It's a loss but one that requires perspective. First up though, we'll done Hull. A gutsy performance where I think even their own fans would concede they were 2nd best in everything but where it mattered...on the scoreboard. Ultimately that win will do them a lot of good.
On Wigan, we had 7 players out, a back row playing 6 (more on that later) terrible conditions after going 14 down, 6 of our best playing their second game of the week and playing off the back of a major peak over the 3 derbies and we still did enough to win 2 games, never mind that one! It's a blip, not a sign of where we are.
That said, the Shorrocks at 6 stop gap has run its course. He has done brilliantly and probably deserved to hang on to his place but that should be that now. Hampshire is fit and Cust is not far off. Joe deserves to contest his place in the back row, both for himself and the team, but we can't keep going into games with no attacking threat in the halves. Smith is a terrific controlling half and, paired with running threats a la the England game he's top draw. But without that threat, his effectiveness is reduced. French gives us that but he's currently the only one so it's easy to mark him out of the game as Hull did very effectively tonight. Moreso in bad conditions.
Overall 2 points dropped but nothing significant with regards to the rest of the season. Good to see Thornley in such good form so quickly after coming back too. Let's hope Hampshire follows suit!
