Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 12:58 pm  

First thing I believe that Cas deserved a lot of credit for the way the played last night. They should have won at both Saints and Catalan and got some poor decisions against them. They were very good and deserved their win.

Now to Wigan, that was as poor a defensive display as I've seen in a long time, and bar Bateman, McIlorum and Manfredi every other player was below acceptable standards. Quite a few years ago Wigan lost about three games on the bounce under John Monies coaching. His instructions for the next game (I think it away at HKR) was to keep the ball tight, run it in and make ground. "I don't care if you get booed off the field for the style, just make sure you win" were his comments.

I do think we may have to do something similar for a couple of games.

The halfback situation needs sorting. In the four league games we've had Williams and Smith (twice) Hampshire and Powell and then last night Powell and Smith. Whilst I accept it's difficult for the halfbacks to play when the forwards are continually giving penalties away and as a team they are coughing up the ball I think we need some consistency at #6 and #7.


Last night there were a lot of calls for Hampshire and Williams to be given a go but that's yet another combination (albeit they've played together at academy level and International from being 15 - 16 years old) I can understand that call BUT they're both young and relatively inexperienced and it may do more harm to them than good at this moment in time. However they couldn't be much worse than the halfback pairing last night. Food for thought?

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 1:37 pm  

The stats are really not pretty.

Matty Smith conceding 3 penalties...
Charnley completing 8 tackles and missing 7...
Bateman doing so much work in defence that he could only make 46m...
Mossop averaging 4.5m per carry...
3 offloads the entire game...

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 1:45 pm  

Wigg'n wrote: The stats are really not pretty. Matty Smith conceding 3 penalties... Charnley completing 8 tackles and missing 7... Bateman doing so much work in defence that he could only make 46m... Mossop averaging 4.5m per carry... 3 offloads the entire game... Looking at the stats Tautai did better than I though at the game. http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/11040

Wigg'n wrote: The stats are really not pretty. Matty Smith conceding 3 penalties... Charnley completing 8 tackles and missing 7... Bateman doing so much work in defence that he could only make 46m... Mossop averaging 4.5m per carry... 3 offloads the entire game... Looking at the stats Tautai did better than I though at the game. http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/11040

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 1:48 pm  

Nice honesty from Wane here: http://youtu.be/gDdYWHy87qU?t=1m9s

Nice honesty from Wane here: http://youtu.be/gDdYWHy87qU?t=1m9s

[DaveO]

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:14 pm  

Wigan Peer wrote:

Well, Napoleon always said he preferred lucky generals to good generals.... MM was lucky to have Lima, Hoffman, Finch...

You still have to know how to marshal the troops. Noble had virtually the same squad as MM and also earlier on was lucky to have an even better player, Trent Barrett. Still couldn't get them past the finishing line.

You make your own luck as a coach. It's your job.

[DaveO]

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:20 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

The halfback situation needs sorting. In the four league games we've had Williams and Smith (twice) Hampshire and Powell and then last night Powell and Smith. Whilst I accept it's difficult for the halfbacks to play when the forwards are continually giving penalties away and as a team they are coughing up the ball I think we need some consistency at #6 and #7.

I'd agree with that . Was Williams injured or dropped? I think sometimes you have to persevere with some players even if their form is not quite right. Particularly as there isn't really anywhere for most of them to go to to pick things up with no U23 or reserve grade available. I think this is particularly true in the half backs.

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:25 pm  

DaveO wrote:

I'd agree with that . Was Williams injured or dropped? I think sometimes you have to persevere with some players even if their form is not quite right. Particularly as there isn't really anywhere for most of them to go to to pick things up with no U23 or reserve grade available. I think this is particularly true in the half backs.

Williams played last night for the last twenty minutes as interchange hooker!!

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:46 pm  

Williams had a fitness test during the warm-up so he probably had an injury going into the game.

I'm still confused as to why Logan has been dropped.

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:55 pm  

Well, we've lost twice out of four. So it hasn't exactly gone wrong. Saints and Leeds are going well but they will hit a run of poor form as sure as day follows night.

Time to circle the wagons I think. Let's get behind the lads against Hull and go to Leeds with renewed confidence which is in short supply at the moment.

Senior players are all poor at present but that will change. We need a little patience here. It will be a struggle to make the top 4 but there's plenty of time left. Out of thirty games you can probably lose nine or ten and make fourth.

Re: When did it start to go wrong? : Sat Mar 07, 2015 4:13 pm  

DaveO wrote:

You still have to know how to marshal the troops. Noble had virtually the same squad as MM and also earlier on was lucky to have an even better player, Trent Barrett. Still couldn't get them past the finishing line.

You make your own luck as a coach. It's your job.

Luck by its nature is random and can't be "made".