Isa is consistent for his own standards, which aren't great. I feel sorry for him in many aspects; he plays with heart and aggression, but is too slow to be a good centre and don'ts have the size or go forward to be a top back rower.
He's ok as cover...no more.

I'd agree with that assessment.

It's no real wonder that we struggled to beat Saints when there's a few young guns in the side as well as Isa. The size simply isn't there to punch holes.

Yeah pretty much. I'd have played Greenwood. I think he needs game time to rebuild his confidence in the collision. Once he finds his feet he's just what we need, big unit of a back rower.
Just need to stick with him.

It isn’t as black and white with Isa as saving he isn’t big enough and doesn’t make enough ground. He sets a tone, he’s aggressive, he’s durable and he’s as fit as a fiddle but he was absolutely dreadful on Friday and I can’t deny that. We need more go forward and Greenwood is the only forward I can think of who’ll guarantee that, so with that in mind I’d bench Isa but he’s the type of character who’ll react to that and still play a big part on Friday and beyond. He wasn’t too small to give Sene Lefao an absolute battering a few weeks back and it was relentless pummelling that played the biggest part in him losing his head.

I'd probably argue that setting the tone isn't enough, especially if there's already a couple of other undersized lads in the squad. Someone has to make the metres.

Great post.

It was 2-1 to Saints last season.

And throughout Wane’s tenure we played Saints 17 times. We won 8 and they won 9 of our encounters.

Whats Lams record?

1 season and finishing 2nd. 80 mins from a grand final. Not bad really!

4-0

But it only needs to go to 4-1 for a successful season. As unlikely as it may be....

More likely to happen than if we dont try to get there for fear of failure or lose.

I'm quite prepared for 90% 5-0 of that gives us a %10 chance of 4-1 !!!!

Absolutely right. That’s what this playoff system allows.
I don’t think Lam is the man for us. I think our play and attitude has taken a backward step this season...but if I’m wrong...we win the GF

Don’t think Lam’s done too bad at all considering what he has inherited. Pretty hard to do anything with a pack that couldn’t bust it’s way out of a paper bag.

We lost 2 key players last season from a championship winning team which also went undefeated in the playoffs. Hardly ‘inherited’ a mess did he.
Most SL coaches would give their right nut for that squad.

They were two massive losses though. Imagine going into the next two games with Bateman, Sam and also Sutton in the side. Personally I'd be 10x more confident that we'd win.

Next season is the acid test for Lam. He's got the players that he wanted and had the time to bed with the current squad. I'm personally expecting/hoping to see big changes for next year.

I have had my doubts this season (at one point I was on the Lam out bandwagon), and truth be told I still do. I don’t think anyone really expected a lot this season, even less after our opening few months so to get to a GF would be an achievement. To win it would be a successful season, no doubt about it.

As the poster above has said; next season is the real acid test. The players he wanted and we’ve pretty much bolstered all positions if you count the young ones coming through and the versatility of some of our signings. 2020 is a big, big season and will ultimately set Lam’s future at Wigan and in the game in general.

Big losses yes. But people going on about what he inherited; like it’s a bad squad. When in reality it’s absolutely littered with internationals. Not to mention this season we’ve also recruited Hardaker and French.

He’s got a very good squad.

I had high expectations for this season. Why wouldn’t I or anyone else? Even with losing two stars like Tomkins and Bateman we still had a quality squad with the added addition of Hardaker.

Sad thing is we don’t look good when we play. Honestly; one 80 min complete performance all season. Just one.

I look at how we play...with the words of Lam ringing in my ears of how. He’s going to improve our attack. Add some flair etc. Our attack is way off what it was in 2018.
He has all the person all their to really play some great rugby...no excuses for me.

I didn’t have high expectations, due to the loss of Tomkins and Bateman and the raft of inevitable changes post Wane but whether I/you had high expectations or not is irrelevant really.

In the context of how we’ve played, we’ve had some great spells and looked on fire at times with our attacking display. But it’s also looked poor, clueless and all over the place too. Sometimes all in the same game, so in that respect I do agree with you.

Defensively we’re nowhere near 2018 levels. We’re not moving off the line, failing to put the attacker on his back most of the time or even on the floor sometimes.

But we are also 2nd in the league 80mins away from OT and an unlikely GF win. If our attack and D has been as poor as we’re saying or making out, surely we wouldn’t be here?

It is really rather extraordinary. We’re keen to criticise but the criticism doesn’t stand up when you compare it to where we are and the teams that finished below us.

I've seen people on this forum earlier this season, say they've seen "scintillating" rugby from us this season. They're watching a different game to me, before the individual talent of French came along at any rate.

I've seen our attack stagnate at best, and our defence regress considerably this season. Both of which is evidenced in our points for and against.

Guess some people have just been happy to see the back of Wane.

I mentioned expectations as you said you didn’t expect much for this season. I still did regardless of our losses.

You make a good point regarding how we’ve not played consistently well yet found ourselves 80mins from a GF.
I think it’s a combination of having enough to win games despite not playing well and the general standard of the league being poor.

Look at the main contenders...Wigan, Saints, Wire and Leeds.
Saints seem to have learnt from last season and have kicked on, whereas Wire imploded and Leeds are no where near as good as they were several seasons ago when they had the links of Peacock, Sinfield etc.
Teams just aren’t as good...standards in SL have fallen overall, due to this we’ve been able to maintain winning without playing well

I agree. At times I don’t know what people are watching and what they are comparing our level too. I watch the NRL week in week out, it reminds me what good rugby looks like.

Do you think good rugby is entertaining? I sometimes worry that we've got to a point where the most effective way to win is the most conservative way. For example I've seen quite a bit of championship this year and found it more entertaining than SL and NRL, even though the skill level obviously isn't as good.

Not knocking Wane, Lam or anyone in particular but watching some of the playoff highlights from 2000-2001 on Wigan TV - the gap in quality between then and now is enormous. Forget comparisons with the NRL, how has the SL fallen so far below its own previous standards?