Apparently the roads in are closed in Warrington as there is a open top parade today.

On a serious note Wire played very well we didnt,there are reasons for this but I am sure when we have the missing players back who happen to be the best in their positions we will be fine.
No trophies are given out this early in the season (WCC and CC excluded,which we already have and beat Wire for one of them) so nothing to fear yet fellow fans.

Eckersley should be playing centre not Faz, the coaching team need to take some blame as well.

The experienced players were awful last night, it is their job to guide the youngsters. Wire had no problem with Lindop and Nicholson defending together down their right side! We need to get back to doing the basics well, a bit of Waney reality wouldn't go amiss. One example is the first hit up, it put us on the back foot, Byrne needs to treat that ball like a bar of gold and hit the deck before contact. It's simple stuff that is killing us.

The problem is that he is injured. Time to give Ratchford a game?

Keighran has been suffering with head pains and sickness after getting a knock at Hull, hopefully his absence will be short lived. In the interim let's put Eckersley in the centre where he is far more effective.

Jon, I think that is an excellent summary. Three things I would add is that we need to stop selecting players out of position, treat that ball like a bar of gold, and we may need to sign a hooker as well if O'Neill is out long term as, I am led to believe that Forber is going to Salford.

And who at full-back? Hampshire?

I think Jonh's post covers pretty much everything from last night but I'd like to add a few more general points that are not necessarily to do with yesterday's game but can equally apply to it.

Firstly, our right edge doesn't work. Moreso without French. I don't think the AK/Miski partnership works as it stands as there is no disruptor. That's not a pop at either player individually but I think it's showing up in Miski's indifferent form. King, whatever his limitations, was a disruptor. His strong carries meant that he and Miski together were able to put us on the front foot and often attacking an unorganised defensive line. We have lost that now and Miski on his own is struggling to make an impact. King's offload, or even the potential to offload, also commited defenders and often caused broken field play. We see the same on the left with Wardle's footwork. Last night we had Faz there which just compounded the issue. Without French there is no one on that left edge capable of disrupting defences. We can be nullified on that edge through simple defensive systems.

It's not a lost cause though. Nsemba getting back to making his offloads, allowing Farrimiond more latitude to run, Eckersley to centre, Fields return and, of course, when French comes back all negate the problem there. I also think we need to use AK differently. He doesn't have the power or offload of King or the footwork of Wardle but he's played regularly at 6 so has hands. We need to utilise this more when he's back or, alternatively, a Eckersley/Miski or Keighran/Douglas partnership is a more balanced fit in my opinion.

Apologies for the long post on a single issue but I think it's been a problem that a winning team hasn't perhaps needed to address but, with French a long term absentee, it needs to be sorted now or we'll remain one dimensional with the threat only coming down the left.

Wigan are still the team to beat both teams had their injury's last night. Wigans great coaching set up won't let that performance happen again. It feels strange as a Warrington fan to not have a bad word to say about a Wigan boss but Matty Peet is the best young coach in the country and until Wire prove otherwise at the business end of the season we're still pretenders under potentially another fantastic young English coach in Burgess.

Agree with most of that BUT if O'Neil is out long term that could really hurt us as we lack a really good cover player unless Leeming can realy step up - both in defense and in playing long minutes without picking up niggling injuries. O'Neil offers so muc solidity in the middle which we will miss.

Also we really need to cut out the stupid errors and penalties - the last few games these have crept in and cost us dear, if that means playing a more basic game then so be it until we get players back becuase we can't keep gifting the opposition easy yards, it is so frustrating. We seem to have developed the bad habit of starting halves poorly.

I think Hampshire will play 6 and Eckersley will continue at fullback if Keighran is fit.

Good post, I really like Miski but it is quite annoying when he has to cut inside when we have an overlap due to lack of pace.

Eckerlsey looks an explosive athletic and still carries the ball strong, taller than Miski too so many better under the high ball.

Keighran centre
Eckerlsey wing could work

I understand that Forber will be fit in 2/3 weeks, certainly back before O'Neil?
Is the Salford move a loan deal? If we sell him we will regret it big time.

Its now set up for a Leeming/Forber combo for the rest of the season, I think Ratchford isn't ready yet and the other option is Kerr who has been covering at hooker in the reserves and isn't even experienced at that level.

I like Miski, he's strong and can usually find the corner to score. He's never been a Marshall or Manfredi that can score full lengthers or even from halfway, but that's no bad thing....just look at Makinson at Saints, he rarely scores from distance either.

I think his confidence is lower this season so far, he's had a new centre partnership that's not yet produced much as he's not had good service in good position (Keighran fails to release the ball most times), whereas King/Miski last was as devastating on the RHS as Marshall/Wardle was on the LHS.

Big question is, do we try make a move for King at the end of the season (heard his contract is up). But then what do we do with Keighran? For me not impressed yet other than great goal kicker, plus a liability in defence which has seen him receive a few yellows/reds.

Not sure if Miski is fully fit, he started the season with a lot of strapping on his leg and looks a bit low in confidence as if he is maybe carrying an injury? Maybe a game or two out might help him. But obviously being very low on experienced players this might not be a viable option.

Keighran is a frustrating one, sometimes there looks to be a decent enough player in there but the frequent bans and knocks stall any momentum he gets and means that he has to start again and before long is out of the team again. If he could get an extended run in the team we could get a better idea of his performance level and it might help Miski having a settled centre alongside him.

King I am not sure is an option - would probably cost too much and what would be do with Keighran who will probably be one a decent wage as well and we couldn't just get rid of him, also would we want to block Eckersley getting an extended run in his favoured position?

Leeds fan in peace.

You have a great squad, but I'm not at all surprised to hear that Walters isn't cutting it. He was massively over-hyped by Sky in his last season with us - Jon Wilkin even claimed he was our best player. I would have liked to have kept him at Leeds given our lack of size in the pack, but there are some reasons why you should be cautious with him.

Before Rowan Smith joined Leeds, Walters was knocking about the first team. He'd occasionally score a sensational try running off a good line out wide, but Agar evidently didn't trust him defensively and there were some really shocking defensive lapses around marker and on our goal line.

When RS came in he quickly promoted Widnes boys Walters and O'Connor to the first team. O'Connor hasn't missed a game since because he just works hard - maybe not the most skilled or physically blessed, but he's a good team player. Smith wanted to use Walters as a prop because we were short in that position, and he looked decent going forward, but the same defensive issues occasionally got highlighted. Personally, I preferred him spelled at prop - he scored fewer show pony tries but at the same time it meant he had to concentrate for shorter periods of time on the field. I get the sense that Smith wanted Walters to earn his place in the first team at the start of 2023, and he took umbrage that he wasn't an instant pick like O'Connor, and was also expected to play prop instead of second row.

He signed for Wigan just before Smith brought him back into the team. It was disappointing, and he scored a few more eye catching tries in the games that followed (I think he got away with bashing up a Saints player in the last game we won against them too). However, as the season wore on, his form actually got pretty poor - throwing silly passes and offloads, more weak defence, and too many penalties given for high shots. When the new rules about tackle height were announced, I thought Leeds had dodged a bullet - not because the guy is too tall, but rather because I have the impression that he doesn't have the attitude to be a top professional and adjust his game accordingly to suit the rules. I could be wrong, but I'm not surprised he hasn't set the world on fire yet. Nsemba seems a much better prospect.

He hasn't even struck the match. So do you think it's an attitude thing? Since he has been here everything seems half d. Don't know whether that is fair or not but he seems to lack effort.

I think as with every position in the side, you always need to make sure nobody is certain of a spot. I back Miski to bounce back and Keighran has shown flashes of what he can do but Eckersley and Douglas are good young players and in time it may well be the case that they start to pressure those first two for their spots. As and when that time comes Peet will need to be brave but for now I think Miski will be fine and get through this rough patch and Keighran will hopefully get a consistent run going towards the end of the season. It's always difficult to discuss the future when you're in a patch of poor form because it seems reactionary but it's only natural that you keep looking at ways in which you can progress/freshen up the side.

Statistically he's making good ground Walters but he just looks like a prop playing at second row at times. It's his concentration that worries me. He looks half asleep during games and has come up with some really silly errors. When you think of a 'Wigan forward' over the last 10-15 years, he doesn't strike you as one tbh but to give the lad some slack, his season has been so stop start and it must be difficult to get any sort of momentum going. He may get the opportunity to build some of that in the next few weeks because it does feel like Nsemba could do with a bit of a freshen up as well (which is totally understandable).

I think he made 96 metres against Wire.

[urlhttps://www.superleague.co.uk/match-centre/report/4493[/url

Betfred Super League stats reports 86m from 11 carries, most yards by a Wigan forward on the night.

I think one thing we overlook with players sometimes is how they need games and time to get in to a rhythm. He's not had a great start Walters but so far he's played in fits and starts, with the odd sub appearance here and there and just a couple of starts. He even had to go in at centre on Friday, so it's not been perfect circumstances to help him get going. I'd actually start him on Thursday and put Nsemba on the bench and give him a little run now to try and get going. I think Nsemba needs a freshen up anyway and we can use him to impact games against tiring defences.

Thats fair comment, it would be nice to see Nsemba running out wide and creating havoc for the opposition.
He has been used as a battering ram more the last few games and putting in a decent number of tackles.

You look at the sheer size of Nsemba and it makes you forget that he's a baby in rugby league terms. He looks a little jaded to me and as you say, we're not really get him them opportunities to cause problems a little wider. I think it's just a case of freshening his mind up as much as anything.

Nice of George Williams to put in a performance that bad tonight, Harry Smith can be chuffed with his nights work last night!