He was alright yesterday but I just feel like he's not offering enough to justify not giving a younger forward (e.g Kilner) the experience. He isn't really suited to the modern game either, we need forwards who will standardly do a couple of 20 min stints at high intensity, and be able to go even longer than that if we get injuries.

The impact of a forward not being able to get into position at marker (or in the defensive line) is bigger now too IMO. Before it might lead to a penalty for holding down or offside and you would be able to reset your line. Now the opposition still gets another set, but they keep their momentum and you're still left scrambling, maybe giving up further set restarts or a try.

It's a shame in some ways, because I think the rule changes will bring about the demise of the big impact prop, which I've always enjoyed watching. It's too late for Clubb to adapt though, time to focus on the younger forwards.

Here's a question...

Is Clubb the worst player in our top 25 squad? I can think of a few of the young lads that are probably on a par with him, but they've all got upsides.

Not sure what he brings to the team at all.

Clubb shouldn’t have been given that new deal, we all know that and it’s was baffling how he got two years but I am loathed to give him too much stick. He’s been a good player for us over the years but his time should’ve been up. We’ve had a couple of years worth of performances that just aren’t good enough but I throw the questions at the management for keeping a player on who is clearly well past his best.

He played ok last night in fairness but the frustrating thing for him for me has been that he has shown he can play when he’s forced to. We had a spell of about a month in 2019 (The games included HKR away when Powell won it with a drop goal and Leeds away when Clubb scored in the corner) where there was only him fit from the senior props and he stepped up, took plenty of carries, was making between 80m-120m a game, 30-40 tackles and was generally very good but as soon as senior players came back, he put his cue on the rack and went back to 5 carries a game for 20 metres and 10 tackles. That should’ve been the end of his Wigan career IMO.

Surely it depends on perspective? What was expected of him? I doubt anyone was expecting strong carries from our own 20 because he's not got the size. I doubt anyone was expecting mazy 50 metre breaks from deep or flashy play because he's not at that level. In fact I doubt anyone was expecting much at all really given he's barely played in a year and has rarely played on the wing before. It's just a case of give him a go. I don't think there was anyone suggesting he's ready to be a first team regular. It's just been a case of using our squad given the injuries we have and getting him 2 or 3 games in Super League - test him and see what needs working on. After last night he's managed to get the monkey off his back by getting a try - still some errors so if French, Gildart or Manfredi don't return next week it's a perfect chance to let Halsall have a game on the wing - as he had a decent game.

Overall, based on expectations, I'd have said Hanley has done okay.

Oh for sure I wasn't expecting all that, just the basics of generally catching kicks and not losing the ball in the tackle. Is there an amount of errors he could make before you would say he hasn't done ok? His record in a game so far is 5, which most people seemed to characterise as 'solid'. I want him to do well but don't get the point in saying he did regardless of what actually happens, he is a professional sportsman.

But generally he has been catching kicks. He's been more solid than some of our other wing prospects in their youth in that area. It's the errors in other areas that have been more of an issue - dropping the ball in contact a bit too much. I'd expect errors from someone who isn't quite physically what you'd expect for a Super League winger though. Even in his best seasons 3 or 4 errors a game for Burgess was fairly normal. And for Davies in his final season with us.

That's why in context I think he's done okay based on expectations. There's certainly a lot to work on but I just think whether it was Hanley, Halsall or any other youngster in that position I'd expect errors and I wouldn't expect them to be considered a starting winger for more than 4 or 5 games in a row.

In the academy Hanley mainly played FB and never really came under pressure from the chasers to the same extent FB or wing does at first team level. His greatest asset was his support play through the middle, as coincidentally was Joe Shorrocks, This is something neither have had the chance to demonstrate in the first team to any extent, especially Hanley with him being played out of position..

You should let Opta know. According to them no player in Super League history has even made half as many errors per game as Hanley in a season.

some are unfair, that terrible pass on Friday will go down as Hanleys mistake as he managed to get a touch on it before it hit the floor, he has made mistakes but 2 from the first game werent on him and a couple in the last

Friday was a bit worrying from Hanley. I’ve backed him and he’s certainly no write off but he looks a bag of nerves under the high ball and you’d hope he’d be settling a little more, especially in a cup game we were in control of, against lower league opponents. It’s now a decision of keep playing him and hope that shows the faith to build his confidence or just give him a breather out of the firing line but then does that set him back. I think I’d lean towards giving Halsall a game and once a few bodies are back try and get Hanley sorted with a loan deal.

I agree, he looks terrified, looks very short of confidence

Hanley shouldn't play at Leeds. If French or Manfredi do not return then Halsall should given the chance to play left wing.

Friday was a chest-high pass from Halsall that would have sent him on a break. It was thrown hard because he had no time, maybe forward, definitely catchable. I've no idea how the other two aren't on him. He dropped a bomb with no one near him, and dropped another when he was being tackled.

His first game there was a ball to ground which he should have dived on but he tried to pick it up instead and ended up throwing it backwards for Mellor. Two errors after the tackle whilst trying to play the ball, then one off a Leigh kick. I can't remember the 5th, I feel like it was another off a Leigh kick but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say maybe it was off a bad pass or kick.

So between 0 and 2 total that weren't on him, but that's not unique to him. He's on pace to double the Super League error record dealing with the same odd dodgy pass or kick as every other winger. I'm ending up slating him but it's just frustrating that we can't acknowledge he's performed badly, even by debutant standards. Maybe we've just been spoiled but the nearest comparison I can think of would be Tierney and Russell when they got early games out of position on the wing, they both went better than this.

That's because budgie didn't make 3 or 4 errors per game at any point
People make things up to try and prove a point

Hence why I don't post on here anymore.