Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:08 pm  

Wigg'n wrote:

Matty Smith 69.5%
Gareth Widdop 66.3%

Might have to get Ratchford in at some point.

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Fri Oct 24, 2014 8:24 pm  

I still hold out hope that Smith will become a 75%+ kicker,he seems to miss kicks in big games which is a problem but this season has been the first Hes kicked in so 69% ain't too shabby.

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:52 am  

SFW wrote:

Similarly I'd be interested to know when Cunningham 'ducked' or 'faked' an injury.

Well that would be difficult for anyone on this board to answer. I can remember him turning out for Saints on occasion after declaring himself unfit for International duty though. I suppose you could argue that he made quick recoveries from these injuries just in time to turn out for Saints immediately after and I suppose anything is possible. I can only pass on what was the common consensus at the time. You are, of course, at liberty to believe he never ducked any internationals and merely had an unusual and individual injury pattern. As I say, anything is possible.

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Sun Oct 26, 2014 7:59 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

KC was never injured when Saints games came around though unlike Lockers who's missed loads of ours recently.

The difference being Lockers injuries are real.

Yes KC faked the very serious near career threatening elbow injury which he's still have problems with to this day.

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:49 am  

St pete wrote:

Yes KC faked the very serious near career threatening elbow injury which he's still have problems with to this day.

Already been through that. I was there when he did it and it was a shocker.

That injury aside though the point stands. I don't know why Saints fans get so defensive about it. It was always a given that Cunningham would have a 'niggle' come GB duty.

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Sun Oct 26, 2014 9:11 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

Already been through that. I was there when he did it and it was a shocker.

That injury aside though the point stands. I don't know why Saints fans get so defensive about it. It was always a given that Cunningham would have a 'niggle' come GB duty.

Could it be your just being a little bitter towards saints players ?

Lockers played for Wigan in the grand final but can't play few weeks later but experts to be fit for the Aussie and kiwi game?

The international games are played at the back end of the season and most players that play play off rugby and finals will be playing thru injuries and then we just expect them to back up and fly around the world and then as fans expect them to come back fighting fit after pre season.

I know for a fact that robes and Sia played the last 8 weeks of the season needing operations but played thru those injuries which obviously was worth it but both now are out if the four nations.

Would you give up a grand final and play off series for a few games down under in what's really meaningless games?

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Sun Oct 26, 2014 9:56 am  

St pete wrote:

Could it be your just being a little bitter towards saints players ?

Lockers played for Wigan in the grand final but can't play few weeks later but experts to be fit for the Aussie and kiwi game?

The international games are played at the back end of the season and most players that play play off rugby and finals will be playing thru injuries and then we just expect them to back up and fly around the world and then as fans expect them to come back fighting fit after pre season.

I know for a fact that robes and Sia played the last 8 weeks of the season needing operations but played thru those injuries which obviously was worth it but both now are out if the four nations.

Would you give up a grand final and play off series for a few games down under in what's really meaningless games?

Not bitter at all. Cunningham is a legend of a player and a player I respected massively. There was no Sean Long/Tommy Martyn style micky taking, no dirty play, no cheating, just hard graft, a huge amount of skill and a supreme ability to power through/past/over people.

The fact still remains that he missed GB games I'm sure he could have turned out in. Looking at guys around the set up in his time (players like Farrell, Morley, Fielden etc) they would have had the same niggles and needed the same 'minor' ops but they delayed them to turn out for GB. The only issue I have is putting Lockers in that same bracket as Cunningham. Lockers has missed a huge amount of games for Wigan recently and plenty over his career. You can guarantee he needs some sort of tidy up op but he's trying his best to get out on the field. He played in the World Cup last year when in reality he should have missed it given his issues.

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Sun Oct 26, 2014 12:01 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Not bitter at all. Cunningham is a legend of a player and a player I respected massively. There was no Sean Long/Tommy Martyn style micky taking, no dirty play, no cheating, just hard graft, a huge amount of skill and a supreme ability to power through/past/over people.

The fact still remains that he missed GB games I'm sure he could have turned out in. Looking at guys around the set up in his time (players like Farrell, Morley, Fielden etc) they would have had the same niggles and needed the same 'minor' ops but they delayed them to turn out for GB. The only issue I have is putting Lockers in that same bracket as Cunningham. Lockers has missed a huge amount of games for Wigan recently and plenty over his career. You can guarantee he needs some sort of tidy up op but he's trying his best to get out on the field. He played in the World Cup last year when in reality he should have missed it given his issues.

Do you think that maybe if lockers is that bad with injuries that he's missing so many games for Wigan that maybe he'd be better sitting this four nations out for the sake of his career?

It can't be good for a player to be playing constantly with injuries.

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Sun Oct 26, 2014 1:12 pm  

St pete wrote:

Could it be your just being a little bitter towards saints players ?

Lockers played for Wigan in the grand final but can't play few weeks later but experts to be fit for the Aussie and kiwi game?

The international games are played at the back end of the season and most players that play play off rugby and finals will be playing thru injuries and then we just expect them to back up and fly around the world and then as fans expect them to come back fighting fit after pre season.

I know for a fact that robes and Sia played the last 8 weeks of the season needing operations but played thru those injuries which obviously was worth it but both now are out if the four nations.

Would you give up a grand final and play off series for a few games down under in what's really meaningless games?

To be fair Pete, he picked the in jury up IN the Grand Final and they are HOPEFUL he'll be ready for Australia. I'm sure you're aware you're bending the truth to suit there and I'm also sure you're under no illusion that wild horses wouldn't have stopped Lockers making his debut as captain yesterday had he been able!

As for your point in the second post; the answer is undoubtedly ''yes'' and, from a Wigan point of view I wish he had taken the opportunity to rest as he's so important to us. The fact that he is playing further highlights how far off the mark it is to compare O'Loughlin's and KC's attitudes towards internationals. KC was a great player, no question. However, he did have a, shall we agree on, less than 'play at all costs' attitude to Internationals.

Re: 4 Warriors to start for England on Saturday : Sun Oct 26, 2014 2:36 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

To be fair Pete, he picked the in jury up IN the Grand Final and they are HOPEFUL he'll be ready for Australia. I'm sure you're aware you're bending the truth to suit there and I'm also sure you're under no illusion that wild horses wouldn't have stopped Lockers making his debut as captain yesterday had he been able!

As for your point in the second post; the answer is undoubtedly ''yes'' and, from a Wigan point of view I wish he had taken the opportunity to rest as he's so important to us. The fact that he is playing further highlights how far off the mark it is to compare O'Loughlin's and KC's attitudes towards internationals. KC was a great player, no question. However, he did have a, shall we agree on, less than 'play at all costs' attitude to Internationals.

The way lockers is going, he won't play hardly any of that 3yr deal he's just signed. The play at all costs doesn't pay the bills and feed mouths when he's finishing early from playing to many games while being injured.