It was Finchs kick that Gardner had to palm dead which gave us the field position to score the winning try.

His only poor kick was in the first half which went touch in goal.

he was a little better today but i still dont rate him think we could do alot better

Copious post-match beers might be clouding my memory, but I saw a lot more than just one poor kick.

I'm not slagging him off at all, there has been a massive improvement elsewhere, especially in his defensive efforts and his passing game, and I expect that improvement to continue as he gains match fitness and gets used to the players around him.

Maguire knows the players better than anyone, he knows the job they can do for the team and the team looked better with Finch,Deacon and Leuluai on. Lima is playing ok I thought he played his best game yesterday, hammered and came back for more. The team will improve for that game and if the intensity of the St George game is back in the play offs I can see Old Trafford, but I would like a trip to Wembley

Please don't get me started about this guy! Not only is he a joker off the pitch but on it as well! Sorry he does not cut the mustard at all. I appreciate that some Aussies take time to settle in but this guy looks like he just cannot be ar$$d. I disagree with the view that if he was from Wigan we would be "up his booty", because on his performances to date we would definitely not be.

have to agree here, if it was a wigan lad some people on here would be ripping him apart, but as he is australian apparently he gets let of being crap.

Finch came back from injury too soon.
When he was picked for the Wire game it was unexpected and due to Deacs being ruled out through injury.
He only started contact training two days before the Wire game.
That was far too soon and it showed on the pitch well enough.
He is getting better every game and will continue to improve as the season goes on.
With him improving, Deacs back, Pat is also now in the team I think the performance levels will improve each week.
We also have Fielden to return and Hock will appear late June. Those two, given a couple of games, will make a massive difference to our pack. If the forwards can get back to their best of last year and the backs thrive off it then we could very well have an excellent season again.

i dont get this having to bed in stuff too,
if he is as good a player as people say he is then he shouldnt need time to bed in,
i just dont think its an excuse

Complete nonsense...player criticism has nothing to do with where a player comes from, and eveything to do with his performances.

5 games is simply not enough for a fair assessment, especially after coming back from a serious injury & operation.

John Ferguson and Brett Kenny didn't have to 'bed in' !

Depends on the player - some do, some don't. There are plenty of examples of imports who have taken a while to show their true class - Pat included; equally there are some, like Hoffman, who impress from day 1.

Can't believe people are on Finch's back after 5 games. Get a grip.

Gene Miles did sod all until mid-December in his one season at Wigan but he's talked about as a legend by many.

Craig Smith had an indifferent start in his first season but again, is always spoken highly about.

Pat's first season?

Gene Miles was poor in the first half of the season he was with us as he struggled to get over injuries... the rest (the masterclass in centre play that he delivered, the finest I have seen in club RL) is history. I'm not saying that I expect Finch to reach those levels but even an all time great of RL like Miles needed time to recuperate and get used to playing in this country. Why can't people just give Finch the benefit of the doubt for now?

by all accounts he is not settled in wigan and wants a move back to the nrl possibly ss bunnys according to reports in australia

To criticise a player after 5 games coming from Australia is very harsh. If that was the case we would have sent Richards packing with Vaeliki long ago.

if hes as good as everyone says then he shouldnt need time to get to grips with the game,
he should still be able to play rugby, one pitch is like any other,

and what ppl who use the pat richards argument seem to forget it that he was being played out of position in his first year

But at the time it did not matter he was been played out of position the club needs a scapegoat for those people who were complaining. Only reason you point that argument out is to cover yourself as how stupid do those people look now but you will find hardly anyoine will come out and say they wanted him gone back then now. Craig Smith, Trent Barrett did not play well at the start either.

At the moment the team is not playing well either the best team lost on friday. It easier to get away with it if its all going well but you do find the odd person who will moan at the slightest mistake by a player but will let a fans favourite get away with it. Sam Tomkins came up with some big mistakes on Friday. Missed the 20-20, Knock on on our try line, verfy often took the wrong options in attack. If that had been Finch he would be gettting murdered on here.

Problem with the supporters is if your face fits you will get away with anything if it does not the you will get blamed for most things.

You are right in what you say one pitch is the same as another. But all teams are different and it takes timme for a player to adjust he missed a lot of ore season as well. Even Deacon took time to settle in and he got more of it than Finch has.

hes been crap, cant understand why your defending him
hes been very very poor,
if your saying that the problem with supporters is if ur face dont fit they dont want u,
its like you if people dont agree with ur opinion then you dont want to know.

You talking about me or yourself about your last part. You defenitly have no understanding about people moving 10,000 miles some need time to get used to it.

I gave you a constructive reply you give that reply. I have not defended him nor have i attacked him, but you have attacked him. Yet i popint out Tomkins errors and you dont want to know. You have already made your mind up pretty much as you did if you wre old enough when Pat Richards signed and others who take a few months to settle in.

Maybe because he hasn't been very very poor at all. He's been decent, no Trent Barrett-esque but he was never going to be, especially after such a long time out with injury. Give him some time and he'll continue to get better and better.

Why do people feel the need to persecute individuals?

Personally i thought Finchy had a very reasonable game. His range of passing is very impressive and considering he has had maybe 3 different half back partners during his very short time with us, i think he should be applauded. His work-rate and commitment are beyond reproach. Fair enough his timing and awareness is out, but JHC, he has only played FIVE games.

It is however pointless trying to argue with some of our "fans" because for some of them criticising players is more about them trying to prove they are somehow more "knowledgeable" than the rest. When in my opinon the exact opposite is true.

Some of the cr@p that is posted on here is cringe worthy at least, but some of it borders on a personal grudge on an individual basis.

With the amount of poo flying around in the press about our clubs "tactics" and the sheer volume of trolls popping up on here and other boards, you would think that we Wigan fans would be closing ranks and standing by our lads?

Listen guys, PAAAAAT was nailed to the mast in his firswt year and people called for us to get rid of him.

The rest is history. Be patient

What a ridiculous thread. The lynch mob are out in force as usual. They're probably the same people that were criticising Lockers as a player and captain a few years' back. At times I'm embarrassed to be a Wigan fan. Come on people, get behind the team. If Finch is not delivering the goods in a month or two then fine, criticise him, but give him the benefit of the doubt for now and do not join the Wigan haters in attacking our players. We're back now as the top club in RL and the attacks on Wigan will increase as this season wears on, we don't need a fifth column sabotaging things from within.

Really? Pat's first season was 1 game at fullback, 9 games at centre and 14 games on the wing.
While he was predominantly a winger at Wests, had previously played centre on numerous occasions.

Personally, I find a massive difference in playing in the same team week in, week out and playing with a different group of people.