I think you’re speaking English but if you say Bateman hasn’t been World class since coming back to Wigan and you think Walmsley is the only world class player on either side, what am I meant to think you mean?!

Your exact words at one point were ‘Wigan do not have any World class players’.

You should’ve said Bateman was, but isn’t at the minute, but could be, but he was never at Walmsleys level straight off the bat and we’d all have known where we stood



Oh and I agree on Tomkins by the way (although his defence is now much improved).

We're going round in circles mate. You LITERALLY didn't compare them in the post I was responding to. You also didn't say "our only world class player, Walmsley" or even "A world class player like Walmsley". I've quoted it just a couple of posts up. Deny it all you want, it's there in black and white. I'll leave that particular discussion there as it's going nowhere.

As for the actual thread discussion, you said we would miss our top players less than you would miss yours. Isn't that exactly what we've been saying?

Wow - this is hard work. You are meant to think I mean exactly what I said - that only AW is world class amongst these two sides. In the same way I'm not including Roby on the basis he was world class a few years ago, I'm not including Bateman on the basis that he was world class a few years ago. It's very simple



Maybe he will get back there, maybe he won't, maybe Knowles will, maybe he won't, maybe Dodd will, maybe he won't, maybe KPP will, maybe he won't. None of that changes that only AW is now.

Watch him got trampled on by Singleton on GF now

One thing we can both agree on



You said that maybe I thought you was speaking Chinese because I implied you’d said only Walmsley was World Class and not Bateman and then you come back implying only Walmsley is world class and not Bateman.

Did somebody say simple?!

I cant believe the amount of s***e in this thread. im glad the saints fans dont come on this forum much anymore

I didn’t think we’d rival the Covid one but we’re giving it a reet old crack

On Bateman, there's a lot of "since coming back" type arguments as if it's been years. It's ONE SEASON! He's been fine this year including winning MOM from centre in the last game. Has he put in "world class" performances so far this year? No. But neither has anyone else, including Walmsley. World class performances come in world class games and there hasn't been any of those in Superleague thus far this year.

What's causing it is the "I never said that" type arguments. It's clear what someone is getting at most of the time but, for some reason, it's become less about the principal and all about the exact wording. The YG "you said never" argument being the best example.

It's a shame really because I think opposition fans posting can add plenty to the discussion. Arguing semantics for their own sake, however, is just tedious.

Crazy thing is everyone broadly agrees. On this one Walmsley is world class but could cement it with a top World Cup. Bateman either is or very recently was World Class and he absolutely has proven that at the highest level. There currently are no other world class players on either side but Saints in general do have better players at this moment in time. They’re a top side and we need to try and catch them. The league in general is a very poor standard at the moment but hopefully Saints being as far clear as they are will force other teams to raise their standards.

And finally

-They’ve only had one game in four and a bit years with 5 first teamers missing (couldn’t resist)



I don’t think I’ve missed much in terms of the current lay of the land but it’s all opinion.

The bloke ran for 140 metres against a revved up Catalans pack in the first game (including several props missing from the team that nilled Wigan) - that was pretty much double any other prop



Tough crowd!

12 man catalans?

Good point - he probably made all his metres in the 8 minutes left in the game after Napa got sent off

....was that the only time they had 12 men?

And that was a top class superleague performance. If he does the same in the world cup against the best in the world that'll be world class.

Just for the record Bateman has run 100 plus metres several times this season including 158 on one occasion yet you said he's been nowhere near world class. Tough crowd indeed. Or should I say make your mind up?

What does world class matter anyway. You could say that Williams and Widdop are world class, don't see it helping Wire win the Grand Final this year.

OK OK he doesn’t perform in a world class manner for a prop, he makes his ground in easy situations against 12 men and Bateman makes harder yards playing centre and/or against lesser teams than Catalans and has been just as good. Fair enough

I admit defeat - what we have all constantly seen with our own eyes for years is irrelevant and he’s only a world class prop if he tramples Australia in the World Cup.

I think any Wigan fan posting on Redvee would find the crowd a lot tougher.

Batemans stats don't include his part game at centre as it was in a the Challenge Cup and for whatever reason those stats don't get published.

No, no you couldn't.

There's at least 10+ superior HB's knocking around. How can you then be world classed as world class?

Well I'm glad you're finally admitting defeat. It's about time!



You're speaking as if I'm denying Walmsley as world class. I'm not and have said numerous times that I believe he is. What I am not understanding is how it's only someone in a Saints shirt who can be world class. If you're claiming "what we've all constantly seen for years with our own eyes" as the arbiter then that applies equally to Bateman, who has done what Walmsley has done and more.

Or he goes to the NRL and kills it. The true test.

Saints are poop and always will be

Going back to how this thread started...............how good would Walmsley be if he played the ball where he was tackled and not 5 yards further forward?

I actually this sometimes hinders us as well, as he slows the play the ball down by messing about and remonstrating with the ref. It's probably my only complaint with him that far too often he looks up and delays the play the ball instead of just getting on with it. Not saying he never moves off the mark, he certainly does. That's a rule that winds me up as no refs seem to bother much with it. But specifically with Walmsley, if you watch him you'll see it's a hindrance to us as much of a benefit at times, as he does faff about and actually slows the play the ball down.

My comment was very much tongue in cheek, but it can go both ways with him I suppose. I see plenty play the balls from him that allow Roby to scoot away because AW has moved away from the markers.

He's a great player BTW and hopefully smashes the Aussies all over the place in the world cup.