Very impressed with this guy over the last few weeks, I feel he's developing his game really well. The kicking game has improved as has the passing and he's getting more and more involved. Slight blip with the talking back but it also shows his level of enthusiasm for the cause.

I have continually said that Wigan won't win anything with Leuluai at 7. My opinion may change if he continues this rate of development.

I've said for a few years he would be best at 9 but i'm slowly changing my mind. He seems to be developing a good understanding with Sam Tomkins which looks good for the future.

He played very well v Quins but reverted back to his normal game v Les Cats IMO.

Dave

Normal game of controlling the game and creating tries?

Damn influential creative players, why can't they just go back to playing awfully, making constant errors and just running it straight up the middle.

I didn't rate the quality of service from Riddell last night. Too often Tommy & Sam were reaching for passes which affects their attacking options

But his running from dummy half was good. It made me wonder whether Higham is "injured" or whether he has just been hitting the pies a bit much

I hope they werent the same 2 or 3 passes that people behind me were calling Riddell for, They were from Phelps.

You can't please some people!

No, Riddell threw some shockers as well.

Tommy's pass to Richards for his first try was absolute top draw and as good as any that Trent or Smith have given in their time at Wigan imo.

I’ve said it before but he’s one of the few players who have got better during their time at Wigan which lets face it is a rarity in recent years. If he continues to improve at the rate he has we’ve all got reasons to be cheerful

I thought he was outstanding last night an I love his big tackles he can certainly put them on the @rse

Best utilised at 9. Hopefully Piggy will want away at the end of this season and we can operate Tommy and Mac at 9.

I disagree for two reasons. Firstly Piggy's playing pretty solid right now and will get much better next year. Secondly, what's the point of planning for Leuluai at 9 when there is no sign of a quality halfback being brought in?

Tommy is playing really well at the moment, the criticism he was getting of not being a proper 7 has gone away now. He's starting to control games, kick better and create more tries.

His ball to Pat was sublime.

If we can't bring a half back in for next season, which is looking very unlikely I would be happy to run with Tommy there for another year

He's only 24 too don't forget, at the rate he is going I'd say we'll have a really good 7 in 2/3 years

Those three just seemed very slow to me. The passes were very lobbed and seemed to take an age to reach their man.

Several times last night, Riddell lobbed a ball to Tomkins, who had to reach for it, more often than not. He then lobbed a slow ball to Leuluai. By the time it reached Leuluai, the Catalans defence were in Leuluai's face.

Contrast this with Catalans - Bosc was stood much nearer the ruck, and his passes were like bullets.

Or maybe he's been at Wire all year... Either way, Tommy was a class act last night. Easily one of our most consistent players this year, and - considering everyone thinks he's a hooker, he's turning into a cracking 7. He's been on a constant upward curve since he shaved that daft mullet off

He's never controlled a game since he has been here. Closest was Qunis last week in which he played very well. He did not play as well v Les Cats.

He is far from being a bad player but he isn't a particularly good 7. Apparently our chairman sees his future as a 9, in case people forgot about that.

Dave

I think you have a good point there. TL may well end up at 7 next year again if we do not get a quality 7 in. So if we don't are you saying TL is not a quality 7?

Regardless of that if we do get a new half back in, given MM's form and Riddell is here for two more years what happens to TL?

Dave

So does everyone else.....shows what a stupid decision getting this in to play hooker was

Riddell and Roberts are the biggest waste of money and salary cap ever.

Mcillurum > Riddell
Ainscough > Roberts

and i bet both them lads aren't on as much money between them as one of those so called aussie superstars

Very harsh IMO. I thought the last 2 games he played really well as a 7 with his kicking, organising and creativity all going up a notch or 2.

I too see him as a 9 but if IL saw him as a 9 why did he bring in Riddell?

Whether people like it or not Tommy will be our 7 next year because there is no-one better available and we would have an extra hooker if we did bring in a 7.

So if we hadn't signed Roberts, given Ainscough a run in the first team and he'd flopped, would you be criticising the lack of signings? There was no way to tell before the year if he was ready, and whilst he has shown great attacking prowess, he does need a bit of work defensively, whereas Roberts may not be as explosive an attacker, but is a better overall defender.

No, they aren't. Embarrasing statement.



McIllorum is not better than Riddell, he just mixes it better and as such is more noticeable. Ainscough is nowhere near as good as Roberts.



What does that have to do with anything?