Prescotts really maturing now and he gets better and better. He was flagging at times last night but once his match fitness is back I expect him to push on towards an England place.

I really do think he's good enough.

agreed

To be fair to Lauaki, it's the only two brain farts I've seen him do this year.

Ignoring Friday night, Lauaki has been a good signing. Simple as that.

After only watching replay last night and taking the stuff that went against us in the game out Lauaki cost us the game . That's top and bottom of it . Use of the arm = 1 penalty 2 points ,then that tackle = 2 points that give them the win , but before the last 20 mins where he lost his head he was doing ok

I've seen him do a few more. Against Leeds when he needlessly lost his cool against Bailey, against Catalans when he stupidly rushed in to shove Sa when he was stood about 30 yards away, and against Widnes when it looked like the game was lost he went around hitting players late off the ball.

In terms of his performances, he's had one good game, a few average games and a few poor games. Both Flower and Lauaki have been unspectacular but Flower has made up for it with his excellent work rate. Lauaki hasn't made up for it with anything. His technique in defence is pretty shocking and his technique running with the ball is incredibly ineffective. He runs at the defence, then turns around and steps backwards and goes looking for another player to run at. It's exactly like Fielden when he was playing terribly. If Lauaki just ran as hard as he could like Prescott, Lima, Mossop and Flower then he might be slightly useful.

Spot on that mate

Thank god for that.

Granted it was a shocker to give away easy points in a very close game, but some of the knee jerking on here about him as been a little o.t.t.

People have been crying out for a nasty piece of work in the forwards since Pongia and Smith left. When one arrives however they are up in arms when he wallops someone.

His work rates good, his ball skills are pretty good and imo his attitude is good.

Pongia and Smith were hard not thick. They wouldn't have been caught out in a situation like Lauaki was on Friday.

Lauaki has been good so far up until the last 10 mins on Friday. Sadly he's cost us the game in that spell and it's not acceptable. He's an experienced player that should know better and his errors warrant him playing for the u20's for a week or two.

Wigan need to breed a culture that rubbish like that won't be tolerated.

In between the two he got penalised for he also took Briers out very late after a last tackle kick to the corner for Monaghan. He had obviously lost his head and should had been interchanged before giving away the match losing penalty.

I dont think he will be even in the u20s for the next two weeks i think he will be in the stands due to him going to get banned.

Rather that then him being in the first team for a while.

I just hope Mossop is back. If he is I'd get him in the side alongside Spencer on the bench at Salford with Lima and Prescott starting. Those 2 were excellent on Friday. If Flower plays then it should be in the back row. I thought he played pretty well on Friday but we can't keep playing him at prop.

If Flower plays at prop I think it has to be alongside either Mossop or Prescott because they are players who really make an impact on the defence. Lima doesn't have quite the same impact because he's not as big as he used to be but his work rate is incredible. Lima and Flower are too similar in terms of style to compliment each other in my opinion.

Sorry I meant he's starting Lauaki over Lima.

I'd start Lima with Prescott, but make sure one of them was on the field at all times. Prescott did the first 30 minutes I think and Lauaki did 20.

You're surely not putting that down to Gaz Hock are you?

Surely it was the fact we got shut of Noble and brought in the best coaching setup in our entire Super League history that made that difference?

It's a tragedy that Hock didn't get to spend more time with Madge.

Pongia and Smith weren't "nasty pieces of work" - certainly in the sense you are referring to Lauaki as.

They were two big experienced hard-hitting forwards who performed to the highest level in the big matches. They would never have conceded two outrageous penalties in such a massive match. They had far more sense and experience than to go around doing that. And both players were light years ahead of Lauaki in terms of ability too.