Superleague's top 3 try scorers were all wingers last year and didn't include Makinson. Care to explain why? Incidentally, Tom Johnstone beats Makinson on every measurable marker. He's faster, stronger, makes more yards and...lo and behold... finished top try scorer. Go figure! The only thing he doesn't do better than Makinson is play for Saints. By the way, in case you're in any doubt, he's currently Superleague's best winger and that's not opinion.

I'm tempted to say that your post illustrates how little Saints fans know about rugby but, of course, you aren't a Saints fan, are you? What it ably illustrates, however, is that Union trolls should stop making fools of themselves on League boards.

i'd say there was a subtle difference as i never saw Offiah as one to do the hard / dirty work, and the defences were a lot more broken than they are nowadays. I'm not saying he didnt take the ball out (or Robinson), but it was perhaps 1st /2nd tackle. Last year especially, we had on a regular basis Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall taking 4 / 5 drives out of our own 20. The best example i can give of this was v Saints on GF. we'd been pushed back onto our own line on tackle 1, but with those 4 exited over the half way line, and Smith kicked Makinson onto his own line and smashed him in defence.
thats where Miski also added something different to when we had French on the wing too, as i dont think French likes to do that sort of work. I would say French is a better all round winger due to his pace and elusiveness, but Miski adds something different in that he likes the hard yards, and sets us up to put our plays on

Say's a RU trolling little man.

I cannot understand why people continue to engage with the wind-up bell end.

Just ignore him/her/it.

Tom Burgess signed for Hudds for '25, great signing for them

You can’t knock Ken Davy. It must like he’s fighting a losing battle at times but he keeps going.

I didnt see that coming!

Sam must have advised him about signing for Wire.

Not a rumour just a comment and one that confirms our policy under IFL is regarding players going to the NRL.


Laters edition on the Bye Round features Jon Bateman. He said during his first spell at Wigan IFL approached him and discussed his opportunities in the NRL and said that Wigan were a bit of a stepping stone to the NRL and if it didn’t work out for players they would be welcomed back.

It was pretty telling in terms of why we’ve struggled more than most to keep players away from the NRL. It wasn’t a surprise to me because I remember being at a fans forum years ago where Lenagan spoke about players going to the NRL for fees being part of the business model of the club.

Re. Bateman the business model worked a treat, two transfer fees for him must have made him one of the cheapest big money players we've had at the club

Definitely. The strategy they’ve used in the main has worked pretty well for us. We’d all like to have kept certain players at certain times but the bottom line of the success we’ve had had been positive.

Broken collarbone for Walters, 12 weeks if he needs an op.

Gutted, I was really looking forward to seeing him play, on the plus side having N'Semba/Walters coming back April/May will be a real boost.
Giving Isa another season has turned into a masterstroke.

A real shame - hopefully Isa and Farrell can get through OK otherwise we'll have to ask one of the front rowers to try and make it work. None really stand out as suited to that position but Dupree or Ellis would probably have the best chance.

No criticism of Walters whatsoever but it perhaps is a lesson to be a little smarter when it comes to pre-season games (or even a competitive game that is already won). The injury came when he went for a unnecessarily big hit towards the end of the game when we were 40-0 up.

Big loss is Walters, we are a little thin at second row and with him and Nsemba out we are at bare bones to start the season off, big chance for Chan and hopefully he takes it, I do however think we need Walters X factor in the Penrith game.

Unlucky to have both injured at the same time. One more injury and we’re in trouble.

Our massive set of props are great but lack the versitlity of last year (KPP could play prop, 13, centre backrow, Smithies prop, backrow, 13, Shorrocks 13, backrow, 6).

Hopefully Chan can do a job there but looked way out of his depth vs Wakefield (maybe I’m reading too much into that first hit out).

Seen people mention Ellis as a backrow option but he’s nowhere near mobile enough to defend in space.

Thompson used to play a bit of backrow in his younger days but that was pre injury.

Am I crazy to think Brad O’Neill could do a job there in an emergency? Would hold up defensively that’s for sure.

I’m sure Peet will work it out.

After Chan I think I'd look at Dupree next. He looks in excellent shape this season and I look at his footwork and the sort of lines he runs and he looks capable of it. I think back to his try on debut and look at that try at Hull last week and he runs a line where he hits it just drifting wide and he has a bit of pace about him. It would be nice to not have to discuss this but we're in that spot and he gives me more confidence that he could do a job than guys like Ellis, Mago, Thompson etc.

Chan looks like he's next in line and I think, given time, he could go well in that position. The problem is that these injuries mean that he won't get that time. He's effectively gone from being 5th choice to a probable bench spot. God help us if we get any more injuries in the back row! Dupree looks like he could do a job there, as you say, but he'd be in exactly the same situation as Chan.

Not an ideal start to the season with up to 5 players out already, depending on how Cooper and Miski come through the reserves game. Let's hope we're getting our injuries out of the way early!

I’m not massively worried just yet, especially in terms of the league because it’s a long season but the losses could hurt us in the WCC. We’ve spoken in previous WCC’s about us lacking size and you then go and get a big athletic prop and 2 huge second rowers ruled out and the pack then starts to head towards looking average sized again.

In truth though I’m treating that WCC game as a chance of a bonus trophy. I’d absolutely love to win it but it’s not the end of the world if we don’t and there will be loads to play for in the rest of 2024. Having a few hungry lads to come back after the WCC, regardless of the result in that, should give us a big boost.

At the same time you don't want to be playing too much catch up so these early injuries could hurt us. I was hoping for the facility to rotate the squad in the early part of the season given that the WCC will likely have an effect. We still have that option but the 2nd row in particular is looking a little thin. No more injuries and we'll be fine and the likes of Havard, Walters and Nsemba coming back into the pack in Spring could provide a timely boost. Further injuries and we'll be counting the days until they return.

Sod’s law to lose two lads in the position I think most felt was one we were a body short in. We just need to try and get past Penrith without further issues and then I think we can cope if Chan, Dupree etc need to go in there. I don’t see it hurting us to a degree that we’d lose enough games to be well off the pace because of the strength elsewhere.

I doubt it but I wonder if it may open up a chance for somebody like Beardsworth or Mason? They seem to be the second rowers in the reserves but are probably a couple of years off at the minute (if they make it all).

I've mentioned Beardsworth before and he certainly wouldn't let us down defensively. Whether he has enough in attack is the question. I remember Rogues saying that he wasn't quite there last time I mentioned it but that was a year or so ago.

I did think maybe Makin though? Very strong carrier of the ball and good in defence, at least when defending in the middle.

The problem is, in all these cases, it's a bit makeshift unless, like Chan, there's been some pre season preparation. Even in Chan's case I think he's been training at loose rather than in the 2nd row.

As you say, we were probably a body short at 2nd row although with 4 genuine 1st teamers vying for 2 places I can see how there was an element of keeping everyone happy and giving them enough game time in the club's thinking. What we needed was a 2nd row/centre option but, again, with ISA probably fulfilling that role and Eckersley to consider regarding game time, it's understandable that we didn't add anyone.

Ideally we need Chan to make a successful transition into a hybrid prop/2nd row/loose forward. I think he could given time as he's a strong ball carrier, a lively runner and has an offload in him. To be fair I think he will do well in that role given time and, given how stacked we are at prop, would be the best option for him personally going forward.

Chan at loose again today in the reserves which seems a bit of a missed opportunity to give him 80 mins at second row. I watched Beardsworth in the friendly at Whitehaven last year and he looked fine defensively as you say but a bit limited with the ball in terms of knowing when to run and when to move it. He killed a couple of attacks with it but it’s all part of the learning.

Nicholson would have been that player.