Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:04 pm  

Hardaker looks lighter and quicker. Maybe losing the FB spot and seeing French take so much praise has helped him raise his game, and approach off the field, as in regards diet. A general kick up the backside.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:08 pm  

jonh wrote:

It doesn’t work like that, but who knows.

Maybe!

Doesn’t work like that for Gildart but does for French?

Keeping Hardaker fullback keeps someone at centre who shouldn’t be and puts French on the wing, somewhere he hasn’t played for Wigan.

As good as Hardaker has been, French at FB and Hardaker centre is the best overall.

That cannot be argued.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:11 pm  

jonh wrote:

Plenty of combos and we won’t really know what our best is till everyone gets back and we can see how they have recovered.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see -

1. Hardaker
2. French
3. Bibby
4. Gilly
5. Manfredi/Marsh

Did we not learn anything last year about what our best is?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:13 pm  

nathan_rugby wrote:

Doesn’t work like that for Gildart but does for French?

Keeping Hardaker fullback keeps someone at centre who shouldn’t be and puts French on the wing, somewhere he hasn’t played for Wigan.

As good as Hardaker has been, French at FB and Hardaker centre is the best overall.

That cannot be argued.

If course it can be argued. French started on the wing for us when he first came and was brilliant. I can see arguments both ways. I'm pretty sure they will be trying it both ways, in training at least.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:28 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

If course it can be argued. French started on the wing for us when he first came and was brilliant. I can see arguments both ways. I'm pretty sure they will be trying it both ways, in training at least.

I fully accept Zak has been great at FB but:

1 - we are short of Centres
2 - Zak played well at centre last year
3 - French was great at full back

To keep Zak at FB you move French to wing and then Bibby at Centre where he hasn’t played as well for us compared to wing.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:47 am  

nathan_rugby wrote:

I fully accept Zak has been great at FB but:

1 - we are short of Centres
2 - Zak played well at centre last year
3 - French was great at full back

To keep Zak at FB you move French to wing and then Bibby at Centre where he hasn’t played as well for us compared to wing.

What has Bibby done wrong at centre? When did he last get a consistent run at centre for us?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:24 am  

jonh wrote:

What has Bibby done wrong at centre? When did he last get a consistent run at centre for us?

caught out positionally in defence and didnt pass to his winger, played a lot last year there when Gilly was out with his shoulder

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:42 am  

Pieman wrote:

caught out positionally in defence and didnt pass to his winger, played a lot last year there when Gilly was out with his shoulder

Fairish comment maybe a bit over critical but also when he started on the wing he wasn’t exactly pulling up any trees either.

It’s taken him a little time to settle in at Wigan but I think now he has he’s worth a run at centre again should it potentially make the team stronger.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:59 am  

jonh wrote:

It’s taken him a little time to settle in at Wigan but I think now he has he’s worth a run at centre again should it potentially make the team stronger.

When he's settling in so nicely on the wing? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We'll see when Manfredi returns.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:00 am  

moto748 wrote:

When he's settling in so nicely on the wing? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We'll see when Manfredi returns.

I meant when we have a full or rather injury free backline.