Pace is an issue with us

Which one of our forwards could run the length of the field?

Unlike Lockers, J Tomkins. Tommy leuleui

Thats what adds variety

Need to put J Mon at right centre too (wheer he prefers) and get wingers with real pace (who can play). When JM got the interception yesterday, would Chris Riley have been caught in a similar situation?

Also need to get back to the good old "up and under" worked yesterday

There are loads of things we could improve

I thought Joel was going to go the full length, it was a crucial moment in the game.

In terms of pace, I think Atkins is as quick as most.

Generally there is not much between the two teams when they are at full strength, it mainly comes down to individual performances and Wigan with Carmont, Richards, Leului and Tomkims had the best 4 player performances on the pitch.

The Wigan fans did clap Solomona off the pitch, watch the recording.

I notice yourself and Wire_85 seem to have gone AWOL on the Wigan board.

Underlined bit is spot on . JM looked like he was walking through treacle for that intercept. Wingers need a winger's pace. JM (since his comeback) doesn't show this. Bring back Riley.

Blythe is not a centre. Little "class". If he plays, it needs to be 2nd row

Bridge is NOT a half back (and hasn't been for a couple of years)

We are in ESSENTIAL need of replacements for Morley and Briers (when the fatefull days come). We looked half the team without them.

Oh, and GET THEM @@@@ING TACKLE BAGS BACK OUT. We defended appallingly, yesterday.

I think we learnt lots, but you've got to get it all into context. Wigan were better yesterday, had we completed that come back, it would have been stunning but in reality we were always just hanging in the game. For all Wigan's greatness, I did find it a little odd that they allowed us back into the game and couldn't shake us off for a long, long time. The truly great sides would have torn us a new one yesterday as we were ripe for a good hiding, in the end we sort of got one I guess.

What did I learn :-

We're carrying injuries, Atkins looked like Appo with some sort of false leg. We need to get the balance right against Bradford & Wakefield to ensure we get the points but allow these people to get injuries right, I think Rhys will come in for Atkins for example for a couple of weeks.

I learnt that we now with Myler have a genuine threat on the left edge (Brett & Monas help this) but without Briers the right is redundant. So we need him fit & firing for the business end as we'll need to carry a threat from every inch of width. Myler is also developing very well, I'm not too fussed about his two tries, but I thought he showed up well yesterday.

The wheels came off, it happens. From the ball half blowing off the tee, Westwood missing tackles, Brett dropping balls, players that have been so solid for us had a real wobbler. It happens I guess, Wigan have conceded 47 pts at home this season in a game and responded. Maybe it's the wake up call we all needed, who knows. It's not the defeat I guess, It's how you respond to it that seperates the 'champion sides'. We'll see on that ...

Yesterday, Cooper & Solomona has their best games in donkeys. If Dave is okay, and we get Morley & Harrison back soon, we're back to having a very good, solid pack with good options, one of them will get left out. I wouldn't like to say who.

Wigan smelt blood early doors, and blew us away. I think they clocked that our starting props were going to have to play big minutes as our bench props are only small minutes props, so they banked on the fact that we wouldn't come out with the same grunt as we have displayed knowing the likes of Wood would have to try to manage their energy levels. They came out and exploited this very well. In a strange way, I know think we can cope without Briers, but to beat a side like Wigan you need your biggest, strongest pack with a bench that supplements this.

We didn't control Tommy at the PTB at all, but that came on the back of the ruck speed. Same with us, when Wigan dozed for 10 mins, Monas ran riot. When the sides meet again, whoever wins the floor will win the game.

Sad to be out, it's been a great couple of years but this whole season needs some context, sat 2nd with 5 to go, QF final defeat to Wigan is fair enough in my book. Plenty left to play for, bring it on.

I don't see that we lack pace at all, in fact I think that's ridiculous. How many broken field tries have we scored this year?

Wigan and Warrington are equal squad wise for me. Proven by our win at the DW in a similar style to theirs yesterday.

I found:

1. Wigan's sliding defence is awesome
2. Solomona still has despite weight and age
3. Blythe isn't a top 4 club centre / player
4. Bridge should never ever play stand off
5. Myler is U.S without a Briers style player next to him
6. Best team won

What we all learned is that wire are not as good as their fans would have you believe, That wigan are a better side and that there are only one champions in this country and it isnt WIRE!!!

Just remind us of your recent record against us when we have managed to field a full team ? You beat us last year in the league at home simply because we lost Monaghan and Briers whilst holding a lead of around 14 pts and being well in control of the game, how would you have got on losing Tomkins and Leuluai yesterday ?

Remind us again of how injury hit saints were when you beat them in the grand final ? Remind us again how injury hit Leeds were when you beat them in the game before that.

Wigan do well against weakened sides, not so good against strong sides as per your record against saints over the years, that only changed once that team dispanded and started to get weaker plus numerous injury problems.

I've learned Wigan are going to win everything now we might aswell all go home... viewtopic.php?f=28&t=487015

I've learned Wigan are going to win everything now we might aswell all go home... viewtopic.php?f=28&t=487015

Well Ive not read it but they have every right to feel cock sure at the moment. It's up to the rest of us to stop them.

Apparently we are arrogant

Wrong.

[urlhttp://viewtopic.php?f=28&t=501986&start=30[/url

Totally agree. Wasn't it Lima that got banned for this kind of tackle on Clarkson? Don't think Coley meant to cause injury bit Wigan are coached to do this and if there is an injury so what! Not watched it back for obvious reasons but thought Mick Monas reaction to the tackle said it all. Wigan just don't fight fair, and I for one wouldn't swap a semi final appearance for playing some of the ways they do. I'm a firm believer in 'what goes around comes around' and I think our shot at the GF just got a lot better while Wigan's just went further away.

Maybe you should have a word with Finch who I seem to recall saying on SLTV that Warrington are the challenge cup CHAMPIONS. However you want to dress it up both teams have won silver wear last year and one team the year before that. I would hazard a guess that this year both teams could win the opposite competition to last year after yesterdays result, and if that happens what are you going to come out with then? Its called thinking before you speak.

We learnt that Hodgson is a bottler, a good, not great player but a bottler all the same.

And your post has reminded us all what a classless end of a bell you still are. You're an embarrassment to your club.

FACT.

I already knew Wigan were an excellent team and yesterday hardly added any additional context to that. We'll see Wigan again, certainly once and probably twice. Only the most myopic Wiganer would write Warrington off after yesterday, especially when you consider what we had to contend with.

FAIL. I've been AWOL on your board for around 2 years.

I didn't see any in the west stand, apologies if the north standers were.

I'd be interested to see who everyone thinks should play at 6 if Briers isn't available. Bridge doesn't make a lot of mistakes in the halves, but he hardly creates a lot of attacking opportunities either and moving him weakens the centres considerably. Grix was okay there earlier in the season, but with the injuries to Morley and Harrison there was no option but to play him in the forwards yesterday. Could Clarke be a better option? I just think that it's a massive shame that Gareth O'Brien is out for the season as he would be the obvious replacement and it would have been fascinating to see how he played alongside Myler as this could be the future halfback pairing at the club. The lack of a quality stand off for the rest of the season is concerning if Briers may be out for a while.

Hodgson has more about him with the ball move Bridge to FB just see if it works, it may not but would it hurt just trying? We've tried Bridge numerous times and he rarely if ever does anything of note when there.

i) Blythe is not good enough at centre & I'd rather see Rhys Evans given ago there as he stepped up to mark when called upon earlier in the year.

ii) Neither Higham or Clarke are good enough for us, we are lacking a world class hooker coming off the bench to replace Monaghan, the intensity & the speed drops instantly when Monas is replaced.

iii) We will really, really miss King.

iiii) We should have played Grix at stand-off instead of playing Bridge there, who, when he plays there is completely anonymous & we miss his footwork and his abilty out wide - this would also mean that we wouldn't need to bring Blythe in & we'd be creating a less change as possible.

After Lee Briers and Michael Monaghan i'd say that Brett Hodgson is our best threat with ball in hand as far as creativity goes, if Briers is going to be out for a while or gets injured in the future i'd go with Hodgson at 6. Both Grix and Bridge have been tried in the halves but its not really worked out with either, Clarke would just slow us down with his very basic game.

Bridge played well at full back away at Wakefield but lets face it they aint the toughest opposition, personally i think Bridge's best position is right centre where he's a genuine threat.

If Chris Riley is fit again and were able to recall him then he's about our only option at fullback after Hodgson unless one of the youngsters is ready to take the step up.

Other than that, Hodgson at stand off and move Chris Bridge to fullback with Joel Monaghan at right centre then have either Riley or Williams on the wing, out of those 2 i'd go for Riley all day long.

Has Hodgson ever played in the halves before? I agree that he's one of our biggest threats after Briers and Monas, but moving him to 6 would mean playing Bridge or Riley at fullback. In the games this year when Hodgson hasn't played that passing sequence from the halves out to the winger (one of our main attacking threats) hasn't been nearly as effective. Whether Grix, Bridge or Hodgson plays in the halves, another area of the team will be considerably weakened. I suppose the ideal solution would be if one of the under 20s was ready to make the step up. I wonder if TS will be tempted to throw one of them in in the next couple of matches?






I'd like to see Rhys Evans given another go as well, a little bit more pace in the three quarters would add another dimension to our attack. Presumably he's fit again as he was named in the 19 last week I think. I can't really blame TS for not playing him ahead of Blythe against Wigan though. It would have been a tough ask for someone who's been out injured for a couple of months.

I agree, but drop him in next week against Bradford see how he goes. He were brilliant for us at the start of the season, let's give the lad some game time now he's back fit - he's got heaps of potential.

Sometime Hodgson is a world beater, and sometimes he just reminds me of Richie Mathers .......... all within the same 80 mins.

Couldn't agree more. I'm struggling to find how and where we are gonna replace him from within. But ISWT n'all that