Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:05 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Couldn't make the game (a real rarity for me!) as no one I go with would brave the weather. Thoughts on the game from those who went appreciated! Was surprised Navarette didn't get a crack after Wane's comments midweek, how did Sutton and Tautai get on?

Sutton much improved but Tautai non existent I felt. The team started as they did last week but managed to pull it out the fire with some urgency in the 2nd half.

The good

Bateman ain’t a centre but he’s a fine player and we’ll miss him.

Tom Davies and Joe Burgess worked hard.

Flower and Clubb did pretty well again.

Willie Isa had his best game of the season and added some energy in the middle.

The bad

The Tomkins, Powell, Williams, Leuluai and Escare switcharoo is starting to look confused and pointless.

Gildart is bang out of form.

Williams had a shocker and really needs to simplify things.

I’m backing off typing this but I need to. Sean O'Loughlin looked slow and lacking in any sort of impact around the middle. Unlike him he seemed more interested in arguing with the referee then trying to inspire the team.


Overall a wins a win but there’s plenty to work on.

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:17 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Sutton much improved but Tautai non existent I felt. The team started as they did last week but managed to pull it out the fire with some urgency in the 2nd half.

The good

Bateman ain’t a centre but he’s a fine player and we’ll miss him.

Tom Davies and Joe Burgess worked hard.

Flower and Clubb did pretty well again.

Willie Isa had his best game of the season and added some energy in the middle.

The bad

The Tomkins, Powell, Williams, Leuluai and Escare switcharoo is starting to look confused and pointless.

Gildart is bang out of form.

Williams had a shocker and really needs to simplify things.

I’m backing off typing this but I need to. Sean O'Loughlin looked slow and lacking in any sort of impact around the middle. Unlike him he seemed more interested in arguing with the referee then trying to inspire the team.


Overall a wins a win but there’s plenty to work on.

Yep I agree entirely , the switcheroo as you call it is disrupting any momentum that we have. I thought Davies was superb tonight and Burgess looked to be his old self, I’m still not sure how Sutton got MOM though and as you said Williams had a shocker.... again.
Well done to the fans that turned out tonight, it was colder than the mother in laws affection out there.

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:32 pm  

hatty wrote:

Yep I agree entirely , the switcheroo as you call it is disrupting any momentum that we have. I thought Davies was superb tonight and Burgess looked to be his old self, I’m still not sure how Sutton got MOM though and as you said Williams had a shocker.... again.
Well done to the fans that turned out tonight, it was colder than the mother in laws affection out there.

Both wingers played a huge part in getting us back in the game. They both held nothing back and constantly tested the inside defence of Widnes. That’s really pleasing in regards to Burgess because he’s been lacking in work rate at times and I’ve questioned his desire to do the tough stuff but he turned up tonight. He’s proof of what a few weeks out the team can do.

There are a few other players either close to or already at the point of needing some time out of the side. I’d say Tautai has more then reached that point and his place must go to Navarette next week. I don’t think Gildart is a million miles at the back of him but a lack of options may save him. I wouldn’t go as far as to say Williams is in need of dropping just yet but he’s certainly needs to be told to simplify things and just keep the ball moving at points rather then kicking or shuffling back on the inside. He’s just putting no doubt in the oppositions mind because they’re expecting the risk play every single time.

[DaveO]

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:48 pm  

Well I am not long back form the match and what a strange game. The first half form Wigan was utter garbage right down there with some of the worst of last season. The two penalties given away right in front of the sticks were stupidity personified and the attack was as clueless and as error strewn as anything we saw last season.

The the next 40 minutes we all of a sudden we are far more direct and start running lines reminiscent of the Madge ers. There were even dummy runners! Faz and Sam's try were great to watch but one bit of skill I really enjoyed was Budgie picking that ball up off the deck to stop a Widnes penalty finding touch. For those who could not make the match and have Wigan TV I hope it makes the highlights. Just a bit of skill that makes you smile.

As to player performances/observations. The half back sub thing really needs to be ditched. Now. No, Bateman isn't a centre but he is a better one than Sarge and caused them lots of problems in the 2nd half and put Davis away with passes more than once. Joel Tomkins had a very good game and tackled everything that moved. Lockers decided him and the ref were going to discuss Brexit, the Syrian crisis and everything else he spent so much time in his ear. Not without reason I might add but I wonder if Wane taking him off about 14 mins form the end was to stop him getting sent off. The ref was none too impressed (nor impressive as a ref..).

It's two points in the bag and if we can play 80 like the last 40 we will be OK but if we let better teams in as we did in the first 40 we won't.

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Sat Mar 03, 2018 1:31 am  

My main thought is that Gildart's agent needs to add an extra line to his application to Aus:

'He plays a lot better in warm weather. Honest.'

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Sat Mar 03, 2018 3:14 am  

Wane spoke warmly of Navarette again post-match, so I imagine we'll see him soon. Jeez, we were bad in that first half.

I agree the switcheroo should be dumped, but, to be fair, I thought Sam Powell was better tonight, Although he may have been at fault for their first try. A bit.

[edit] Actually thinking about it, it's a bit of a thing, isn't it? I used to think he was a pretty good defender at 9, but he's been caught out a few times at 7.

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:15 am  

Widnes fan here (obviously) I thought Wigan were very good in the second half, Wigan’s pack was well on top. We we didn’t set up for a drop at the start of the second half when we where on your line... f knows. Best team won though.fair play

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Sat Mar 03, 2018 11:08 am  

First half terrible,just terrible but in fairness Widnes played well,second half as everyone says much better.

Bateman played pretty well I thought as did Powell in the second half,Williams poor again he needs a spell out of the side maybe and pair Sam and Powell in the halves?just a thought.

Wingers pretty good but awful night so it wasn’t going to be a classic.

Gildart is woefully out of form,it happens of course and he’s in a bad trough at the moment,so plenty to chew on but play like that first half against better teams and it’s bye bye time,

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Sat Mar 03, 2018 11:33 am  

Or conversely play like we did in the 2nd half and we'll be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

Re: Wigan 19 for Widnes : Sat Mar 03, 2018 12:27 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

Or conversely play like we did in the 2nd half and we'll be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

It’s a difficult one because this whole ‘playing when we’re in a bad position’ has been going on for three seasons now and against better sides we won’t see the turnaround we did last night.

I’m not sure if it’s a lack of energy, excitement, a bit of arrogance or just poor tactics getting us in these positions but title winning sides (which we want to be) don’t just play when things are getting out of control.

I sat there last night longing for the Maguire and early Wane days of us blitzing teams in the first twenty minutes. It is far less stressful