Faz has started pretty slowly but he’s a fine player IMO. Even last night he made in excess of 110 metres and 46 tackles. Everyone is allowed the odd sloppy pass.

Isa works his backside off but has his limits. I’d never really criticise Isa because you need lads like him but I’m not convinced he’s good enough to be a regular 80 minute man for a club like Wigan. I’d find a place in a 17 for him most weeks but for me it would be off the bench and playing more central. Like Partington he’s not the biggest but he’s battle hardened and experienced.

One point I would make on Faz as well is that he’s still building an understanding with Hastings. There are too many inside balls for me, whereas Faz loves that short ball on the shoulder of his half and Hastings needs to get in to the line a bit more to offer that ball up.

I'd suggest he's getting paid more here than he would be elsewhere.

Could do with Escaré off the books so we could bring in either a big second rower or a big prop (not a fat 10 minute prop, a metre eating work horse).

Yeah it annoyed me that they persisted with that without success.

More generally, I can only agree with the sentiments posted more eloquently upthread regarding the club's direction.

Have you the patience to wait 3/4 years?

We won’t have to as long as we don’t keep playing them all together. If they have experienced support around them and don’t have to look round and see Ten minute Tony and 3 or 4 other junior props, than each and everyone of them can add plenty to our side. We’ve got Smithies, Byrne, Partington and Havard, who are all ready to play but just not together, at possibly the toughest away ground in the country.

There’s a number of young forwards after those who aren’t far off ready as well.

As long as we don't have to wait until 2084 for our next league title

A simple question really needs asking, who is our go forwards forward? We have not had a player who will bend the line since Gabe got his marching powder, sorry orders. We bought Burgess but he is never going to carry the whole team and he is injured. Partington and Smithies are not front line prop/middles. I understand the idea of finding your front if you get a quick PTB but theory is one thing. You can imagine the masterplan where a player finds their front and a quick PTB allows forwards to sweep around the side punching a hole in the retreating defence. What actually happens is that there is a wrestle on the floor and a single undersized and/ or slow fat forward waddles upfield, on their own, straight into the biggest players on the field moving forwards to meet them. This is the point where plan B should be engaged, perhaps changing the point of attack or using a subtle passing move to slice open the defence. What actually happens is that we carry on as though nothing was wrong.

He was partnered with Smith this week but the point stands. Hastings needs to remember he hasn’t go a bull dozer like Josh Jones as his back rower

Many a truth spoken in jest.

Agree totally with this I agree with giving the young lads a chance but all are lightweight and need some experienced forwards around them not throw them in together. We were short of big forwards against Cas who had a weakened side but our team selection completely evened it up.