Foran? Wow. He has... 'issues'. I think he's finished. Was never a fan anyway.

No O'loughlin is still our best player. If he keeps up his early season form then there is no problem with him doing another year if he wants to. If you had asked that question at the end of last season id of agreed but he looks fitter than he has done for years. We should be looking at a replacement though for the future as its only a matter of time when he retires

I’d say it was the type of chance Marshall would have taken instead we where treated to Dixon doing “ a Marshall” by running the length of the pitch

I’d be getting rid of Sarge Escare Isa Tautai Powell. With Tommy and Lockers probably retiring it frees up big cap space. Hankinson should be given 5-10 games before deciding if we need a right centre. New 7,8,9,11 is definitely needed

See I knew you'd say that. It was a loaded question....that reply goes totally against the grain of your whole initial brave post....

Lockers desperate value to the team and only being able to forfil 2 handfuls of games a season, is why Wigan ought to have been looking for a replacement that can play 6 handfuls as season.

Wigan seriously are looking at this inside down....you cannot save lockers in games like London...it was imperative he played today... he must play vs Giants as this IS the biggest game you'll have all season if fortunes don't change, and you cant use hindsight, I can't see where that next win is going to happen.

Lockers needs to be rested again Saints Wire and Cas, games you'll not win and played vs London Hudds KR.

We’d need a major change to stand any chance of any of those happening (bar the first one).

You do realise he did play today??? I am sure you do, but you are wording it like we should get rid because he didn't play...

You missed Williams. Big money and, for some of last season and most of this, no return.....

Or, to arrive.
A defence coach!
That is the area we are in trouble with. It needs sorting and quickly.
With Wane as coach we'd have beaten Hull and London.
Without him and his defence attitude we are all over the place.
Not who should go but who should arrive.

If we can get big money for George he can go asap for me . His head is not with this team at present.

Regards EW

No I didn't know he played. Thanks for that. The last info upon selection was on Friday evening when media reported he would be rested not risked on the astro.

Well that is a whole bigger beast. It looks really grim atm then.

O'Loughlin is fine, hes not been the problem first 5 games.

George needs to be cut some slack. There is far too much pressure on him to do too much. Put a good 7 next to him and then if he does not improve, i would move him to 9 and bring in a new 6 as well as new 7 and scrap the new 9.

He is paid to produce, he isnt doing. Simples

As our marquee player, he’s running out of places to hide now. He needs this, he needs that but his one good game every 6 games isn’t worth the hassle of building a team around him.

No half back in the world can produce unless he has some running threats around him.

How much he is paid is irrelevant if everything goes through him and those around him are not up to the task.

Put Williams in the Saints team and he would be a different player

Not so much running threats around him...as a dominant pack in front of him.

150 game veteran now he’s run out of goodwill from more than a few fans that’s for sure

Ultimately both Williams and Hardaker needed the club to get the scrum half signing right and we pulled out a player only lower end championship and league one clubs were looking at.

Yes they both should be doing more but with no replacement for Bateman being signed, a couple of other forwards struggling and a cheap panic signing at scrum half it’s not hugely surprising. I do think the end of the road is close for Williams. He was apparently livid not to be allowed to move to the NRL last year and his career is stagnating. He’s a fine player but he looks like he needs a change of scene and the huge challenge the NRL would bring.

He only resigned in 2017/18 didn't he? I think IL would not be happy to grant an early release so soon. IL is business shrewd even if tight....he'd more likely wait until there is a season left on contract and get a fee, would he not?

This.

He’s on an awful lot of money. He either produces at 6 or can swan off to Aus (along with Burgess, for me, who also wants to go) and no doubt be back in 2 years playing for Leeds or someone else’s. If Sam didn’t rip up trees, then GW won’t have a chance.

As for moving him to 9, he isn’t a marquee 9 so sod that. We can’t pay him stupid money to play at 9 when we could likely have someone for half the money who does a similar job.

I’m bored rigid of the defence of GW. Like the above says, he probably averages a decent game in 6 (usually when we’re on Sky - go figure?!!) and that’s not good enough for Wigan.
Get his bags packed and make some money off him.

I do actually think the coach is currently the main issue.

I feel he's misjudged how structured we were in attack and gone to another extreme, which has caused chaos with the attack. The proof is in the play; no one knows what they're doing in attack, you can see this clearly with the lines the players are running and how the half backs are operating. I honestly feel only subtle changes needed to be made to allow the halves more creative freedom in the right positions of the pitch.
However, I think Wane knew his players, and exactly what was needed, last season our main creative spark was Sam Tomkins, Wane knew he didn't had a 6 and or 7 who had the organisational skills and creative brain to run the show. So Wane had the team very well organised, some say structured, but look how we played, we had a left pivot and a right pivot, with Tomkins linking up as a second pivot out wide to create.

This worked.

We don't have the halves to play a creative game led by the halves. Samutt, albeit a livewire isn't the man for the job. Williams at times can be, but at times is a headless chicken.

for me we now have 2 options.

1) revert to a more structured game
2) invest in quality in the right parts of the pitch.

What do I believe we need?

Leaders in the right positions.

Investment into a top half. James Maloney is talking up a move to SL, put him on marquee, he's perfect to control the team, get the most out of Williams and Hardaker.
As much as I've defended Powell; I'd honestly like to free up space offloading Sammut, Powell and Tommy. I know about contracts etc, but I feel it's about time we had a scooting dynamic 9, or even try George as a 9.
We also need a pack leader, I know we have Lockers, but have you ever seen him lay the law down? We need that fight.

a controlling half will lead, giving the centres and back row direction. a pack leader with see we're in the fight.

Time IL and KR realised said players aren't currently in our team.

The problem with the argument that Williams should be allowed to go and fulfill his dreams in Aus doesn't help our situation one bit. How do we stem this floodtide of players wanting to leave if we don't demand prohibitive transfer fees?

George's career is stagnating because he's not focussing and not trying, not because he's at Wigan.

The lad is two years into a four-year contract, which he willingly signed. He should therefore act like a real pro and see it through ... and if he sulks, he should be dropped. I hear the argument that there's no one else, but we might as well have had no one at 6 yesterday.

This is a mess, but I don't see how massaging the super-egos of underachieving prima-donnas will turn things around.

I highly doubt he is sulking. Where does this allegation come from, off here? The fact his defence is still rock solid and he is willing to make try saving tackles on bigger men tells me that he is not approaching games half hearted. If that were the case his defence would also be lacking and it isnt.

The problem is not Williams as ive said time and time again. Its those around him that are not running the right lines. If you watch any top coach explain an attacking move, they always point out the importance of the runners taking a step to the left or right, a lead runner or a player changing direction at the last minute. Its all about player movement. We very rarely have anything but a straight attacking line with the fullback out the back. Its all too telepathic and easy for the defence to read. People then blame Williams because he cant 'magic' a pass to a player in space.

I stopped taking you seriously when you had Burgess, Manfredi, Greenwood, Farrell, Hamlin and Gildart on the OUT list. Talk about OTT hysteria