The whole Wigan team had every FC player for breakfast,lunch,tea and supper. Harsh to pick out one player.

I didn't but thanks for the advice. Did you miss my reference to two others? It could have been more but I was answering the specific point about Crooks made earlier. If you want to start a thread about how crap Yeaman, Whiting or Horne were then go ahead and I'll agree with you.

I'm not a subscriber to the wrap in cotton wool scenario for any player. Sure players will need managing differently but they're grown men employed at the top level to do a job. If they're not doing the job then they're open to scrutiny. Crooks rightly took the plaudits when stood in his dream team kit with Lineham last year but I find it amazing that some fans get so defensive when the players are rightly criticised for poor performance. With some it's almost anyone's fault but the players. Garbage in my opinion.

Indeed - Gentle brought him back too early so the story went.

Passed fit and ready to play, why wouldn't he pick him?

.... and missed the rest of the season with the same foot injury.

So, you'd move Horne to the centres? Radford proclaimed him the best half-back at the club. Clearly you disagree.

He's NOT a centre, neither is Whiting. We HAVE centres at the club. We also have Yeaman.

My point still stands, it was well advertised by his family that he was fit and ready, club physio's said he was good to go. Not saying those opinions were right or wrong, just stating Gentles reasons for picking him. Given his form it would have been hard not to.

We need to stop with the sliding defence for starters. We don't look like we talk to each other whilst trying to slide etc, so it looks like its a panic line, hence why teams are out numbering us when the ball is shipped over to the wings.

Whiting at Centre, Rankin and Miller in the Halves, hopefully take the line on better this time. Also hoping that the forwards(minus paea) were embarrassed by getting battered about at NCP, so they step up and kick ass

i reckon paea has been saving himself for this game against his old club,i also think he will roll over their forwards like a bulldozer.just my thoughts.

Great so we've got players who just save themselves for particular games!!

Bit touchy aren't we?

To me, and i apologise if i've read it wrong, but saying things like "Gelling had Crooks for breakfast, Dinner etc" and "Crooks can't complain at being dropped" and "if Crooks plays well he stays in" does read as singling him out.

For me he deserves a run at left centre to see if that suits him better.

TBF though, running from dummy half really isn't one of Crooks' strengths, so I'm fine with others taking more responsibility than him for that. I think he'll improve that area if/when he bulks out a bit more (as will a couple of other areas of his game).

You make this sound like a new thing. It's been a well known issue for years!