Byrne has had to take on a pretty big burden in the absences of others and he’s gone in to a season without a proper off season and that could be the first time in his career from memory. He’s not been playing well recently, no doubt about it but we can cut him some slack I think. A freshen up for him in the next month or so could really help.

I suspect it was aimed at Byrne.

Av. Gain

Byrne 9
Ellis 9
Mago 10
Dupree 10

Are you still waffling on? I ignored the comment this morning as you clearly have no idea what a hate crime is and because i haven't responded you have gone in again 'son'

If you think it's a hate crime, report me to the police. They will laugh as much as i did when i read it. It's not 1950 you know, people don't walk around with bowler hats and suits on calling each other 'old chap' If you don't like what you read then ignore it as i did with yours and i am sure others on this board ignored my comments. You are fully entitled to disagree of course and i don't have an issue with you personally. You are a good poster and have been for years but i have a different opinion to you, You think it was ok, i don't. I had fully intended on toning it down, i'd said what i thought, that opinion hasn't changed and won't. It was reckless and deliberate intent was put on injuring a player. You didn't need to go in again to tell me twice so i will say this :- I do and say what i want, when i want, don't like it? sod off back on the Leigh board then.

Wigan will need all of those five front rowers fit and in form at the end of the year to give us any chance in my opinion. St Helens' remaining fixtures are easier than ours with Wigan still needing to go to Catalans, Leeds and Leigh. I think Saints will finish 2nd with Wigan 3rd - if that's the case we'll need to go to St Helens and win. Their injuries in the front row might give us a chance but only if our forwards are in a good place.

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He did run it in harder on a couple of occasions but it wasn't consistent. More importantly he was way too passive in defence (again) which contributed to 2 of their tries and I think this is where the bulk of the criticism is aimed.

I said previously that it looks like 'burn out' to me. He's shouldered a lot of the burden of our missing props this year. However, it is up to the coaching staff to handle this and I don't think they are, albeit possibly more out of necessity rather than anything else.

He needs to be better. That's the simple truth. Whether that will come through time out, a kick up the backside or something else I don't know. The solution needs finding though as, at the moment, he isn't justifying his position of starting prop.

Not in my book but I’m old school, each to their own.

He’s an NRL GF winner, pretty sure after all these years his ability and tackling technique are fine, does not for one iota strike me as a player who would purposely go out to hurt anybody

Well he has, tongue in cheek about it being you - although your wishing of him or anybody else harm makes you a by far worse person than he is

Well said Col.

Just saw the TV highlights of the game - Wigan's first try was as good as it gets. Beautiful team try.

He was a bit unlucky with the first try as Smithies was called offside by the ref and left a gap.

Yes, I saw that on rewatching it yesterday. I do feel he could have been less passive though. The second one was wholly his fault as he didn't number up and bit in to the outside man leaving a huge gap.

That said, he definitely tried harder on Saturday and ran with more purpose. I think I was a little guilty of being negative towards him after recent displays. I still think he would benefit from some time out though as he tends to switch on and off a little too easily.

I wonder if he was told about holding the line and not shooting out looking to put shots on. He has looked passive ever since the Wakey away game and in that game and ones before, I’d noticed him flying out of the line hunting for players but that seems to have been shelved. He looks to have gone from one extreme to the other but I think it all ties in with your point about a rest. I think he needs a couple of weeks out when the chance arises, just to freshen him up. Every player hits a dip at some point and I think he’ll be fine in the long run.