https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2022/03/ ... r-hull-fc/ French, Thornley, Singleton back

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2022/03/ ... r-hull-fc/ French, Thornley, Singleton back

Probably our strongest squad of the season, only 2/3 of the 17 missing.

You have some serious pace, so expect you to go wide and kick early, Connor has been great this year, but lacks pack.

Should be a good game.

Likewise only KPP injured for us (Ellis and Tommy suspended)

Excited to find out the team,

Does Field move into the halves (remember he sees himself as a half back and just a “doing a job” full back) with Bevan dropping in at FB?

Smith in the halves ?

French on the wing or at fullback or in the halves or on the bench?

Thornley back on the wing ? He was first choice right winger to start the year, or even at Centre ?

Has Miski gotten ahead of Thornley for a shot ?

Does Singleton walk back into his starting place? Does Partington drop out ?

I predict Peet will go

Field
Thornley
Hardaker
Bibby
Marshall
Smith
Cust
Singleton
Powell
Byrne
Bateman
Farrell
Isa

Smithies
Mago
Havard
French

Partington Miski Shorrocks O’Neill missing out.

Personally long term assuming French can get back to 2020 form he’s the better full back option than Field, both equally good support play and kick returns but Bevan chimes into the line better and can put his centre/winger away with a variety of passes.

Ideally Field can play in the halves and they both roam around at second and third receiver.

Hopefully K P-P isn't out too long and I'd love to see him back in the pack, French and Field sniffing round off-loads from Mago and K P-P would be box office stuff

Probably how I would go

Won't happen, but I'd start Smithies over Isa and seriously consider Partington on the bench over Isa too. Both have been playing better and seems mega harsh on Partington, who's had a good couple of weeks. All about picking on form right?

When has Field specifically said he is a half back doing a job at fullback? I have only heard him saying he can play both, it just depends on the style of play.

French better option than Field at FB? Field is better in every department in my opinion. That isn't a criticism of French, it just shows the levels Field is showing this year. Pretty sure Field is/will be fine at putting centre/wingers away, why isn't he?

I would prefer it if they don't both just roam around. If Field is playing in the halves he ultimately will need to be first and second receiver. French needs to be ready to be the second/third out the back. It will confuse things too much if French and Field are swapping around and there isn't really a benefit tbh. They should stick to the roles they are given.

I'd leave Field at fullback personally. Made some great 1 on 1 tackles as well as the outstanding tries.

French to be eased in from the bench for me. It’s a tough choice between Thornley or Miski to cover Pearce-Paul but I’d probably edge Thornley with a view of getting him match fitness ahead of some big, physical games coming up

The last position I’m unsure on is Singleton coming back in or not. I can’t say we seem to have lost a great deal with Smithies and Byrne stepping up and Havard coming back in. I’d consider leaving a him a week with the message that we need the best of him or he doesn’t get picked. At his best he’s been very good for us and there’s nothing wrong with forcing that out of him.

100% agree. Add in his superior handling and he's stronger across the board Vs French.

KPP will be out for a while unfortunately for you

A couple of weeks away yet but I wouldn't have Isa anywhere near the GF team, for whatever reason he's completely lost it against Saints the last few times we've played them.
Going down to 12 men would make an exceedingly difficult job impossible

Around 12 weeks out for KPP apparently - at least he should still be able to get some upper body strength work in with a lower body injury. Big loss though.

Peet said at the fans forum that French and Field could alternate between 6 and 1 - not sure I've ever seen something like that work. For me it's better to give a player a position and some time to get accustomed but they're good enough players to make it work. My guess is he'll come off the bench to replace Powell with Cust going to hooker.

Peet is quoted as French will play but he won’t say where.

I’d move Hardaker to centre and play field on the wing. Field stays at FB and smith in the halves.

Thornley on the bench, possibly with a view of half a game each with French but can cover all the 3/4 if needed.

i wouldn't be moving cust out of the halves personally, especially with no tommy either this week. I think he is a big part of what we do, plenty of communication/direction comes out of him and it is his preferred position, the one he came over here to play.

I would personally be bringing french on the wing and the worst performer of the game between thornley / hardaker is subbed with the other playing centre. Thinking as i am typing this could be a good opportunity to ease thornley back in also after he's injury with swapping him out for french in the 2nd half.

Edit - Apologies Trainman beat me to this thought, i didn't read his post first. I think a rotation in some form of thornley / french is the best option, assuming none of hardaker/bibby/marshall are having an absolute stinker

Did we not used to do something similar the last time we overstaffed our FB position? I'm sure Escare used to come off the bench and we swapped a few positions around.

I think in 2018 Escare may have come off the bench to play full back with Sam moving to the halves.

That was my memory too, but wasn't 100% sure it was Sam that we made the switch for.

I do remember, whoever it was, that it seemed convoluted. My argument is that if you look across the history of top FBs they don't then switch half way through the game and play HB.

No I don't think it's the best way to develop a cohesive spine in your team. Peets comments today about potentially playing two fullbacks was interesting - almost like a football side changing formation.

Id go with this but I really dont want Smith in the team

I’m not sure what the answer is but to have both Field and French will the ball in their hands as much as possible will be something to look forward to.

I think they’ll use French on the wing for at least the first few games but with a freedom to roam a little and offer a threat by popping up in other areas of the field. I recall an interview with Peet were he said they’d been working with the wingers, encouraging them not to just stay on their wing waiting for opportunities to come to them and he indicated a willingness to use them in a way that wouldn’t be what you expect from a traditional winger.

I'm sure there's no way on God's green earth that French will be thrown straight back in at full-back, and they will use him as NK suggests, He can always pop up in midfield and take a scoot from dummy-half, Marshall (and plenty of other wingers) already does this.

Having second thoughts, I think I’d start with Thornley on the wing for his size and ability to bring the ball from out line and bring French on at half time when Hull sent as fresh.

I would only have one of French or Thornley in Thursdays team v Hull and the one who misses out could play in the reserves v Bradford on Friday.

I’d love to see French at FB & Field/Cust in the halves together at some point on Thursday. I think that’s really well balanced, and if you get the back rowers providing good options it’s in theory “just” a case of picking the right pass. If you ignore Faz’s lead and he gets it he’s through, if you rush him and it goes out to French you have a 3 on 2 or he’s through, and if you push past Field and someone is half lazy on the inside he sticks and goes. I’ve over simplified that massively, but I think even the best of defences make a compromise somewhere defending that and we have the strike to punish it if we’re on it.