Hampshire showed for a brief 20 min today why he is the best halfback prospect Wigan have had for years, when it was Smith and Williams in the first half they seemed to be so devoid of ideas.
Williams seemed a bit lost in what he was supposed to do and playing with Smith seemed to stifle him, I say that because Smith is so much of a close to the ruck type of player he almost at times seems to be playing as a second hooker, whilst all Williams career in junior rugby as been playing in partnership with Hampshire in a free running game.
Going back to Hampshire today showed that he is like chalk and cheese when playing fullback as against halfback, we have to remember that he is a Yorkshire lad and if Wane keeps insisting that he is a successor to Bowen at fullback and that is the position he plays in before all others he may rebel against it.
I would rather see Manfredi (or Burgess) given a chance at fullback before take the risk of losing Hampshire.

I'm glad others are cottoning onto this now. Rocky is too good to leave out this season. Get him at 6 with Williams and Powell battling over the bench hooker spot. Against the lower sides we can give Rocky more time at FB with a view to him taking over there in 2016 just as S.Tomkins did

It's strange but we looked better with a #6, #7 and #9 of Hampshire, Shorrocks and L Tomkins than Williams, Green and McIlorum. However to be fair to Williams I believe he has been carrying a bit of a thigh injury and certainly I've never seen him so unwilling to run the ball as he was today.
Hampshires pace is frightening, but today he was bossing the midfield and telling other players where to go, we certainly missed him when he went off.

On that point the team for last 10 -15 minutes was Tierney, Charnley, Burgess, Gildart, Manfredi, Doran, Shorrocks, Sutton, L Tomkins, Greenwood, C Farrell, Lever and Bateman. That's a very young side.

Grimmy, I have been saying this for the last 12 months whilst others have been going along with Wane and agreeing that by easing Hampshire in at fullback we will have a ready made replacement when Bowen goes.
Hampshire is the most exiting talent at halfback I have seen emerge at Wigan since I started watching Wigan in 1953/54.

Footnote, I say halfback because in the old game I just wonder which position he would have been better at, scrum half of standoff.
Years ago the scrum half was considered to be the creative player (finding gaps and putting supporting through)and the standoff was the one with the pace, the best scrum half I saw at putting players through or making a decision to go himself was Alex Murphy. I am not saying that Hampshire is an Alex Murphy but he shows traits of being able to play either position. The trouble is I am talking about the old days when RL was such a different game.

You guys were also up against a good Leyth side as well.

What was the score ?

Leigh 18, Wigan 14

Thought Rocky Hampshire was your best player today. Friendlies are hard to judge but what did you make of Leigh? We had 5/6 first teamers missing ourselves but I thought our pack matched yours. Good tough game all in all.

Bugga all between FT and FT, hope u win the gf and we can have 2 huge fixtures 2016

I was always in the Rocky at 1 camp, effectively ST mkII, but after today he may well be our best option at 6. My only worry about Hampshire is if he's targetted in defence he may struggle whereas Powell and Williams have proved they're comfortable making 30+ tackles a game. I've always thought Williams is the best interchange 9 option, as he offers something different as a running option whereas Powell and Logan are just distributors but less effective than McIlorum and without the tough defence. Back-up FB is a worry because Hampshire is dodgy at best under the high ball and Tierney is a complete liability.

Anyone know when Sarg and Gelling are meant to be back? It would be good to go into the Saints friendly with a first-choice backline.

All the best lads you should win SLGF but if we get u in the CC then that's the double gone

Sarge is surely the man as a replacement full-back option?

Sarginson is the best option at full back IMO. But that creates problems at Centre, especially if Thornley is injured. Gildart looks quick but his defence was exposed time and again. I'm sure this will improve in time though.

There was plenty of evidence yesterday for those who consider Hampshire to be stand off not a full back. He was poor under the high ball and his defence looks weak. But bad as he was in the first half at the beginning of the second he was excellent, when he moved to stand off.

I also think that Logan showed up well. Also a word for Sutton who looked the part.

Very impressed with Leigh. Played some expansive rugby, not easy in those conditions. There was a period in the second half when you couldn't get out of your own twenty when Wigan should have scored two or three but bombed the chances. I was surprised that you ended the game so strongly.

You deserved the win in the end. Must be favourites for the Super League next year. I would fancy your chances against many Super League sides after the performance in the Cup at Leeds and I would have thought that Wakey in particular, would be very worried.

That's a brave view at this point, I do see some greatness there but I'm waiting to see him get more game time this year.