Greenwood can go too, too soft

Some really good performances there and one of the best pre-season games I've seen in a while. He only played the first half but I thought Ethan Havard was outstanding. Some good metres, strong tackles and good hands. Mitch Clark was impressive and put in huge minutes - if he can do that at Super League level he'll be useful to have alongside Burgess and Bullock. Speaking of Bullock, he looked to be back to his form from the start of last year. Joe Shorrocks went full Sean O'Loughlin and had an outstanding game and probably would be my pick for man of the match. Harry Smith had a good game too despite Leigh's pack being on top for most. His kicking game was strong and had certain players had a bit more composure he could have had a couple of try assists.

Most players performed well though considering it was a very young side out there.

The negatives - Budgie didn't look great again. His only real notable moment was a comedy moment with his extremely early tackle on Higson. Greenwood was poor and just out enthused by every single player on the pitch. Really didn't inspire confidence. Harry Rushton looked better in his short spell than Greenwood did all game. Also, while Amir Bourouh is a cracking prospect I'd be a bit cautious about him as a back up for Powell this year as his defence was a bit suspect at times.

Some of those young lads should be playing championship rugby week in week out next year followed by their introduction into the first team.

From what I have seen of Greenwood so far in 90% of his games for Wigan he doesn’t warrant a place in the side and shouldn’t be at the club beyond his current contract.

At Saints he came alive near the opposition try line, but always hid when looking to carry off his own line.

He simply isn’t tough enough.

Physically great specimen but just lacks that mental toughness.

I really hope he proves me wrong but his lack of enthusiasm for the fight and his tendency to go down after every big tackle on him really doesn’t inspire me with confidence that he will.

I thought Clark was poor, couldnt burst out of a wet paper bag

Clark was fine, no more and no less. It’s early days and he’ll have to work his way up the pecking order. It’s good that he got big minutes and it can only help him.

Anyone a bit concerned that we are going into Round 1 a bit undercooked again?

Most of the 17 next week will have played around forty minutes. Flower and G. Burgess nil minutes.

Every season we do seem to start off slow and struggle a bit, would be nice to jostle places with Saints at the top of the table till at least Good Friday. Last thing we want is them steaming ahead again.

On Leigh. I think they have some superb backs for the championship. If they gel quickly enough there is no doubt its the best back line in the league. Bit suspect in the prop department but the championship nonetheless should be a great league this season without a stand out side in there. As much as i would want Leigh back for the derbies i want to see York continue their progress and get in. Big city, lots of potential. new ground too i believe. Interesting times for them. It would be probably the best away day too.

Cheers Pie_Eyter, With regards to your Leigh comments, and I'm also pleased to see York experiencing the good times again, and they should be a force again next season in the championship. Also pleased that Dom Manfredi came through unscathed, I know his dad Tony, and as a kid he used to get the bus there and back just to train with Wigan Academy. Even though I'd rather see him in a Leigh shirt, hope he makes it back into your 1st team....and goes a few years without any bad injuries.

Good game, particularly for pre season. The young kids stood up well and I would echo other's opinions that the standouts were Bullock, Smith and Joe Shorrocks. There were several others not far behind too. Most had a solid game but I'd also agree that Budgie and Greenwood are still off the pace. Early days yet and hopefully they'll both find form but for now it's Manfredi and Marshall on the wings and Farrell and Isa in the 2nd row for mine.

Leigh looked good too and have a strong side at championship level. Several of their players are still SL standard and, if they're lucky with injuries, should be challenging at the top end of the table.

Ben Kilner is looking better than Mitch Clark IMO

Interestingly Joe Shorrocks looks a more natural SOL type 13 than does Smithies. Pierce-Paul looked gangly but continued to make yards after the contact and Rushton looked very strong running wide against a god defence.

I hoped for more friendlies this year because the squad has so much depth that we could’ve afforded to take a risk and play another first team game. The saving grace is that Warrington I guess are in a similar boat as I don’t think they’ve had much more.

Hopefully it all clicks.

Defo. Even thought Clarke put himself about a bit he still looks small, whereas the likes of Rushton, Havard and Kilmer for me are exactly the props we need.

LSV Management Ltd is a private company owned by Wigan Council with a board of Directors which include the present Leader and former Leader of the Council and has no input into the running of Leigh Centurions.

The Council have no involvement in the running of Wigan Warriors or indeed the running of the DW Stadium, apart from having had a 14% share (4.9 million) in the building of the Stadium which cost £35 million.

The complex at Leigh is exactly how it was envisaged for Wigan when it was first suggested that a joint stadium be built for Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic, but the Council in its wisdom at the time chose to support Dave Whelan instead of the then Wigan RL board of directors with the result that the DW Stadium is now own by a Chinese Company. This being as a result of him moving the management of the DW Stadium from his independant Whelco Holdings Management Company to his Wigan Athletic Company which then allowed him to sell the stadium as part of the sale of his Wigan Athletic Club.

It may interest people to know that only around 20% of the building cost of the DW Stadium came from the personal fortune of Dave Whelan with most coming from various grants and the share of the Council.

Did Wigan Council realised what a bad mistake they had made in Wigan, when if came to idea of building of the LSV complex and a new stadium for Leigh Centurions?

p.s. Some of the same Councillors who made the bad decision about the Stadium in Wigan are still getting free tickets and dining for Warriors and Latic's games at the DW Stadium. As the saying goes " There's now't like cheek"

Every year, the club arrange three friendlies, but in not one of those games do you see the club turn a full strength team with most of the first team squad playing for most of the game.

Sorry, but that is in my opinion not the ideal preparation for the season.

Last Sunday, we lost 10-22 to Leeds because unlike us, they took the match more seriously by fielding a smaller squad with less substitutes.

If we are to have three pre-season games than surely, one should be a full first team selection, the second a team of non selected first team match players made up with academy players and the third a full academy team selection with all three game involving no more than twenty players in the squad.

Positives

Manfredi came through okay
Bullock was very good particularly second half
Joe Sharrocks looked very very good. Ball playing Loose.
Harry Smith and Hanley look exciting.
Harvard and Kilner (plus Bryne) means I’ll let Flower go at the end of the year. Big prospects (literally)

Negatives

Mitch Clark I thought struggled to make ground, did put a shift in though.

Greenwood and Burgess very quiet in a game where they should shine

Jake Sharrocks - just doesn’t impress me at all. Would rather Josh Woods still be in the squad.

Agree, Havard is a classy young player, I also think that Rushton, McDonald and Joe Shorrocks showed up well. Wigan need to give Harry Smith some game time this coming season. Pearce -Paul will take time to "fill out" but he seems to have good ability.
It was a really enjoyable game last night, good luck to Leigh in the coming season I'd like to see them back in the top flight.

Loath though I am to sound a negative note when nothing negative has happened, I too have often wondered about the wisdom of fielding reserve sides in warm-up games.

I see the value of getting long-term casualties back into action. So it would be an excellent run-out for the likes of Manfredi and Bullock, but to play lots of kids who most likely won't be featuring in many SL matches seems odd.

Is it not the first team regulars who are supposed to be getting warmed up?

Also felt Jack Wells looked great.

I agree and I don’t.

I think we need games where we can rotate, throw in some of the “outsiders” if you will and see what youths have the ability to become not just first teamers but first team regulars and starters. The game v Leigh (although I didn’t go) has shown that the likes of Havard, Smith, Bullock and other “outsiders” or youth players deserve their shot at the first team. It’s also shown that the likes of Navarette and Shorrocks have no future at Wigan.

It’s tough to have a game and just throw first teamers in as Lam is still deciding who some of them will be in 2020, the same will be true for the first few games I’d imagine. That Leigh game has thrown up a whole new bunch of headaches for Lam, and I would hope that if anyone doesn’t start well, they’ll be out and someone who showed promise in.

Agree with all of your points.
I just hope that Lam picks on form rather than reputation particularly re Greenwood and Clubb.
I like Hanley and I hope to see him make his debut this coming season.

He looked in great shape physically although I can’t say I noticed too much from him playing wise. It could be a slow process with Wells but he’s somebody who I’ve been excited to watch develop at first team level for ages. The injuries have held him back but he was exceptionally talented at academy level and I still have high hopes he could become pretty special.

Have a rewatch if you get time mate. I may have been guilty of “looking out for him” but thought he put a real shift in and got involved a lot.

Was made up he got a new deal last year, I feel we should be patient with him, was superb in 2017.

Must admit I was watching on my phone half the time and getting distracted by my little girl, so I’ve probably missed decent contributions of many players. Either way we fully agree on the potential this guy has. I had him down as a future international when he was first breaking through and he can still be that IMO. He needs some luck and belief and he can get there one day. He firstly needs to get his first team Wigan career going.

It really is staggering how many good young forwards we have who’ve broke through or they’re trying to break through. The three lads last year in Smithies, Partington and Byrne are the furthest along but then you have Wells, who’s had his development held back by injuries and after him there’s a whole host of talent who are fantastic prospects. I’m a huge fan of Havard and Kilner in the front row, the two young hookers are good prospects and then there’s Shorrocks, Rushton, McDonnell and Pearce-Paul in the back row. It’ll be keeping them all in first team chances to keep them all developing which will be a challenge.