And if they are not playing 100% healthy, which happens often and is what i am getting at, then do we risk them or get the fully fit for the crucial games?

If everyone is fully fit then great, they play. But as the season progresses that rarely happens and given a squad low on numbers and genuine quality throughout then we need to box clever with our key men when they aren't.

Surely a contributing factor must be that Wasbrook was his centre?

At last some one with a brain

Wooah there. Lets not be rash!

They train to be man-on-man, but if someone misreads in the middle, then everyone has to go in one and try and shut out the gap whilst preventing the overlap.

Sometimes, however, the winger panics and goes for the glory of the intercept, or doesn't trust his centre enough and goes to help.

I can't imagine Owen volunteering to go in for a tackle, unless helping someone else was a better option to facing a one-on-one.

Washbrook was solely responsible for the first try his read in defence was awful. Couldn't really comment on the second half as it was on the opposite side from where I was sat.

It's a while ago now but I am sure Trinity brought a young lad on partway through the first half inside Owen who also looked a little out of his depth in defence.

Would that be Harry Swann

Big big lad but very young at just 17/18, I say that because even though he plays centre he plays a power game which requires a bit more maturity

Jordan came on for Kirmo,back end of the first half and I'm sure put him at centre.I don't know if he's the lad you mean,but when I asked him about a try conceded down his side in the second half he said he was telling Richard Owen to stay out but to no avail.With all the commitment and effort in the world,I know through Jordans career he is no centre,but to wear a Wakey shirt I'm sure he'd play anywhere.

I saw Leeds players run through Owen on more than one occasion like he was a revolving gate regardless of who his centre was. With ball in hand he was also completely ineffective. Johnstone however looked a handful for the full 80 minutes..

Quote: Khlav Kalash "I recall a few years back the fitness of the side was criticised for being heavily cardiovascular based and not enough emphasis was based on strength meaning teams powered through the defence due to shear size. As ever their needs to be a happy medium.'" www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-7039216

Quote: Khlav Kalash "I recall a few years back the fitness of the side was criticised for being heavily cardiovascular based and not enough emphasis was based on strength meaning teams powered through the defence due to shear size. As ever their needs to be a happy medium.'" www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-7039216

Nice. "Laid back" isn't a phrase I'd like to be used about my training sessions if I was in charge.

That's what I thought. It's a little concerning if it's believed.

If that's true then it needs to change immediately!

I wouldn't read the throwaway comments of a former player as a scientific analysis of our training methods - when they do these mini-interviews to pad out a story, they have to say something, and a comparison with where they've come from is the low hanging fruit; clearly they're going to imply that their new employer is better than their old one in some way - who wouldn't?