I wish people would give him a chance now if he does get a game. Yes he hasnt done well in his previous years here but its been a clean slate for everyone. Look at how much Roberts has improved this year! Not just him either, Riddell, Fielden, Goulding, Coley, the team as a whole. Get behind him on sunday if he does play. Maybe it will work, maybe it wont but theres more chance of it working if fans get behind him and give him some confidence.

I've watched Karl Pryce since he was 15 years of age. I've seen him destroy teams at all levels.

At first I thought it was just because he was a big lad, but then I started to watch him more closely. he has a very good kicking game, superb hands ( the pass that Sam gave v Quins was copied exactly by Pryce the next day). I saw him in pre match practice stood on the centre spot hitting the winger with the ball 5 metres from the touchline. He has more core skills than 90% of all RL players playing over here.
Why are we not getting them out of here.

I laugh when I here some calling for Stuart Howarth to be played at 6, Pryce has four times the ability.

He suffers because he is a big lad who people think should run over every defender when he gets the ball.

What we (Wigan and England) need is to find out what makes him tick? What motivates him? Find that and you have some player.

Remember Kevin Iro. One of the laziest player I have ever seen, but come a big match he switched on. Why didn't he do it in the lesser games?

My opinion of course.
Oh and if it were a choice of keeping Pryce or Ainscough, I'd keep Pryce.

Ste didn't question his ability he questioned his heart! Big difference.

Look how it went wrong for Simon Haughton, similar thing!!

It must be incredibly hard for Pryce to raise his game when he continues to play at under 20's level. I mean it wouldn't surprise me if it was a little embarassing for him having to play against teenagers who are half the size of him but are buzzing with enthusiasm. It's hard for him not to look out of place no matter what he does.

With the impressive start to our season his chances of breaking into the squad were pretty thin at that point and he must have known that and in all honesty that can affect a players confidence. Sportsmen and sportswomen are just as prone to getting stuck in a rut and fed up with what they're doing as everyone else is, especially if it seems everyone is against them.

It seems like Pryce needs a sink or swim moment. If he is picked to play against Huddersfield he will no doubt be aware that a poor performance could well be his last at Wigan and there's no guarantee anyone would be willing to pick him up if he doesn't impress. If he is thrown in he will have to put in an impressive performance to show what he can do, not just to people at Wigan but to those at other clubs who may be willing to offer him a chance if it doesn't work out here.

I hope that if he does get his chance that our fans don't get on his back straight away if he makes a mistake. He has at least 80 minutes to prove he can take his chances at this level. People have given a clean slate to players like Roberts and Riddell and the same should go to Pryce.

Who knows, maybe this will finally be the moment that Pryce shows what he can do, because those who have seen him play to the best of his abilities know he's a very talented rugby player, but it's all up to Karl himself to prove it.
Hopefully every Wigan fan sees that Pryce having a good game is the best possible outcome regardless of whether it proves them wrong in their previous judgements on him.

I know I'd rather be proven completely wrong for doubting that Pryce had what it takes to be a success and for him to have a great performance rather than be seemingly proven right for thinking he was never going to make it.

pryce needs to take a trip down the yellow brick road and get himself a heart or a pair of balls..I'm getting bored with all this pryce will or will not make it.

if the people who see him everyday wont pick him its for a reason..its time to shape up or ship out big lad.

HERE HERE!!


is Pryce still not earning money? I remember something about him only getting paid if he made a certain number of first team performances.

I know I might get slated for saying this but kp might just surprise us all on sunday if madge decides to start him because I honestly do believe that kp on his game can be our little secret weapon in making a final this year as he is a human wrecking ball on his day he proved that at bradford that he is a nightmare for defenders and we can use that to our advantage seen him in the reserves and he looks very very good but I know super league Is a 100% tougher game than the reserves but Once he pulls that cherry and white jersey on I will back him from the 1st min til the 80th min as I believe he can do a really good job for us either at wing centre or stand off obviously madge and waney have seen something they like in kp and I speak for every wiganer in the land by saying 'in maguire we trust' so much mr pryce go onto that pitch and make a hero of yourself pal cause we will support you to the end

Regardless of who is fit or who isnt, I dont think we can risk Bailey in the centre again

People i know who have known him all his life say, great bloke, great talent..... but can't be d.

I go to most reserve and academy games. I obviously watch karl pryce . IMO when playing in the reserve grade he comes accross lazy. i watched him in the last game where we tonked harequins and his work rate is poor. to me it just looks like he doesnt fit into that team.Maybe he just has not got the motivation at that level. Maybe just maybe he needs testing against better oposition. I would love him to make a massive impact. If he gets a chance then he has to show what he is realy about or he wont be getting many other chances. I am tryting to be positive about pryce but when marsh is getting picked in the nineteen before him then i am begining to wonder . Fingers crossed if he does get picked he has a good un . All said and done he is part of the team

I won't mince words here:

I have been (and will continue to be) a fairly vociferous criticiser of Mr Pryce.

It's nothing personal, I just call it as I see it, and frankly, Karl Pryce has appeared to be both lazy and disinterested in just about every game I have seen him play.

I don't watch the U20's, so haven't seen him at that level (although personally I see a first-team player being made to play against kids every week as a form of "embarassment punishment", to see whether it will force him to realise that he is too good for that level).

Having said all that, if he is indeed back in the squad for Sunday, and IF he makes the team, then quite obviously he has shown enough of a change (or rather a growth) of heart to convince Madge that he's ready.

HOWEVER - Please don't ask us instantly forgive what has gone before.

I won't be jumping on his back the first time he touches the ball but doesn't score, but nor will I be cheering him the instant he steps on the field.

I will give him the chance to impress me, as he has impressed the coaching staff (if indeed he plays).

Amos wasn't simply handed a second-chance by all his doubters, he worked BLOODY HARD and impressed everyone in to realising that they had been judging him on lesser performances.

Same goes for Piggy.

Now (seemingly) it's Karl's turn. Quite simply, he has to make us all realise that we have been harsh on him, and that there was something just not quite right for him that caused his less-than-inspiring performances up to this point.
Respect, as they say, has to be earned.

As has been said before though, he does remind me of Simon Haughton, who had all the natural ability in the world, but lacked the motivation to push himself in the sport of Rugby League.

People will give Pryce a chance im sure but as soon as he looks like hes given up or he isnt trying as hard as he should be people will be on his back and rightly so. The same goes for any player, he doesnt get any special treatment just because he is a bit fragile or because he is low on confidence. Our fans turn out in numbers everywhere and spend money that pays his wages the least he could do is give his best.

I hope he goes well, as he is a Wigan player and we are all Wigan fans.

Pryce 1st try?

And herein is the age old problem with players like Karl. It becomes all about people's perceptions, and not about what they actually do or don't do anymore. If the guy 'danced' he'd be loved by many.

You know something - You just summed up exactly what I was trying to say above, but in far fewer words.

Do I assume that you're referring to Piggy there?

Let's have this this right.....

It's not about dancing...
It's not about kissing the badge...
It's not about "being a nice guy"...
It's not even about scoring every time you get the ball...

It's about putting the effort in, week in, week out, both in attack and defence and trying your absolute HARDEST to put Wigan RL back at the top of the league.

The vast majority of players in our squad have realised that already and have bought in to that concept.

Those that seemingly haven't caught on to that at all (Pryce), or those that think they can coast occasionally (Feka) have been dropped to the reserves for periods of time.

The simple fact that it has taken Karl until May to get back in the squad, after being fully fit since pre-season tells me that it is his own attitude that has held him back.

As to "the age old problem with players like Karl" relating to the fans perceptions.....

That's simply the case that we can see exactly when a player is trying his hardest and when someone is acting like a footballing primadonna.
In the past, at the first sign that things are not going precisely how Karl Pryce wants them to, he "gets" (more likely feigns) an injury and asks to be replaced, or hobbles around for long enough that the coaches take pity on him.

Other players do exactly the opposite - Mossop a couple of weeks back, Brett Dallas every time he got head-hunted, and do I even need to mention Faz's nose or Shaun's cheekbone?

Karl Pryce simply needs to stop thinking about what's best for Karl Pryce during a game. That way, he might actually start to offer what is best for Wigan RL.

I'm just wondering what happened to the mentality that everyone was going to adopt of not judging a player before he's taken to the field? Everybody agreed that under Madge every players slab should be wiped clean and that player would be given a fair crack of the whip. It would seem Karl Pryce is an exception to this and people have already judged him to be lazy and not good enough for Wigan

Wouldn't it be great seeing as the team are in a slump form wise that Pryce could be the player to bring something else to team that can get us out of this dip in form. If he does play on Friday I want him to have a stormer, not so us fans who've supported him can turn around and say we told you so, but so the team can benefit from having a rejuvenated Karl Pryce playing for it, and maybe just maybe he can add another dimension to are attack.

I fully agree mate. Some people who think they are speaking ‘frankly’ need to get a grip, lose the chip on their shoulders and just get behind him and the team. Pryce doesn’t have to impress anyone on here as he’s obviously impressed the only guy that counts in Madge. He’s taken a MASSIVE step forward with his inclusion this week and it’s obviously come from a lot of hard work behind the scenes in training as Madge wouldn’t have selected him otherwise.

At a time when we’ve seen Carmont’s form falter and Phil Bailey struggling for pace in the centre we really need Pryce playing well. What a major problem solver it would be if we could call Pryce up to cover or even replace Carmont?

There are rumours going around that we’ve been looking at Shenton and other centres from the NRL for next season but how much easier would it be for everyone concerned if we do like Rouges stated and found out what makes Pryce tick.

Mate, I wish for exactly the same.

The day that Karl Pryce plays for the Wigan first team, I'll be wanting him to succeed because that improves Wigan's chances.

That's not to say that I shouldn't think he's a lazy, disinterested lump, because to date, that has been my observation of him.

As I said earlier, he quite obviously isn't doing enough to get in the first team to date, and hasn't proved himself in the reserves to be given a shot. This tells me that he's not done what the coaches have asked him to - So far.

I will absolutely give him "a fair crack of the whip", but as with other players before him (Richards, Roberts, Piggy, Lam, etc.) he himself has to put in the hard work and prove to the fans that we've not seen the full extent of his talent to date.

The only way to do that is to play himself in to first team contention and then pull his tripes out from the second that he sets foot on the field to the second that he leaves it, and NOT to play at being injured the first time that things go slightly awry.

OK. It looks like he now HAS "done enough to get in the first team to date, and HAS proved himself in the reserves enough to be given a shot.".

As stated previously, if he plays, I will back him 100% as part of MY team.

He's done the hard bit (convincing Madge and Waney), so now comes the easy part (turning public opinion)



As I said, others in this team (Richards, Roberts, Riddell) have all been in similar positions and challenged themselves to show us their best.
I sincerely hope that Karl goes on to do exactly the same.

The big problem I have with your interpretation is that it relies on things occuring in a vacuum. Karl's selection or otherwise is not solely dependant upon his own performances in training/reserves, but also the performances and form of the other players competing for the same spot. Darrell Goulding has performed admirably this season, as has Amos Roberts, Pat Richards, Martin Gleeson, and prior to Injury Cam Phelps. Who would have been dropped even if it was felt that Karl had been performing well in training/reserves? unless one of the others gets injured or starts performing worse?

It really is quite silly to imply that his previous lack of selection backs up your view of him being lazy, the only certainty that can be deduced is that MM and SW felt that his performances did not warrant his selection over the other players in those positions. Stop being so polarised about everything. The truth lies somewhere between your view of lazy/no heart/does nothing, and my view of he's a talented young player who given the right spark and opportunity could do a real job for us.

Karl was in contention for selection prior to picking up a knock just prior to the season start, Darrell got the opportunity and took it fantastically well. All Karl can do is keep doing what's asked of him by the coaching staff, and bide his time. Hopefully that time has now come and he'll have a good performance though don't expect an on fire performance from somebody who's been out of that level of competition for so long, especially if the rest of the team aren't totally firing - evidenced by a couple of the 'thrown to the lions' appearances under Noble. If he can perform well enough to satisfy what MM/SW ask of him, then frankly I couldn't give a flying one what anybody else thinks of him, and neither should he.

It's also strikes me as a little silly to dismiss that 'dancing' doesn't have anything to do with it, as clearly time after time, year after year, some players are singled out for things that go without a passing comment from others. The common factor seems to be a particular player's popularity with a section of the fans, which in any sport is not always directly related to their actual ability or performance level, and often influenced by their demeanour and how they make fan's feel (see the recent discussion re: Feka and Fielden for a couple of good examples of this phenomenon)

And i'm glad to hear that you'll back him 100% if he plays. No how about backing him 100% even if he doesn't, as he's still actually part of our team and one of our players?

I really hope he does work out, as like Rogue's has stated, the lad really is one hell of a talented player.

Sorry, but if he's taking first-team wages and being left to rot in the reserves, then it prevents us from signing anybody else, due to the artificial limitations applied by the Salary Cap.
For that reason, I cannot back any player who isn't putting the effort in.



So do I. I hate to see both talent AND Salary Cap money going to waste.

As to the rest of your post, I only hold a polarised view of Karl because he has proved that view (lazy/disinterested/soft) to be correct on too many occasions to date.

I am still willing to have my mind changed though (as I was with Pat "Shït Boy" Richards after his first year). The name stuck (as will "Dornkay" for Karl Pryce - You need the Shrek accent), but as Pat's is now used as a joking term, I hope Karl's will become the same.

Actually I don't expect he's on a big wedge and there is no way that it would prevent us from signing anybody who the club felt was worth signing as I'm pretty sure IL is a smart enough and determined enough man to 'get his man' if the right person became available.

We can play 17 players each week, yet can have 25 top earners, there's always going to be 8 players who you should equally feel prevent us from signing anybody else. I think it's more than a little unfair to hold that against the lad.

I'd be delighted if Karl did come good - when he first arrived, I thought highly enough of him to be part of a group that chose him as our sponsored player for 2009, and was delighted to be sat with him (and Feca) at the end of season Gala Dinner.

Sadly, since then, I've seen nothing in any of his games, either for the first team or the reserves, to suggest it was a sensible decision. I can only assume Madge has seen something in training to suggest he's earned a place, and, most definitely, "in Madge we trust"!

Have a great game, Karl, I hope you prove all us "doubters" wrong!

I hope you kept a keen eye on your dinner with those 2 sitting nearby.