Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 10:47 am  

Ruddy Duck wrote:

Every year, the club arrange three friendlies, but in not one of those games do you see the club turn a full strength team with most of the first team squad playing for most of the game.

Sorry, but that is in my opinion not the ideal preparation for the season.

Last Sunday, we lost 10-22 to Leeds because unlike us, they took the match more seriously by fielding a smaller squad with less substitutes.

If we are to have three pre-season games than surely, one should be a full first team selection, the second a team of non selected first team match players made up with academy players and the third a full academy team selection with all three game involving no more than twenty players in the squad.

Loath though I am to sound a negative note when nothing negative has happened, I too have often wondered about the wisdom of fielding reserve sides in warm-up games.

I see the value of getting long-term casualties back into action. So it would be an excellent run-out for the likes of Manfredi and Bullock, but to play lots of kids who most likely won't be featuring in many SL matches seems odd.

Is it not the first team regulars who are supposed to be getting warmed up?

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:24 am  

Also felt Jack Wells looked great.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 1:02 pm  

Cruncher wrote:

:CROWDED: Loath though I am to sound a negative note when nothing negative has happened, I too have often wondered about the wisdom of fielding reserve sides in warm-up games.

I see the value of getting long-term casualties back into action. So it would be an excellent run-out for the likes of Manfredi and Bullock, but to play lots of kids who most likely won't be featuring in many SL matches seems odd.

Is it not the first team regulars who are supposed to be getting warmed up?

I agree and I don’t.

I think we need games where we can rotate, throw in some of the “outsiders” if you will and see what youths have the ability to become not just first teamers but first team regulars and starters. The game v Leigh (although I didn’t go) has shown that the likes of Havard, Smith, Bullock and other “outsiders” or youth players deserve their shot at the first team. It’s also shown that the likes of Navarette and Shorrocks have no future at Wigan.

It’s tough to have a game and just throw first teamers in as Lam is still deciding who some of them will be in 2020, the same will be true for the first few games I’d imagine. That Leigh game has thrown up a whole new bunch of headaches for Lam, and I would hope that if anyone doesn’t start well, they’ll be out and someone who showed promise in.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 1:07 pm  

NSW wrote:

Positives

Manfredi came through okay
Bullock was very good particularly second half
Joe Sharrocks looked very very good. Ball playing Loose.
Harry Smith and Hanley look exciting.
Harvard and Kilner (plus Bryne) means I’ll let Flower go at the end of the year. Big prospects (literally)

Negatives

Mitch Clark I thought struggled to make ground, did put a shift in though.

Greenwood and Burgess very quiet in a game where they should shine

Jake Sharrocks - just doesn’t impress me at all. Would rather Josh Woods still be in the squad.

Agree with all of your points.
I just hope that Lam picks on form rather than reputation particularly re Greenwood and Clubb.
I like Hanley and I hope to see him make his debut this coming season.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:04 pm  

NSW wrote:

Also felt Jack Wells looked great.

He looked in great shape physically although I can’t say I noticed too much from him playing wise. It could be a slow process with Wells but he’s somebody who I’ve been excited to watch develop at first team level for ages. The injuries have held him back but he was exceptionally talented at academy level and I still have high hopes he could become pretty special.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 8:12 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

He looked in great shape physically although I can’t say I noticed too much from him playing wise. It could be a slow process with Wells but he’s somebody who I’ve been excited to watch develop at first team level for ages. The injuries have held him back but he was exceptionally talented at academy level and I still have high hopes he could become pretty special.

Have a rewatch if you get time mate. I may have been guilty of “looking out for him” but thought he put a real shift in and got involved a lot.

Was made up he got a new deal last year, I feel we should be patient with him, was superb in 2017.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 8:33 pm  

NSW wrote:

Have a rewatch if you get time mate. I may have been guilty of “looking out for him” but thought he put a real shift in and got involved a lot.

Was made up he got a new deal last year, I feel we should be patient with him, was superb in 2017.

Must admit I was watching on my phone half the time and getting distracted by my little girl, so I’ve probably missed decent contributions of many players. Either way we fully agree on the potential this guy has. I had him down as a future international when he was first breaking through and he can still be that IMO. He needs some luck and belief and he can get there one day. He firstly needs to get his first team Wigan career going.

It really is staggering how many good young forwards we have who’ve broke through or they’re trying to break through. The three lads last year in Smithies, Partington and Byrne are the furthest along but then you have Wells, who’s had his development held back by injuries and after him there’s a whole host of talent who are fantastic prospects. I’m a huge fan of Havard and Kilner in the front row, the two young hookers are good prospects and then there’s Shorrocks, Rushton, McDonnell and Pearce-Paul in the back row. It’ll be keeping them all in first team chances to keep them all developing which will be a challenge.