I would genuinely take any win against them. They’re falling in to their usual trap of throwing everything in to games against Saints and in particular Wigan and they’ll do so again. The fact fans will be back in can’t be underplayed as well and they’ll buzz off that, especially against us. They also seem to be getting players back and on paper are much stronger than the Leigh side we were fortunate to beat on opening night. A Wigan reaction from last Saturdays dross will come hopefully but I don’t have a great feeling about this one at all.

More than anything I just want to see some good rugby over the next couple of months. We've obviously put some wins together in the league but in every post-match interview the coach is talking about 'winning ugly' and grinding out games. There can't be any excuses for a lack of attacking rugby now - we're essentially missing a left centre in Gildart and that's pretty much it.

I’ll be happy with the win but we need to have one dominant game in our bank to build off. I think more for the players than the fans.

We need a strong performance from the props. Need them making meters after impact, if we can’t do that at least get offloads going (genuinely haven’t seen one yet) In past games all it takes is one good run and it elevates a team.

I’d like to also see some more expansive attacking rugby. Especially if we can’t make meters in the middle of the field. There has been glimpses of this (Hastings kick to French agains Cas)

We could do with a performance like the away game against Catalan last year. Although we did do a lot of defence we ended up turning the tide and marching them down the other end with strong carries and skill.

No players back this week by the sounds of things but both Leuluai and Gildart should be right for the next game after this. Liam Marshall back in full training today as well Lam said and should be back in contention in a couple of weeks.

Going off that and after having time to calm down from Saturday, I would go-

French
Manfredi Hardaker Farrell Bibby
Hastings Smith
Havard Powell Bullock
Isa Smithies Bateman

Subs
Singleton Byrne Partington Pearce-Paul

We can keep getting pinned in our half in the first half hour of every single game, so the biggest metre makers starting through the middle. I’d give Pearce-Paul the last bench spot. Shorrocks has done a good job but they need to start giving a couple of the younger lads a go now, like Pearce-Paul and McDonnell as they have nowhere else to play.

Love a person with optimism.

How are Leigh fairing? Last time I looked you had a few injuries, you got anyone back for this game?

Ellis is back, big bonus that. Think Duffy maybe playing mind games with Lam, on who is back.

They’ll give you a game.

Good luck.

Well if the first meetings anything to go by I’m sure you will give us a game.

Cheers. Good luck to you also

I'd go:

FB 1 French
RW 2 Manfredi
RC 3 Hardaker
LC 28 Halsall
LW 22 Bibby
SO 20 Smith
SH 31 Hastings
P 8 Singleton
H 9 Powell
P 10 Bullock
SR 13 Bateman
SR 12 Farrell
LF 14 Partington

S 15 Smithies
S 19 Byrne
S 21 Havard
S 25 Shorrocks

Halsall showed up well v York and deserves another game. Playing against the worst team in the league at a time when we're struggling for backs anyway is a good time to do that. We also have Gildart and probably French leaving after this season so it would be smart to give him the opportunity to potentially earn a 2022 starting shirt. If he did prove himself good enough then that is lots of cap space freed up to strengthen the pack.

A week off for Isa - he's not getting any younger. I'd have liked to leave Hardaker at full back but I think the overall backline looks better this way.

I like the optimism but unfortunately it will be more of the same rubbish served up all season

Similar to how the Leigh Saints game went I would think but with us looking less "in control" than Saints did.

Tough 60/65 minutes but we will get the win in the end.

Will take any win. Its all in Leighs favour this game.

At home with a home crowd. Still looking for their first win, on the back of our first loss.

All the more reason we should be "up" for this game, if I hear another "we didn't see that coming" post match interview from Lam I might start crying

Would go down in history as Brian Noble's "don't throw the baby out of the bathwater" did.

I said at the start of the season that Leigh may well finish on 0 points and I'm sticking with that. Obviously the players should never be complacent but I can't see anything other than a comfortable win here. Good opportunity to work out which way round we want to play French/Hardaker/Bibby. Try both combos during the game.

"We trained well" was a favourite of Nobby's.

I think Lam might have played that card once or twice as well.

To be fair I'm not really expecting the coaches to broadcast what they got wrong and plan to do differently. I strongly suspect a lot of that analysis and planning goes on once they can review the game.

If I was Lam I would just be going into those interviews thinking "Don't say anything controversial or give away any information that might help or motivate the opposition." Look at one of the greatest coaches of all time, Bill Belichick, all he does when they lose is say "The opposition are a very good team who played well. We need to coach better and play better." he refuses to get drawn into any specifics or make any meaningful comment, no good can come of it.

You're right. Coaches get criricised for hanging players out to dry in public, but then they also get criticised for protecting players.

The annoying thing for me is that we continue to do the same things in big games and in wet weather football and never seem to learn so Lam saying "I don't know what happened" just makes him sound atupid because we can all basically predict what will happen.

Two things that I would like to see this week are 1. Byrne holding onto the ball and 2. Bullock being given more than a cameo. Just because Clubb is not playing we do not have to tell someone else to only take three carries and stay on the pitch for 5 minutes.

It does seem as though Lam has a plan that one prop must do a lung busting 5-10 minute spell and no more. You’d think it was some sort of freakish 7ft tall giant we were speaking about, who will smash in for a try or two and exit the field a hero.

I've just seen their statement about not streaming the game. Disregard my previous comments, no playing any kids or experimenting with the backs. Throw everything we have into it and stick 70 on them. Bellends

I’m not sure Wigan would have agreed to change the date had they known they were going to do this.

So we won’t be able to stream it then? I’ve not seen Wigan say anything about it.

Leigh are a tinpot club. Hope they get relegated.

https://leighrl.co.uk/wp/v2/blog/2021/0 ... ourleague/

https://leighrl.co.uk/wp/v2/blog/2021/0 ... ourleague/