Quote: Father Ted "Our prop problem is started by the fact we've no big meter makers in the backs who can bring it out of our 10-20-30 areas. Hull's props and forwards in general were going forward off quick ptb from their backs. We haven't had that all season. We've been missing Manfredi, Gildart and Marshall who make big meters and quick ptb. That's where our problems start and we need good tactics to overcome that and Lam can't provide them. When Hodgson saw the team sheet an hour before ko he must have had a smile from ear to ear. Once again in a big game team selection was more than questionable. We knew Hull's props would come after us big time so we needed Bullock and Singleton to start. Again in a big game Zac's kicking had to be watched. It was poor from minute one. Lam should have changed kicker 5 mins before half time not 5 mins before the end. Poor team selection, poor tactics and poor game management led to that defeat and that's down to Lam IMO. If we want to win trophies then IL/Rads have to start looking for Lam's replacement now, if they've not already.'" We have the top metre maker in Superleague and four in the top twenty. https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player-stats https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/club-stats

Quote: Father Ted "Our prop problem is started by the fact we've no big meter makers in the backs who can bring it out of our 10-20-30 areas. Hull's props and forwards in general were going forward off quick ptb from their backs. We haven't had that all season. We've been missing Manfredi, Gildart and Marshall who make big meters and quick ptb. That's where our problems start and we need good tactics to overcome that and Lam can't provide them. When Hodgson saw the team sheet an hour before ko he must have had a smile from ear to ear. Once again in a big game team selection was more than questionable. We knew Hull's props would come after us big time so we needed Bullock and Singleton to start. Again in a big game Zac's kicking had to be watched. It was poor from minute one. Lam should have changed kicker 5 mins before half time not 5 mins before the end. Poor team selection, poor tactics and poor game management led to that defeat and that's down to Lam IMO. If we want to win trophies then IL/Rads have to start looking for Lam's replacement now, if they've not already.'" We have the top metre maker in Superleague and four in the top twenty. https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player-stats https://www.superleague.co.uk/stats/club-stats

I’m quite confident that Clubb has signed an extension and we can’t make Clark move without I suspect using some of the cap.
I think we’re stuck with what we have unless we sign a marquee prop

We are short of 2 or 3 decent props

Anyway Lam says Smithies goes back into the middles so we’re sorted

Yet again, typical Wigan start to turn it on with five minutes to go and a mountain to climb.

No it doesn't, but some people are going on like we lost to the 86 Kangaroos.

If we had lost to a team of that standard I don’t think many people would complain

Personally I’m just peed off because it was obvious how Hull would play and Lam hadn’t got a clue again why we didn’t turn up when it mattered
I don’t like losing but if we give it our best shot and lose at least that can soften the disappointment but yet again we turned up empty of ideas and senior players just not turning up

A couple of good results and all of a sudden the problems faded into the background. The problem is that they did not go away. If we are suddenly on our haunches if a player who makes three carries a game is banned then things are worse than I thought. Whatever Lam says pushing Smithies into the middle will not give us any go forward. Byrne had a mare but has been a stand out this season though I cannot see why he was not pulled out earlier and why was Bullock given so little game time. If he was not injured then we should be questioning the decision making.
This team could have a fabulous season but we just do not have the right players in the right positions. I do not know what we can do about French, who seems a shadow of his former self, except to move Hardaker. On yesterdays performance I would not criticise any individual other than to say that higher up decisions need to be taken with some kind of longer term plan being sorted out.

I see on the other site people calling for us to look at Hurrell as a centre. Now there is a player who could transition to a prop.

Agree with this.

Yes out wingers are making big meters. They always do.

It’s our failure to stop other teams making big meters and our lack of ability to make big meters between tackles 2-5 which is killing us.

We have a soft belly that consistently loses contact in the middle of the park in both attack and defence.

You can’t hide that with wingers making good kick returns.

Wouldn’t want him in the centre never mind playing out of position in the pack.

I think that is a really good post. A team is only as good as its weakest link and the only way we are going to improve is to rectify those problems. The return of Manfredi and Marshall is important as we should make far more ground from kick returns, which in turn should ultimately put us on the front foot. It will be interesting to see if that enables our props to make more of an impact later in the tackle count, if not, then it is definitely time for change.

The other issue with our defence is our line speed. We need to replicate what we did in the GF on a regular basis. Hull did it to us last week and stifled the life out of us.