No some of them didn't, there wasn't much urgency for some of the players to get back in to position either. They needed another game pre-season!!!

It's a disappointing start, that's for sure. Aside from our poor kicking game, our handling was awful in the first half and we barely created any field position. Personally I was more worried by the way in which an under-strength Giants side closed us down around the edges and bullied us down the middle with ball in hand.

We shouldn't jump to conclusions after one game but some players' weaknesses have been clear for a couple of seasons now - we know McIIorum isn't a creative hooker (although him and Hansen worked overtime in defence today), Tommy's passing game isn't good enough for a half-back and Hock simply doesn't seem to learn, his wild offloads/loose carrying accounted for at least three uncompleted sets early on.

Of course we were not helped by the referee who allowed the Giants to slow down the ruck and did his usual trick of blowing the whistle selectively when we had good field position. But the truth is, the Giants played with more fire in attack and defence - and we should not have been in a position where we were starved of decent field position for long periods.

I also wondered why we had three very similar types of player on the bench in Tuson, Flower and Farrell - although the last one was one of our best today. Tuson and Flower are both grafters, but surely we have a young half-back who could add some spark from the bench? (I don't watch the under 20s so have no idea whether Mellor et al are ready for SL)

Margin meter says mid-table mediocracy

Bloody hell are them grapes sour or what.

did lauaki play and if so how did he go

Did all your new signings play?

If so, how did they play?

He was ok going forward but needs to work on his defence, he took one dummy in the first half like a schoolboy.

Have not read all the thread as I am getting an incredibly slow response at the moment.

Hudds came with a simple game plan that worked. A long kicking game and slowing down the PTB and it worked. Wigan could not deal with it and our own kicking game was appalling.

It was smart tactics from their coach to adopt a game plan like that with the players missing that they had and when it became apparent Silverwood had forgotten the offside rule and lying on rule O'Loughlin should have been bending his ear from early on. He never does that though unlike a Briers or a Brough.

Wanes half time talk had no effect and listening to him after the match I have got to say I agree with the caller on GMR who questions Wane's assertion we had a good pre-season in that playing most of those games with a lot of reserve players was a big factor in why it looked like it the team didn't know each other.

Huddersfield deserved to win the game because they came with the right game plan and executed it whereas Wigan had no idea how to deal with it. Wane has a lot of work to do to avoid a right drubbing next week.

thanks very much just wondered how he played thank you . as for st pete well say no more

Really a team slowing down the PTB. I think you are going to get loads of sympathy on that one!

Wigan slowed down the ruck just as much as the Giants. It's always a funny one that, when Hudds slow down the game it's "typical Hudds tactics" & when Pies/Saints/Leeds do it it's "great defense".

Saying Silverwood favoured us is ridiculous too. Watch the tape.

You were beaten by a better team on the day, just accept it.

I don't know why you're acting like it's the end of the world anyway, it's only round 1 & I'd be surprised if you weren't seriously in the running for both trophies this season.

P.S. Wasn't Patrick's 2nd try brilliant?!

Yes

I thought the players looked over weight and slow. Very unfit

Hudds always do well against us and Brough was mom. But as last season especially showed, it's not how you start. It's how you finish. Reckon they were saving it up for next week.

No plan and no idea. It was utterly embarrassing. We made them look superb. The defending for two of Hudds tries was an absolute joke which wouldnt even have a place in schoolboy rugby.

Our players looked knackered after 30 mins.

What irked me more than our terrible kicking game and total lack of idea's in attack combined, was the fact that Huddersfield just wanted it more. They ran harder with the ball and in turn defended like their lives depended on it. We were the complete opposite to that looking lethargic and unwilling to bend our backs at times.

I'm willing to right this one of as a blip, with my mind cast back to last season when the roles were reversed and a weakened Wigan side pulled of a fantastic victory over the Giants. But I'm looking for a big turnaround next week in all departments.

ATEOTD NO-one expected the Giants to win but they wanted it more today, end of.
Early doors after 1 game so no need to panic (Wigan) or get carried away (Giants) its a long long season.
Great to see the youngsters get a run out and perform very well against a team that will be there or there about come end of the season.

Huddersfield deserved the win. Brough tore us apart with his kicking game and they out enthused us. They defended very well and had Sam under control. A few players looked absolutely knackered even after 20 minutes and I was disappointed with a few of the senior players. On the few occasions that we did make a good break there was just no one around to support. Particularly in the second half I think it was Carmont who made a break in our own half and just no one, not even Pat was anywhere near him. Faz had a fantastic game and made some great breaks but again had no one supporting.

Our kicking game was atrocious and is something that needs sorting. So much pressure was put on us defensively just through not being able to put a kick downfield that could beat a man and turn anyone around. The likes of Saints and Wire will make us suffer big time if we kick like that against them.

Huddersfield did spoil and slow down the game a lot, and silverwood let a lot go imo. But we were more than happy using those sort of tactics under Mcguire... we still should have done better and some of the defending leading up to hudds trys at times was not pretty to watch at all.

It's only the first game but we have a lot of stuff to sort out in the next few weeks.

Giants did what Wigan have done for seasons now so very well defended I say. No-one can say the best team didn't win.

Only Flower and Lauaki played.

They were both ok, nothing special. Wasnt impressed but wasnt disappointed either.

i agree in that hock lacked discipline, but i would also say lauaki was aggressive while as others have mentioned, was poor in defence. sam while solid was disappointing but as others have said, it was probably due to the lack of advantageous position. all in all they havent given other teams anything to worry about just yet.

The deafening roar of the DW morgue crowd put them off.

It's been a strange build up generally for this season, most teams had fewer than normal friendlies and Wire did something different. On this basis I expect some shock results in the first few weeks, unfortunately we caught one this time.

Haven't read the whole thread - apologies.

However it was all 1 man rugby until it was too late, we all looked knackered after 20 mins, Pat so slow? Tomkins left a lot to be desired with the 1 on 1s at the back. We let them ly on, kicking game was shocking - we kept on kicking far too early in the set, its fine every now and then but too often it just throws your possession away!!

Pre season has been a joke, the 1st team have hardly played together and that was weeks ago?

Rant over.

We need another scrum half, Tommy is not effective at 7. Him and Micky mac playing 40 mins at hooker would be much better. I'm worried about our backs lack of pace, when sam brings it to the 3/4s the move loses its momentum when Carmont and Richards can't keep up with him. Try Sam at 7 and Richards at 1?