Just got back home after another enjoyable weekend in Wigan with my son. Agree with most of the above comments, our defence was both better disciplined and much stronger; time after time a charging Sam Thaiday was stopped dead in his tracks, something that's not easy to do and was quite a sight. And who was it who raced back to pull off a flying try-saving tackle when the Broncos broke away in the second half and looked to have about a three on one? Impressive, whoever it was.

Attack remains a big disappointment, though. How many times did we throw the ball across the back-line, only for a winger to be pushed into touch? Very poor. I've generally liked Matty Smith, but agree he needed to really step up to the plate with Blake Green gone (and also to show some leadership to our young halves), and has so far this season failed to do so. And of course I agree it's much easier to play an unstructured 'Plan B' game when you have someone with the talent of Sam T at your disposal. I always liked Bowen at the Cowboys, but there's no denying he has been a big disappointment for us.

Simms is a good player but didn't play well the other night. I think Aston is the worst of the three sims brothers tho.

Positives
Gelling tried hard
Bateman was excellent
Sarge had a good first game back
Williams actually looked better than Smith


Negatives
Smith was poor especially his kicking game
McIlorum - defensively good but too limited in attack against top teams
Too many unforced errors (Burgess very guilty) - this killed us all game,

A tough game which we almost nicked but the start of the second half was far too poor from Wigan - a better prepared team would have blown us away with that many errors

Speaking of the pitch, the langtree park turf looks pristine!!!

Positives
We weren't playing Souths!

It's probably his fault too.

Positives -
The second row all played well with Faz back to his best.
Clubb - easily the best prop.
Sarginson played better than anyone has a right to expect first game back
Williams is improving with every game at 6. Maybe SW knows a thing or two!
Matty Smith's goal kicking (two from out wide at Widnes and a real pressure kick in the last minute)
Burgess redeemed himself (partially - see also negatives)

Negatives -
Bowen. Has become a liability. Offers nothing in attack. Unfortunately there is no replacement unless Sarge plays there.
Sutton should still be in the U19s
Crosby is just ordinary/Larne Patrick isn't even that
Tautai is injury prone. Our prop situation is a real worry.
Burgess. That last minute try saved his place for another week. But any more like the first 79 minutes and Manfredi has the spot.

is this another shrewd Warrington ploy, get one brother to attract the others?

This is 100% correct!

Care to elaborate on the 'strengths' that you have spotted that Shaun Wane hasn't and while you're at it tell us how you would have coached them? And do you think that as Madge's assistant he might have had some input into those 'systems'?

I'm sure that Shaun Wane will be waiting with baited breath for your reply, as are we all.

Positives -

- the overall performance. Having looked at that Brisbane side and the other teams' performances, to get a draw after 80 was the best performance of the week end (and far better than Saints');
- Bateman, again. Just in time we have found Lockers' replacement;
- the centres. Didn't look like the weakness we are always being told. Did damage against world class opponents. Loved Gelling's charge down;
- Clubb and Tautai (too briefly);
- I think Logan looks more effective and aggressive this year (at long last), so we don't miss Mac quite as much as we did last year; and
- considering that this was a step up from SL, I thought Williams went pretty well. He could make it.

Negatives -
- last tackle options were dire, again;
- the props struggled. Even here, though, they will have learnt, Flower will be back one day, Clubb and Tautai did a good job, and they won't have to face a pack of top internationals till next year's World club Challenge;
- Bowen. Jim Bowen would be more use. Having desperately tried to see something there, in attack he kills move after move.

Overall, I was proud of the effort. I found it to be as intense and enthralling match as I have seen in ages. Our last try deserved to earn the draw.

Well i would have all your answers if I was a coach and not an electrician, but IMO wanes game plan does not suit the players he has at his disposal (which lenegan must take a lot of the blame it's not all on wane that but that's a different discussion) hence me saying we don't play a game plan to our players strengths. I'm not going to claim I'm some sort of armchair coach who knows everything, but I can clearly see that we really need to change it up the way we play instead of still bagging our head against a wall doing the same set moves over and over again, which lets be honest the better defensive teams can cope with.
For me we should go back to basics especially in our own half instead of recklessly passing the ball along the line for the sake of it sometimes in our own 10 meters, we should concentrate on strong drives, win the ruck, good kick and chase. Strong defence and limit the opposition field position and hunt the mistake, much like the Aussies do, when in good field position put the razzle dazzle on so to speak. Rugby is a pretty simple game and we/wane over complicate it with too much high risk rugby.
IMO the pack is too weak and the halves aren't good enough to play like this, I hope I'm proved wrong and wanes game plan does the business and we win something but it ain't going to happen Imo.

100% correct. Don't you just love keyboard coaches.

As to Wane, there are 2 sides to the game. It bears repeating the obvious, but if you score more than the opposition you win. Brisbane scored only 1 try of their own making. That is a superb effort. It is possible that the effort in defence detracted from the attack. But, Wane clearly knows how to coach defence.
In attack, we have a method which depends heavily on Lockers' ability to tie up the middle of the opposition defence. When he plays well, we are the best team in SL. What has taken too long is a structure that works in Lockers' inevitible absences. Maybe over the next few weeks we will see Bateman take on that role. I think he can do, and signing him was a superb bit of recruitment.
Finally, it is crystal clear that we are having to make do, as is the whole competition, with the limited resources at our disposal. It is some achievement to put together a team drawing so heavily on such a small area, which can go toe to toe with Brisbane, with their infinite resources.
Now, everything that anybody has ever done could have been done better, but I think in this instance we can be justifiably proud of our lads who did themselves and the competition proud. Wane has made plenty of mistakes, but he did a good job last week.