I may amend the bench and go Havard for Byrne. It’s early days for him but 98 metres from 12 carries is so impressive and he looked comfortably our best prop on figures alone. You don’t want to overplay him but then you don’t want to do that with Byrne or Partington either.

Suppose I’m just used to putting his name down but I agree!

Thought Smith was our only positive last night, his kicking game was the best I’ve seen for a long time, I think every long range kick found the ground. A refreshing change.

I’d keep hardaker at centre until Gildart is back. When Gildart is back I don’t know what we do with french. He is too good to leave out but I don’t really know where he fits in.

Isa needs to go back to being a bench player. He isn’t big enough and gives away too many tackles. Yes he is a ‘work horse’ but he shouldn’t be playing 80 minutes every week, he is at best a bench player, to give the big lads a rest.

Jake Shorrocks needs to go, is has never offered anything to the first team, I can’t understand why he gets picked at all.

As for 10 minute Tony why we gave him a 2 year contract is beyond me. He offers absolutely nothing anymore. I see there is a thread asking why Lam is playing all the young kids at the same time, they are playing well. We should be asking why he is giving Clubb 10 mins every week.


French
Burgess
Bibby
Hardaker
Marshall
Smith
Hastings
Partington
Leuluai
Bullock
Farrell
Greenwood
O’Loughlin

Clarke
Powell
Smithies
Isa

Definitely need to sort out the Joe Bullock problem, whatever that problem is. I keep hearing ‘he’s late for training’ but something like should be relatively easy to get to grips with.

At 6ft 5in, 17st 7lb, aged 27 and an athletic build, he should be one of the first names on the team sheet. I don’t know if the lad himself is to blame or if that finger should be pointed at Adrian Lam but, one way or the other, his career is in danger of fizzling out. He has had a great opportunity to press on at Wigan. What a waste if that doesn’t happen.

Ever since the WCC defeat to Roosters in 2014, we’ve been banging on about having a big, physical pack but it still hasn’t really materialised.

One player not being mentioned is Hankinson. Looked very good in pre-season and can cover a variety of positions. Possibly move Bibby to the wing if Manfredi cannot play.

Bibby at fault for bith tries

Second try yes he should’ve done much better but on the first Harry Smith shoots out to leave a 3vs2 and Bibby and Burgess in no mans land. Arguably on the second Smith should’ve gone for the legs too as Bibby already had the upper but the Cas player had momentum into the tackle.

INOUT

They say that’s when they realised we needed a big pack but left it 6 years to start building it?

Not claiming to be a defensive expert but for me Smith is at fault for the first one. He makes a poor read and shoots at the line at the dummy runner (who Clubb would have had anyway). Agree on the second one he needs to do better, as does Smith. For both of them you need to look at how Cas got the good field position in the first place though.

Clubb was busy on Friday. 12 tackles and 5 carries. Should be good enough for him to start Thursday

Which beggars the question how bad must Bullock and Clark be on the training pitch if Lam thinks Clubb is the better option.

No SBW Thursday