Some of us have been saying that all season

Right so 4th place is confirmed so we’ll play the winner or KR and Leeds at home in the playoffs.



I’d rotate the forwards for next week, give Bullock and Clark a go. Probably rest Gildart as he’s still struggling. Hopefully play Field and see if he could offer us anything in the playoff game.

Id ponder resting Hastings and we’re no chance without him.



Think we’ll have to manufacture points in the playoffs so I’d be working on set plays for the next 2 weeks (early tackle kicks etc).



I’m saying all this like we won’t get pumped in France if we sneak through one week.

Latics at home on the Saturday afternoon. Fingers crossed we get the Thursday night game if sky show them Thursday/Friday, as:



a. We need as much rest as possible before facing Catalan or Saints the following week.

b. The DW owners dont seem to be giving out welcoming noises about dual-usage, and a play-off game may be their opportunity to pander to the knuckledgraggers.

The clubs confirmed the play off game as being on Friday 24th.

As for yesterday’s game, I just saw the stats for Havard and Byrne from the bench and that’s the standard set for them now and what they should be working towards. They’re wrestling for consistency but both did exactly what we need yesterday. I thought Havard was exceptional in particular.



Havard



17 carries



177 metres



Byrne



12 carries



105 metres

Wow that's a pleasant surprise.

Byrne gets a lot of undue stick, I would rest both next week pointless flogging them when we have Bullock and Clark to use.

Smith is and always has been, a good talented player who unlike many good young scrum halves of the past has not been fortunate at Wigan to be playing with a better, more experienced and dominate pack like that of the present St Helens team which Theo Farge and now Lewis Dodd have or been doing.







A Scrum Half is only as good as the pack playing in front of him which is not the case with the present pack at Wigan and might explain the lack of attacking rugby at present.!









Ask Andy Gregory about his days at Widnes, Warrington and Wigan or Paul Deacon about his time at Bradford Bulls.

I agree to a certain extent and whilst the jury is still very much out on Smith he needs a bit of time next season to be given his chance.



The main issue though at the moment is the nature of some of his mistakes. Consistently kicking out on the full and poor passing accuracy cannot be laid at the hands of his pack of forwards.



I’d also say apart from the Leigh game, on the odd occasion our pack has managed to get a foothold in the game, he has still not been able to improve.



I’m not confident he is a long term half for us but as with everyone else it will be a clean slate under a new coach next year.

One of those rare occasions where you’re spot on

but with that logic you would lose both games to certain teams all year and we know that doesnt happen

Forwards don't impact Smith's passes hitting the deck or kicks out on the full though? So this post is only slightly true.



In addition, good halfbacks find a way to get involved and make things happen. Whether its through an excellent kicking game (which could negate the lack of yards in the forwards) OR linking in with forwards in our own half to stop them running at A,B,C defenders and get them a bit more out wide to run more at space/gaps. Smith also isn't doing this but it isn't confirmed whether its by choice or instruction.



Do we think Halves like Thurston or Johns would look this bad under Lam and behind the forward pack? Not at all, they would take matters into their own hands to make things happen. I am not for one minute comparing, those two to Smith, but some portion of his form/quality is down to him, it cannot all be attributed to external factors.