I still think he has a lot of work to do on his lines of attack personally. He keeps trying to go on the outside of players and running himself out of room. He’s big enough and strong enough to stay in the field of play but he needs to straighten things up a bit for me and try and hit the gaps. He isn’t quick enough to go round people anymore.

He’s getting to grips with the position bit by bit though. I think he’ll kick on a level next year because he’ll have a full Lee season knowing he’ll be at centre and he’ll be able to put all his efforts in to it.

Powell????
That’s a joke yeah?

I’ve already said myself that I think McShane is a better player but Powell is no mug and I can see why some people would pick Powell. He and McShane are totally different types of hookers. McShane will get out from dummy half and test the line with his running game and try and open gaps for others. Sam Powell is better defensively, is supremely fit, hits harder in defence and has built a game now where his attack really comes alive near the line, as his 11 try’s in superleague show. No point just looking at stats but his 11 try’s and 4 assists stack up favourably against McShane’s 2 try’s and 8 assists. McShane has made plenty more ground than Powell but Powell has made over 100 more tackles, whilst missing just 23 compared to McShane's 50.

Depends what you’re looking for.

I don't have a problem with McShane getting the award. At the beginning of the season he was the best #9 in superleague and a big factor in how Cas started. Don't forget they beat both us and Saints.
His form dipped a bit later on in the season but they had a lot of players with Covid symptoms of which he may have been one.

He and Clarke would be my England #9's with Powell as the third.

Powell and Clarke would be my choices for England, even if it's because they are both the right side of 30.

I don't see the logic in picking a guy on debut at 31/32. He'll be a stop gap for a season and then will need to be replaced by someone else, namely Powell and Clarke as they are next inline.

That being said I don't really care for international RL anyway, so pick McShane and watch the Aussies laugh their way to 50 point score line. The "fans" will still find a way to blame Wigan for it.

Insular and paranoid!

Dont recall many players being booed when palying for England aside from those who so happen to play for Wigan.

IIRC a few booed Longy after his ban but other than that I can only think of a certain Mr Tomkins.

And then you have the Leeds "band" who only sing about Leeds players

Over previous seasons McShane is better than Powell. But this year Powell has been better.

Powell has 15 tries & assists (vs McShane's 10), he had made 100 more tackles, 50 more marker tackles, and missed 38 fewer tackles than McShane. That's pretty conclusive for me.

and helped a team finish the top of the league

And going back a bit I remember walking out of a test match in Bolton to see GB "fans" singing a derogatory song about Andy Farrell.

This is an award for being the best this season. Don't you think making excuses as to why he hasn't been, by definition, means you think he shouldn't have won it? It's like saying give it to Dom Manfredi as he could be the best in the comp if it weren't for injuries. That doesn't make any sense, Brian.

Perfectly put.

I'd also say that, for whatever and across most sports, I find club competitions more appealing than internationals. Give me a Wigan Vs Saints or a European semi final at Anfield over any international fixture (I'm not even a LFC fan either). The tribalism just seems a bit fake when you compare it - we're supposed to get stuck into the NZ rugby team, when I reality I'd rather cheer for guys like RTS or JWH Vs some of the players in England shirts.

I don’t understand this but each to their own I suppose. I was lucky enough to grow up watching Wigan win everything in the late 80’s early 90’s. when you’re in your teens that’s all you care about.

There’s only 1 thing i desperately want to see in RL now. A England/GB win in an ashes series or ideally a Wold Cup. I would happily trade several Wigan GF/CC wins for it.

Yet again, the Man of Steel Award has gone to a player who stands out in a poor team instead of a player who stands out in a good team.

Hardly surprising seeing that they were both born in Leeds.

Nowt like picking your own!

I don’t understand this either.

Some of my greatest memories growing up we’re going watching GB v Australia/NZ at a packed house. Some of the best days/nights out I’ve had as an adult are going to the same games. Wigan v Saints is good, no doubt but give me GB/England v Australia/NZ at a packed stadia any day.

Each to their own I suppose

I’ve watched a few highlights recently of old test matches vs the Aussies and it just brings the memories flooding back. The feel around those games are all like Grand Final nights for me, I absolutely love them. Mike Greg’s try down under, that Davies try at Wembley, Faz on fire at Old Trafford, The Mason/Peacock punch up and Raynor’s winner, Sculthorpe diving in to seal the game in Huddersfield, Morley getting sent off at the DW and on and on. The lack of games we’ve had against the Aussies over the past decade has been scandalous. Nothing could be done about this years series but I can’t wait for nights like those again.

Like you said, each to their own. We all like different things and international RL just doesn't do it for me.

This is exactly how i feel

.

i went to my 1st ever game of RL at Central Park in 1982 - GB v Ozzies, and i still can recall that now stood on one of the brick walls on the entrance to the Sully Bar. I have had my hopes raised on so many occasions since it is untrue. We have had some fantastic players / teams in that time too, but none have been able to close out a series against the Ozzies

Elland Road always feels like an Ashes graveyard to me. The amount of times it feels like we’ve gone there full of hope, anticipation and excitement , only to be left feeling deflated feels like it’s in the hundreds given how gutted you feel, when realistically it probably been 4 or 5 occasions for me.

I’m exactly the same as trainman mentioned in that I’d give up a number of Wigan trophy wins for an Ashes series or World Cup win. I can only imagine the feeling after that and have been imagining it for many many years.

Agreed.

Yup, I've seen Wigan win trophies and I'm sure I'll see them winning trophies again. We often aren't even underdogs in that scenario. Winning a trophy ahead of the aussies would be a different prospect entirely.

I was lucky enough to be in Melbourne in 1992 for that victory over the Aussies (the famous Wigan six pack ) As an RL fan it stands alongside any win I've ever known.
I'm also lucky enough to have been alive to remember the ashes victories in 1959, 1962 and 1970, but before I go to that great Central Park in the Sky I want to do them at least once more.

I just hope Waney has enough good players at his disposal to give us a chance against them in the next couple of years. It feels like some of the quality has fallen away since that last World Cup. It was expected with Lockers and Graham but not so much with Sam Burgess and I fear we’ll miss him and the belief he can help instil in the other lads more than we could imagine.

You were alive to see the christians in the colosseum as well