About as much chance of a certain Chorley gentleman getting his French one.

Good game.Wigan are tough and get that extra second in the tackle but Saints deserved the win. He didn't get much open field but Coote looked a little slow? Defensively sound and maybe spoilt by watching Barba but he seemed a bit heavy legged?

Dogged by Wigan but will need more than that. Still early days though.

WIgan look to still have the Wane toughness in them and will be hard to score against, although when the fewer interchanges and sped up game kick in on bodies after several weeks that might be harder to maintain. Attack wise they need Williams to fire, got nothing from their halves tonight and Williams can blow hot and cold, they need the better version of him more often than not. Hardaker did ok considering it was his first SL game in 16 months.

Saints pretty much as expected and look like the top 2 team most predicted but Coote won’t offer them near enough what Barba did last year when he could be bothered so won’t streak away like they did last year.

Theodore Fages was chosen by Terence O'Connor of Sky Sports as Man of the Match.

M. Fages could be playing in the NRL before too long.

Wigan coach Adrian Lam blundered massively by not playing game changer Morgan Escare off the bench.

Cracking game. As said Wigan look just as tough as before and that game should do them good for the WCC. It’ll be interesting to see if Lam can get that little 1% extra out of Wigan that Wane seemed able to do. That ability to run through brick walls regardless of how much it hurts.

I doubt he will but then he might add something extra over the season to compensate.

More into than through last night, I felt

Escare had a calf strain. I thought you knew everything?

Escare had a calf strain. I thought you knew everything?

Jean has a brain strain so there’s your answer.

Not one bite, still, it's early season.

I was really impressed with Bullock for Wigan. Making the step up to SL from the Championship won't be easy but he made some really good yards against one of the best packs in the league.
Once he grows more accustomed to the pace of SL he could be very good.

That was a fair dust-up for an opening game - both teams looked a bit rusty, but both will be there or thereabouts as the season progresses.

Don't dismiss my comment. Good halves are as scarce as hens' teeth. If Theodore Fages can keep up last night's form, the NRL clubs will be all over him like a Bangkok hooker.

He could do with an Aussie twang to go with his Frouse accent.

He will pick that up as soon as he gets the chance.

Great look forward to it Barry.

Blatant trolling, Catalan were not in this game.

Did you say in another post you were in Bangkok? Seems like you're getting some experience over there.

Tbf to him, there are other things in Bangkok that's probably occupying his mind at the moment.

Don't you mean [iGallus gallus domesticus[/i

After re watching the game I recorded on sky here are my thoughts.

For Wigan, Hamill and bullock had good games. In the case of bullock it just shows that some gems can be unearthed from the championship. Teams such as Wakefield and Salford who love to sign second rate Aussies should take heed. The rest of their team are average at best and the fat forwards they have will struggle in the summer

As for saints. We just went through the motions and still won with ease. There is no doubt that James Roby is now the GOAT of rugby league Hooker’s in the U.K.

Holbrook is wasted here. He’s identified the rule changes and built a pack that is fit and athletic that doesn’t rely on 10 minute stints here and there like wakefield and Warrington. Will BMM even get a game now?

It was a malaise of dull.

Besides Roby's rapidly expanding polar melt, and wincing every time Warmsley takes it in, I've forgotten most of it.

Dear Barry Wakefield have probably signed more Championshp/reserve/cast offs than Wigan ever have but don’t let that worry you. As for our Aussie contingent we e had far less flops than Saints or Wigan but again don’t let reality worry you.

Dream team Tupou alone is a better buy than any of Saints or Wigan’s current overseas contingent.

Do try harder Baz.