Good I'm glad he is and I'm glad the moral of the lad has not gone down. But maybe you can answer me then - If he is so full of confidence - How come the poor performances in the reserves?



Again good news if true because I think he was treated unfairly.

He scored four tries against Wakefield and put in an outstanding performance and was dropped the following week.

Karl Pryce was picked against Harlequins over Ainscough - Why? Based on super league performances who has been the better performer? Ainscough and if he was to reward players on merit you would have picked Ainscough.

For the record and from the official site match reaction:

Ainscough got the nod just hours before kick-off and seized his opportunity to race in for a first-ever Super League hat-trick before half-time and added a fourth after the break to take his try tally for the season to 16 in just 10 senior appearances.

"There is no doubt he is a work in progress," added Noble.

"He has got superb prowess. He is strong, quick and knows how to finish but there are other parts of his game he needs to improve."

At the every least coming out with (in public) "There is no doubt he is a work in progress," and "...there are other parts of his game he needs to improve."

was just not called for at all. Not after scoring 4 tries.

Still he could have hardly have dropped him if he had been positive and said he just had a great game could he!

Dave

Because he didn't draw attention to His weaknesses, he said areas of his game that he needs to work on, Doesn't everyone?????

As for confidence??? If he lost it so bad after being dropped (Which Mark1987 soesnt seem to think he has in his post!) then surely that shows that he may not be totally ready in the 1st place to deal with the inevitable knocks he will face at the Top Level.

Top line for me.

Phelps
Roberts
Gleeson
Carmont
Richards

is our best Back line IMHO and if he played that for the next 10 matches and they perform as they have for the last 8/9 matches they have played together then I would leave it that way!!!!

Last 2 x times we lost it wasn't that team as he Had to later it for injuries and Ainscough came in, Wigan Lost, It wasn't All down to him etc etc I am just showing that bringing him in Isn't the Perfect answer to All Wigan's problems that some seem to think!

[i
He's a sportsman, the decision during a game of running left or right, could decide whether you are a hero or a loser that game. He's made a few bad judgements in the last few games and yes missed a few tackles, but look he's jumping for high balls!! Young lads are confident and big headed at times, being told this is what you have to do, sometimes takes time to sink in. I know, I suppose you know that. He's developing nicely, maybe the performance at the minute is because the changes that are currently taking place are on his mind during the game, affecting him. Time and space is needed.[/i



[iYou can not argue that Pryce is 200times the player Ainscough is in defence. Thats why he played.

In the line-up at the weekend, how would you have played the backline involvling Ainscough?[/i

Because we needed a centre not a winger?????? And I would ask who's performances in the reserves over the last 3/4 weeks have meritted him starting at centre last night??? Pryce or Ainscough?????

I think the answers pretty obvious!

Your tripping over yourself here. Yes everyone does have areas in their game to improve on but doesn't that make it more ridiculous and inappropriate to say it? Why single out Ainscough?



No it doesn't because he proved in his impressive displays in the first half of the season that he was ready for super league. He faced a couple of knocks, as you put it, against Huddersfield at home (2 knock ons I think) and bounced back with a fantastic performance against Wakefield.

It's only been since the comments from Noble publically and dropping him the following week that Ainscough has lost his form and the impression I get is his confidence as well.



Yeah but we didn't have that backline till Gleeson signed did we?

I agree with your point - If Roberts can build on last week and they all remain fit then yes I would stick with that back line because Ainscough looks a totally different player from the one we saw at the beginning of the season.



If your referring to me with that last sentence when have I said "bringing him in is the perfect answer to Wigans problems". I have never suggested this in the slightest.

But back on point the last 2 times we lost we changed it due to injuries and Ainscough came in. Did you not see the contrast in performances from Ainscough then to the ones at the beginning of the season? What do you think the reason is for this then?

But if Ainscough was big headed (you should know) then surely a quiet word on the training ground would have been more appropriate?

And you have admitted that young lads are confidence but have suggested this is a bad thing. Confidence is a good thing but it is so fragile and Ainscough has lost it.



I'm failing to understand how going from outstanding performances in the super league. To dire performances in super league and in the reserves is "developing nicely".




I get the impression Karl Pryce is considered lazy?

Even so you can not argue that Ainscough is 200times the player Pryce is in attack and that Ainscough's performances in super league merit a spot over Karl Pryce's performances in super league.



It's not the main point I am trying to make but:

Richards
Roberts
Phelps
Carmont
Ainscough

The lows after the Highs, He wasn't "That Good" to begin with??, Other coaches finding ways to defend against him better and lots lots more probably!

Would this have happened if he hadn't been "Dropped"???? Don't know????
How would he have coped if he was left in week after week making those mistakes and become a "Scapegoat" like some others???? Dont Know????

He's 19, He'll bounce back if He's good enough!!!!!!

But he wasn't.
Yes he was scoring tries, but he was making BASIC mistakes.
Leeds and Hudersfield were prime examples.

I don't want to crucify the lad, he is an exciting talent, but there are ares of his game that need improving, and by a lot.

Today at the reserves he was jumping for the ball. Little things that will make him a good player, but things that he wasn't doing so obviously he IS being coached.