Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 8:02 am  

I AM just interested in seeing people’s thoughts on potential changes we need to make, if any, after the first month or so of the 2018 season?

Not looking at a knee jerk after last nights poor performance but on what we have seen for the season so far.

From a selection point of view, for me you need your best players on the field for as long as possible and at the moment the Powell, Tomkins, Escaré shift isn’t working. Powell seems lost playing as a 7 and does not give us the spark or direction we need. I personally think it’s tome to revert to a traditional system of Sam at 7 Escaré, who looks very threatening when he is on to 1 and rotate TL and Powell at 9. My main concern then is our lack of height in our back 3 but it’s worth it for the speed that move generates.

I would ban Gildart from kicking. I’m a massive fan of his potential but he seems to me to be believing his own hype this year trying to overplay situations when he has ball in hand. He needs to go back to basics and focus on his running game as when he does that is when he looks most effective. Sick of this 4th tackle grubbed to nothing he seems to have added all too often to his game.

Meters after contact is a massive one for me. We really don’t make any. We must be the worst team in the league for it. I know we use the excuse it is a tactic, if it is it needs to change now, but I’m not so sure.

The players we give the most credit to and who seem most effective are Davies, Marshall and Bateman who always look for the post contact meters. If they are doing it regularly are they defying their coaches instruction? Regardless this is an area we really need to improve and as such I would look to bring Hamlin into the 17 for Tautai or Isa.

Finally I’ve been pleased with our more expansive style (ok we didn’t see it last night) but it has generally been evidenced in the other games, I however would just like to see us sharpen up our passing and execution. Passes going behind and poorly timed runs are stifling our effectiveness so significant hours need to be put in, in training to correct that.

Bigger issues of transfer policy in relation to size and utility style player stratergy are a massive problem and need to never addressed but that can’t happen in the short term for 2018.

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 8:27 am  

We look a better side with Escare at fullback and Tomkins in the halves and there’s no reason why we can’t do that from the beginning.

I don’t understand why Clubb is starting games. His go forward is poor but he adds defensive impact and he’s been strong near the opposition line so he needs to go back to the bench. The time must’ve come for Tautai to sit out a few games. I’m not sure I’ve seen a blokes form drop off quite as much as his did when he got his new contract last year and there’s a couple of youngsters chomping at the bit for a shot.

Other then those we need a centre at centre now. I thought Bateman did ok but he completely takes his winger out the game. If either go back to Sarginson or give Higginson a shot next week. Finally I’d love one of our wingers to catch a high ball under pressure. It’s been a weakness for too long and it was a shambles again last night. I’d give Burgess his shot to reclaim a regular place next week.

Team for Widnes-

Escare
Davies Higginson Gildart Burgess
Williams Tomkins
Sutton Powell Flower
Bateman Farrell Lockers

Subs
Clubb Navarette Hamlin Leuluai

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 8:44 am  

Missed big franks yards tonight, he only made 8/9 yards every carry but clubb tt isa just dont make any yards. We got butchered around the ruck last night.
, in a similar way to how we did it when madge first come. I dont think enough credit has been given to wire as there defence was excellent.

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 10:13 am  

I could not believe that we had this game so close to the trip to Aus. Someone was always going to still be on the plane. Having said that I cannot see why we picked that team. Hamlin was good on Wednesday and still looked capable, as was Navrette. Several lads who did not make the trip must be close to a start, like Higginson. Bateman is wasted at centre.
I know that we have lost two of our biggest bodies in FPN and Gelling as well as a lot of agression from MM so I would like to see one hooker with an extra big body on the bench and a settled set of backs.

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:03 am  

Biggest issues for me are:-

1.Defending - last night and very obvious against the Rabbitohs is our defensive line, it waits for the opposition to run to them instead of moving forward, if this is a tactic is is a major problem as it allows the opposition to get easy metres and momentum.

2.Kicking game long and short - no more needs to be said.

3.Lack of direction - last night particularly in the second half when we attacked the Warrington line we looked totally lost and directionless, no one seemed to be organising or directing, bunch of headless chickens.

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:27 am  

Im not going to judge Wigan on last night - I just dont think its fair. Lets see what we look like against Widnes.

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:36 am  

For me it was just a lack of options in attack, no dummy runners, just a few set moves. We need to threaten for more than one tackle per set of 6,a few drives and a set move is easy to read, just as it was last year. Time will tell though, it's just one game and there were signs previous that we had worked on it.

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 12:16 pm  

Given that Warrington dominated possession and territory for much of the match, the fact they only won 16-10 indicates that Wigan must have been doing something right.

I totally agree that we were physically bullied and looked clueless with ball in hand (and our halfbacks again, dear God!). But that was nothing like the heavy and embarrassing defeat that it could, and perhaps should have been.

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 12:31 pm  

Last night showed our defense is robust, the "energy saving" tactic of allowing the attack to advance whilst you stand firm worked well in the middle of the pitch and allowed for our energy levels to be high throughout the game. It won't be getting changed and will start to work much better in the coming games. Scientifically it looks to allow energy conservation throughout the team an extra 8/10 minutes before depletion. On the face of it, I think it worked last night, only Wires well drilled defense kept us from going over 2/3 times in the final quarter.

Attack didn't get a fair crack last night, was a little disjointed and when the set plays that are hammered out in training didn't work, neither George or Sam T had any answers. Having said that, Wire defended brilliantly and credit to them must be given.

Last point, I thought the ref was poor last night. Made some poor calls.

Changes for me? None. Keep the faith and I am sure the wheels will be back on and rolling full tilt next week.

Re: Changes : Sat Feb 24, 2018 12:34 pm  

Cruncher wrote:

Given that Warrington dominated possession and territory for much of the match, the fact they only won 16-10 indicates that Wigan must have been doing something right.

I totally agree that we were physically bullied and looked clueless with ball in hand (and our halfbacks again, dear God!). But that was nothing like the heavy and embarrassing defeat that it could, and perhaps should have been.

I think the forwards were equal to the blame.

The amount of times we had a back making lateral runs looking for runners, only to have zero options was pretty poor.

Agree about the first point. They should have spanked us last night. Yet if that game had gone on for 10 more minutes we would have won it (IMO)

We had them on the ropes for the last 20 when we had zero right to.