What appeared to be was the odd thing that he's not been considered for the first team.
Havard went from U19s to the 1st team for the Wakey game which was his debut.
So why wasn't Kibula considered? Is it because Lam and the coaching staff watch the U19s at Robin Pk are impressed with Havard and select him. However, Kibula should be further up the pecking order but he's on loan at Swinton. So who from the coaching team is watching Swinton? Anyone, no one? Do they just rely on the Swinton coach reporting back to them? Kibula has won MOM in his last three games for Swinton which suggests he's in the best form of his career given the level he's playing at.He isn't on the radar for 1st team. Seems odd to me.

Not sure Kibula or Wells could be recalled - aren't they on loan?

Isn't the player on loan at his loanee club for the first month without recall then after that it's on a weekly/monthly basis with an immediate recall if required?
That would make Kibula available I reckon. It's the who from the club is watching the loan players that seems curious to me. Anyone, no one?
If that's the case that loan players are not watched by the club then isn't that half defeating the object of the loan?

I think Wigan are probably trying their best not to mess Swinton around and just use them for our own benefit in the way that Leeds have ripped the mick out of Fev. I’d guess also they feel longer minutes on a regular basis at Swinton would be better for Kibula currently then 20 mins here would be.

Maybe,just maybe Lam doesn’t think Kibula is ready for the first team just yet?

You're right Lam might not rate him and that's fair enough. On what basis would be if Lam or any other Wigan coach hasn't seen him play for 6-8 weeks?
He may be miles behind the other lads or miles ahead, how would they know if no one's watching Kibula or any other of the lads out on loan?

Before this becomes common wisdom, Ted, are you actually suggesting no one is watching them or are you just hypothesising?

They train with Wigan’s first team through the week though don’t they,no doubt Goulding will pop along and have a look see too as well I’d presume

I'm 99% sure Lam has said this season that you can't really judge anything off performances in the Championship and it's more about keeping them match fit. Having said that, I know at least one League 1 team has software that allows them to clip together one player's contributions so that you could basically watch their entire performance in a short period, so wouldn't be surprised if they did that with the loanees.

I'm not offering anything, perceived wisdom or anything else.
I know they train at Wigan but all I was wondering was does anyone from the coaching staff watch loaned out players play?

I know you watch, or used to watch, a lot of the youth games so was just wondering if this was something that was being mentioned. Glad to hear it's not and I'm sure, as Grimmy says, that something will be in place.

Wigan come watch my u14s in Yorkshire...I highly doubt they will not go down the road to watch their own players.

yep. as a minimum i would expect 'tapes' of the games to be sent back and would expect a member of the coaching staff to be attending matches where we have a number of loanees on the field

Kibula will get plenty of game time next year, think the plan is for him to see rest of season out at Swinton then start in reserves next season, Kibula Bryne and Havard are all big lads and can play fair minutes so our pack will be ok next year

Gone.

I thought that he was progressing nicely as well.

Right call for me. You can’t keep them all and even if you could he hasn’t done enough to convince me he will make it at a club with Trophy ambitions.

I hope he proves me wrong and has a great career at Wire, but for me he just looks to lack the athleticism required.

Have to agree haven’t seen much of him this season I’ll admit but I fear all he’s done has swapped one big team for another and will spend most of his time out on loan somewhere.

Hope I’m wrong as well would love to see him mature into a cracking player

Sammy was in the same age group as my lad so ive seen him play loads of times and the general feeling was that despite his physical size he was a bit soft, i remember him playing against saints under 16s a few years ago and saints forwards murdered him , after a few hits he didnt want to know

If he had Olie Partingtons aggression he would be a world class forward. He's probably one of the most skilful forwards I've seen but lacks that "mongrel"

Haven't seen enough of him to comment, but the writing must have been on the wall for him with so many youngsters getting chances in the forwards this year and Kibula not getting a sniff. Only going to get harder from here.

Hope he goes well at Wire; the game doesn't have enough talent to be able to afford to waste potential where it exists.

Huge frame and bulk but just doesn’t have the heart that Partington, Smithies and Byrne possess. Sad really as with that he’d be a world class forward. Good luck to him at Warrington.

I'm not quite sure that the appropriate term is soft i would rather say that he lacked application more than anything i remember a few years ago the under 19s played against saints and he got sent off for fighting nobody that goes on a rugby pitch is soft as far as I'm concerned

Perhaps "soft" is a bit harsh ,lets say lacked aggression, more Earl Crabtree than James Graham

Especially when that someone is playing prop forward in what is a very aggressive and physical Championship.

He can't run.